I just realized how much I’ve been neglecting lately – no serious work on my writing in months, not a single post on this blog in over a year and a half – and so one of my resolutions for 2012 is to get my ass in gear, with my writing and with my blog.

A short while ago my friend Noah had his first novel, Bleeding Heart Yard, published, and has since decided that he wants to read my first novel – the only trouble with that being that I haven’t finished it yet (although I have many half-finished attempts). He says he’s going to pester, hassle, harrass, and kick my ass, if it will help me finish – assistance for which I will be grateful – and I’m hoping that having someone to whom I can be ‘accountable’, even if it is only in my mind, will help me to keep on track.

Along with finishing a manuscript (and editing and submitting it) I’m also going to try to do more interesting things with the blog. I’m not going to make foolish promises that I can’t keep, but I’d like to make at least one interesting, useful, insightful, and/or timely post per month. More would be great, but if not, I’m okay with that.

And lastly, I’m going to try to remember to stop every once in a while and smell the damn roses. Last year I spent the first four months going hard with the writing, to the detriment of everything else in my life. Basically I had no life. All of my other pastimes (archery, reading, chain maille) went by the wayside and I think it’s safe to say that I burned myself out, because all my angst about being a ‘good little writer’ and getting my butt in the chair took the fun out of writing for me, and I had no other ways of recharging myself. But, recently, I’ve rediscovered the joy of photography, and am hoping to integrate that (along with my other neglected hobbies) into a more balanced creative existence. Wish me luck – I’m going to need it.