Accomplishments and Goals

Some of you may have seen the picture at the top left hand corner floating around Facebook about using a jar to store notes for all the good things that happen during the year and reading them on New Year’s Eve. I first saw this three years ago and I've been doing it ever since. I even decorated my jar!

From my Facebook Page.

In my jar for 2015 there were things such as: 

- Connor Daniel (my nephew) born 12/15 

- Got a contract for Seismic Crimes

- Moved into a house

- Bought a laptop

Another tradition I started with my mom back in 2007 is writing goals and wishes on a piece of paper and putting it in a pretty bottle...like a message in a bottle. On New Year's Eve, I fish mine out to see what I accomplished and write a new one. The bottle sits on my bookcase year round. 

From my Instagram

Some of my accomplishments from 2015:

January:

-       Co-hosted Insecure Writer’s Support Group Day

-       Co-hosted Terri Rochenski’s Facebook Release Party

-       My first week co-hosting the blog Unicorn Bell

-       Created my author website

April:

-       Published Ghost of Death

-       Co-co-hosted A to Z Challenge (Tremp’s Troops)

-       The Quest for Queena Auction (donated 2 eBooks)

May:

-       Published Witch of Death

-       Submitted Seismic Crimes to publisher

August:

-       Co-hosted IWSG Day (second time)

-       Sent out first newsletter

October:

-       Co-hosted Author Bash FB party

Publishing Goals for 2016:

-       Publish Seismic Crimes

-       Submit prequel to 30 Seconds to publisher

-       Edit Disaster Crimes Book 3 (title TBA) and submit to publisher May/June

Writing Goals for 2016:

-       Start seriously writing my NA Zombie Apocalypse Romance

Number Goals for 2016:

-       1,000 Twitter followers

-       600 Facebook followers

-       200 Newsletter Subscribers

I HOPE MEET YOUR GOALS IN 2016 AND HAVE A BLESSED YEAR! :)

Writing About: New Year's Eve + January Question of the Month

New Year’s Eve is a fun night in the real world and it can be a fun night in fiction as well. It could be a night of passion for a romance story or a night of suspense for a mystery. Maybe two people meet at an acquaintance’s party, or a murder takes place. Whatever happens, try to fit one or more of the following highlights into your story.

1. New Year’s Eve Party

A lot can happen at a New Year’s Eve party. Dozens of people get together wearing their best party clothes (glitter and sequins galore) and consume pints of alcohol. There’s dancing, snacks, champagne, and entertainment in the form of karaoke and watching the ball drop. You can spin a party tale for a romance, mystery or thriller. And even for different age groups including new adult and young adult.

2. Midnight Kiss

You can’t write about New Year’s Eve without including a midnight kiss, or the dilemma of who your character will be sharing a kiss with. It’s sweet if they share it with their love but intriguing if they share it with a stranger. The outcome of the latter could be the start of a new relationship or maybe he/she just kissed a murderer. Think about it….

3. New Year’s Resolution

A fun addition to a romantic-comedy or any genre is the mention of a New Year’s resolution. Perhaps it’s said with sarcasm or with hope. A good resolution for a romance…although a cliché…would be for a character to find someone to love.

New Year’s traditions from around the world:

- Colored underwear. Many believe wearing yellow underwear on New Years Eve will bring happiness. Others believe red underwear will bring their soul mate to them.

- Eating lentils is supposed to bring a prosperous new year.

- In Ireland, they bang bread against the walls and doors of a house to chase away bad luck and spirits.

- Do a version of Spring cleaning to get rid of old and start fresh.

- Eat 12 grapes (one for each month) while making a wish. 

- Write things you'd like to leave behind on a piece of paper and burn it so you don't bring bad habits, experiences, etc. into the new year.

- Light candles. Red will bring love and passion, orange is for wisdom. blue for peace, green for good health, and yellow for financial success.

QUESTIONS: What do you like most about New Year’s Eve?
What do you dislike?

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

To join this monthly blog hop visit Michael G D'Agostino's blog.

QUESTION: What are some new year’s resolutions you’ve had in the past?

My Answer: I set reasonable goals every New Year's Eve. It's a tradition. I write down a list of goals, including some of my deepest wishes on a piece of paper. Then I store it in a glass bottle for the whole year. At the end of the year, I fish it out and see if I met any of my goals. 

Some of my old goals that I achieved: 

- Move out of my apartment into a house

- Buy a laptop

- Get a car

- Get my GED 

- Finish writing certain stories

- Submit certain stories for publication