Writing A Novel: New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year, everyone! It's been a crazy and fun December, which is why I've been so lax about blogging. But the holiday season gets a little nuts for me, as I'm sure it does for many of you. There were several parties, an illness, plus my jewelry businesses exploded just in time for the holiday rush so I was busy with orders. I'm back, though, and eager to return to my writing!

I don't really make New Years resolutions; instead, I'm constantly trying to come up with resolutions throughout the year. Still, it's impossible to NOT think about new beginnings at this time, so I've been thinking a lot about what I plan to do with my writing in 2013. So far my goals are:

To finish my second novel, at least a draft of it, by the end of April.

To blog more often.

To put together a book on making jewelry. (Yeah, this really has to do with my other businesses, but it still involves writing...).

To write SOMETHING every day, whether it's a blog post, novel chapter, article for HubPages, etc.

As you can see, my goals are pretty simple. I'm not looking to write The Great American Novel or some epic play; I just want to keep up with and finish projects that I've already started. I think that it's important to follow through -- and one of the best ways to improve as a writer is to well, keep on writing.

2012 was a very challenging year for me and my family for many reasons, but one of the bright spots is that I finally published BAND GEEK. I'm so glad that I finally put my work out there and am sharing it with the world.

Please read and review my novel REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.

Follow Your Dreams -- At Any Age

In a couple of months I'll be 39 and then before I know it, another year will pass and I'll be 40. Yikes! In some ways, I still think of 40 as young; after all, my grandfather lived to be 98 1/2 and my grandmother recently died at 96. I have longevity on both sides of my family so I've come to think of "old" as being at least 90.

However, I'm definitely not a kid and am quickly heading toward middle age. It's easy for me to forget this, especially when I write about teens or chat with old high school friends on Facebook. But in reality, I can't exactly be called "young" anymore.

At times, I get depressed when I think about this. I wonder if I've done enough with my life and if I still have time to do some of the things that I'd like to do. I can never become a professional ballerina, but I could take dance classes. I'd hoped to have my first novel out by the time I was 30, which I didn't accomplish... but I did manage to put it out there while I'm in my 30s, which is still something, right?

Just when I think I'm too old to do anything, however, I think of my cousin Tom.

Tom is 85 and became an actor later in life. A successful actor. He isn't merely appearing in dinner theater performances (not that there's anything wrong with doing that; work is work); he's been in Superbowl commercials, soaps, TV shows and movies. He guest starred on BOARDWALK EMPIRE, 30 ROCK and has a role coming up on THE BIG C. He's also doing a movie with Will Smith and Russell Crowe. Oh, and he's currently on a poster that's hanging in New York City's Angelika Theater (that's him in the middle):

Many young actors have trouble finding work, but he just keeps going and going -- and I really admire him! So whenever I worry that I won't succeed in any one of my chosen creative fields, I remind myself of Tom and how one can live his or her dream at any age.

That said, I don't plan to give up anytime soon. I'm not yet a bestselling author, but I've still got time. Same goes for my music or jewelry businesses. I have to remember that I do these things because I love doing them -- and that I have the rest of my (hopefully) long life to reach my goals.

Help me reach one of those by reading and reviewing REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD