Tag: Yearly goals

Goals and Things

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First off, let me start by wishing you a Merry Christmas! /Happy Hanukah! /Happy Festivus! /Merry Kwanza! /Happy Holidays! (Did I cover everyone? I hope so.)

How were the holidays for you? I hope you didn’t kill anybody and that you had plenty of excuses to escape from your relatives. I won the lottery by catching the plague a day before my four-day break, so it’s been lots of drugs, coughing all night, a full body ache and a constant battle with an evil sea-bitch to use my voice. (I totally won, but it hurt like a mother every time). Other than that, I had a marvelous time 😊 I hope you had a good time with your family or friends or whomever you chose to share your holiday with, even if it was just yourself. 😊

Okay, so apparently 2018 is already knocking which is good because Januarys are typically a great time for new beginnings (although October also seems to work) and I’d like to make some changes. Some of them are health wise: not be such an Oreo fatty and be more active with Appa. Like, actually exercise with him and Batman instead of watching Appa exercise while Batman and I eat junk-food. So, big one right there. Other things I want to change include my bank account and the email Bank of America sends me every week to make sure—in case I somehow missed it—that I’m pretty much broke from Sunday to Thursday. But, I’d also like to take positive strives in my writing.

So, here we go, 2018 writing thing I’d like to change:

Main Goal:

  • Maybe not be so terrible at marketing

That’s right. ‘Not Be So Terrible At Marketing’ shall be the numero uno goal of 2018. I’m fully expecting to still suck at it, but I’m hoping to have more failures under my belt which means more things I’ve tried which is more than I’m doing now (which is nothing.) Aiming for *slightly* more ripples than the still water I’m standing in. Goals!

How do I do that?

Realistic (and more specific) Goals:

  • Keep up with the Wednesday posts. Seems reasonable.
  • Maybe put up a video once or twice a month. Not sure what the content would consist of other than me being my wonderful fabulous self and talking about writing and life and things (oh, and promoting my new series—obvi) That could work. I hear people like vlogs and I’m not totally Quasimoding-it, so maybe I’ll try that.
  • Start a newsletter. I probably should’ve had one of these for a while now, but I haven’t. I have no excuse other than I just haven’t. Like the vlog, I’m not sure what I would say other than talk about the series, my work and maybe something to do with the craft of writing. I’m just weird with commitments, but I guess by this point, I’m pretty committed (but shouldn’t be committed. Big difference.)
  • Make friends with/support other Indies. I’ve kind of backed off a bit for no other reason than that I’m using the time to write. Or to not be on my phone. But I did enjoy meeting other indie authors (shout out to BookBorn and IWSG!) and I need to get back into it. It’s mutually beneficial and there’s so much to learn from each other.

There are other things I could/should probably list here, but I’m being realistic with myself. If I pack too much on, it’ll seem unattainable and scary and I’ll look the other way and grab Oreos and cry. Because that’s what I do. So. Yeah. Small steps equate to large steps equate to things actually happening.

P.S. I sent BTT to a few BETAs! Yay! Would you like to BETA read my latest YA contemporary romance featuring a musician (the answer is yes)? If so, please reach out to me! I’d love to get a few more opinions 🙂

P. P. S. My books are free on Smashwords until January 1st. This is another me doing something. Telling you I enrolled in a giveaway. So, if you’re at all curious about my books but can’t afford the monetary risk (which hey—I get! Ms. Betty Broke over here) you can check them out for totally free (use coupon EY100. And there are *bunches* of other good books to discover as well!

P.P. P. S. I have to share some pictures of Appa because I don’t think people realize the CUTENESS level of my baby 😊 And I haven’t posted lots of pictures of him recently… so here you go.

Loves the window down car ride.

Who’s handsome?

I’m a sexy bitch.

My view from the computer.

 

P.P.P.P.S. Reasons I love Batman: he knows things like what P.S. stands for so I know which letter to multiply. (Does that make me stupid that I didn’t know that? I don’t care. I love that he’s so smart.)

Hello Online Media. Now I’ve got an Instagram

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It must be the twilight zone because I now have an Instagram.

Me.

The not-really-a-social media-person-person.

This blog was like, a big step. Two years (I think?) and I’m still wary about what I put up, how much content to share and if there really are people hiding in the bushes. Not because I think I’m like *totally* stalkable (even though I am, and have been) but it’s the personal information thing. The, “oh she posted that one picture of her window and using my dope techie skills, I now know where she lives” thing. It’s shit like that that really freaks me out, especially since I’m pretty sure the government watches me through the television. Batman thinks I’m paranoid. I’m not paranoid. I’m cautious. The less people know, the less they can use against you and all that. But when you’re trying not to fade into the shadows, it’s difficult to keep up with others since it’s sort of a necessity in today’s society.

I didn’t want to get a blog when I did. But everything I read said I should engage in some form of social media if I want to make it. I’ve got to have an online presence or I don’t exist. There went my sitting in the back of the class, hoping the teacher didn’t call on me. And now you’re saying I HAVE TO ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE? TO LIKE, BE SUCCESSFUL? Damn. Damn, damn, damn. It’s not been terrible, I admit. But still. Damn.

Anyway, Batman and I had Appa at the vet Saturday and I took (what I think) was the cutest picture of him (the dog—not Batman) and had to share it with someone, so I sent it to my sister and mom. Ahem:

Appa at the Vet

Look at that face. How is that face not to be shared? It is obviously *totes* sharable. Wanting everyone else to fall in love with him like I have, I broke down and joined Instagram. So far, Appa dominates the photos but I feel I’ve slipped another toe into the rest of modern society. I’m not a full blown social-median, but at least I’ve poked my head a little further out from behind this rock. I get points for that, right? The answer is yes, I get points for that.

And since everyone’s writing their yearly goals—and apparently I’ve succumbed to a sharing mood—I’ll join the convo:

Goal 1: Publish Crusade Across Worlds, Book 4 of Arizal Wars.

Goal 2: Market/learn to market/pay someone to market/rent a blimp with the book’s title and fly it around book conventions. Or do all four.

Goal 3: Enter more competitions/anthologies/ get my writing out there.

Goal 4:  Go to another writing/reading convention and make friends/connections. Either will do.

Goal 5:  Actually reach my Goodreads reading goal of 25 books (I’m feeling more optimistic about this one).

Goal 6: Learn to play Hallelujah on the keyboard I’ve been neglecting. (Dad, I’m finally making use of this gift. Only three years late!)

Goal 7: Keep up the positivity / continue to say no to stress and worry. They solve nothing.

I’m sure there are more goals I want to achieve but I’ll figure them out as I go. Plus, seven seems like an attainable number and as I’d like to reach each finish line, I’ll start with these. What about you guys? Anything you want to accomplish in 2016? Are you going to join modern society with social media a bit more like me? What do you visualize for yourself for the next twelve months?