Jan 182016
 
As cynical as I may sound sometimes, I’m actually a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. And I sometimes manage to keep some. Here are mine for 2016:
  1. Get fiction published, mainstream. This one may actually be easy: I managed to win Honorable Mention in a contest last year, and as I type this I have 3 stories shortlisted for 2 anthologies. So expect this one to be fulfilled.  See Unsettled Space for more, at some point.
  2. Take my fiction to the next level.  Years of technical writing have led to it being dry and heavy on laborious exposition.  I need to lighten up, abstract the hell out of things.  Get more fluid.  I’m blown away by stories that *seem* to have no exposition at all.  That’s my goal.
  3. Finish a novel. In 2015 my focus was on short stories, a weak area for me for decades. I’m pretty satisfied where I am now with sub-3000 and even sub-1500 word work.  Now to wrap up something 50,000 words or greater.  Look for “Dreams of Lesser Tides” to hit bookshelves this year (okay, that part is a stretch goal).
  4. Finish my first music album.  This has been too long in the making. Gotta get something out…
  5. Perform music live in public for the first time ever.  :O
  6. Start bicycling regularly.  That was a 2015 goal but my bike is still not finished and poor health interfered just too many times.
  7. Run more.  See above, sort of.
  8. Lose another 15 pounds.  Ultimate goal: 155. I currently stand at 172, down from a high of 192.  Lowest was 163 right before 2015 Christmas holidays (grrr…).
  9. Travel more.  I want to visit the Texas coast, New Mexico, San Diego and Finland this year.  Who’s with me?
  10. Spend more time uplifting people, MUCH less time harping on politicians.
  11. GET DIVORCED. This &*(^$! has been killing me for two years.  I have GOT to get this done.  I’ll be nice and not go into the hurdles here.
  12. Quit bitching about being single.  I still don’t like it, I still wish I had female companionship, but I have to accept it ain’t happening and quit inflicting my misery on anyone else.  I’m not even remotely happy, but I promise to do a better job pretending.

Did I miss anything?  Feel free to suggest more.  I’m easy.

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