I love my grandmother, I really do!  But I don’t call her enough.  When I realize that it’s been a few weeks since I’ve called her, I start to fret.  I know I should call her.  I stare at the phone, willing myself to pick it up.  But I can’t.  Because before our conversation begins, I’ll have to listen to a five minute lecture on how long it’s been since we last talked.

That’s how I started to feel about my blog in mid-December.

So let me do what I do with Grandma:

Hey, guys.  I know, I know it’s been a long time since my last post.  I really underestimated the impact NaNoWriMo would have on my life.  So, did you watch Judge Judy today?  [My grandmother is 86 years old; diversion usually works.]

But I’m not kidding about NaNo.  During November, I wrote everyday and I tried to fit it into my life.  My family felt some of the pressure, but I tried hard to lessen the effect of the challenge on their lives.  In the end it was worth it because I did it!  I completed a book in 30 days.  My final total was 50,518 words. It was an incredible experience.  I met a wonderful group of writers here in Fredericksburg, made some new friends, and I finished my second novel. It’s in no shape to show anyone; it’s only a first draft.  But it is a complete story and I’m very proud of it.

My plan was to put it away for a few months.  I needed some space from it and I wanted to finish revising my first manuscript.  So, that’s what I did in December.   And recovered from NaNo.

Now it’s the new year.  Everywhere people are talking about resolutions: which ones they make, why they don’t make them.  I fall into the group of people who don’t make resolutions but I did set a goal for myself.

2011 is the year that I submit to agents and editors.  I was going to say that it’s the year that I get published, but so much goes into accomplishing that goal, a lot of it out of my control, that I don’t want to set myself up for failure.  But what I can do is finish revising my two manuscripts and get them out to people.

I’ve taken two major steps: First, I’ll be sending my paranormal romance manuscript to Laurin Wittig at Between the Lines, a professional critiquing service.  Laurin provided a very helpful complimentary review of my first chapter and I’m eager to hear her thoughts on my revisions and follow up chapters.  Second, I’ve signed up for an online workshop to help revise my NaNoWriMo manuscript, a contemporary romance.  I’d planned to revisit it in April or May, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to work in a small group with an editor.

So that’s what this year will be about.  And I’ll be blogging about it the entire way.

“Sure, until you get too busy to call your only grandmother…” Thanks, Grandma.  I’ll call you soon.  Go watch Judge Judy.

What about any of you?  Did you make writing resolutions?  What are they?  If you didn’t make resolutions, did you set any goals for yourself?  How do you plan to meet those goals?

Happy New Year!!!