New Year’s Resolutions

I feel like this.

 

Hello everyone and welcome back. A belated Happy New Year to you, apologies for the lateness, but like the Cybermen my blog has been upgraded. I no longer support the Big Brother theme, now I’m using Nuclear (power) to run my blog. What do you think? The tabs at the top of the screen have been altered so be sure to check them out. The two most important changes are the web address (jackdowd’swritingblog.com. I lost the @wordpress part) and the ability to add videos to my posts as shown above. I really wanted to add gifs to my posts, there are seven second long videos on a loop that play silently with subtitles, but after spending four days trying to make one, I just couldn’t figure it out. If you know how to make gifs and wouldn’t mind talking me through it, please do get in touch.

Am I too late to talk about New Year resolutions? I hope not. Did you set any? If so, have you broken them yet?  My mother says “My New Year’s Resolution is not to set a New Year’s Resolution,” but since everything is starting anew (a new year, a new job, a new website…) I thought I’ll give it a go.

New Year’s Resolutions

1. Update the website between every two to three weeks. I fell in the habit of publishing a post almost once a week last year and although it was fun working towards the deadline and making new content it interfered with my normal writing time.
2. Write every day. I’m sure this is a very common resolution among writers. I used to have a goal of 1500 words a day but while I was working full time I found this incredibly difficult to achieve. By the time I returned home I was too exhausted to write and I’m not a morning person. Although I’m no longer setting myself a word count I do want to write something everyday no matter how small. I have got into the habit of using the notes app on my phone during my commutes or typing out first drafts in an email and sending it to myself.
3. Read more. I believe the copyright expires seventy five years after an author’s death so many of the classics are free either online or via the Kindle store. I’ve read a few classics at school and university but I was forced to read them. Now I can pick and choose which ones I like. I read The Great Gatsby and Lord of the Flies last year and thoroughly enjoyed them.
4. Leave more comments. I’ve been neglecting to answer comments left on my blog. The problem is I receive a notification on my phone when a comment is left and I tend to approve them on the spot. When I return home I am busy with domestics and don’t get the chance to answer them. I’m also going to leave more comments on blogs I follow because I know it means something to the owner.  (If I’m not following your blog, give me a shout and I will.)
5. Finish the first draft of my novel. The past couple of years I’ve been working on a Fantasy novel titled Devera. I love this novel and wrote the first twenty thousand words for my final dissertation in uni.  I’ve been working on Devera on and off during the past couple of years and during that time my writing has matured.  I’ve noticed several plotholes and problems that are going to take a while to fix. I’m putting Devera on the shelf for now and starting a new novel called Empty Nights (working title). My goal for 2016 is to finish the first draft.

Those are my writing resolutions.I have the normal personal resolutions as well.

1. Cut down on the unnecessary trips to McDonalds and other junk food providers.
2. Do more exercise.
3. Become more social and attend more nights out.

I have other resolutions but I consider those the main ones. Do you have any? What’s your goal for the 2016? Leave a comment below or on my Facebook or Twitter post. Whatever they are, I wish you the best of luck.