Bits and Pieces

Resolutions

I like this post from zenhabits.net -- The Definitive Guide to Sticking to Your New Year's Resolutions.

If you're still struggling with writing your own New Year's Resolutions, I recommend Donna Volkennant's Jan. 1st post at Donna's Book Pub -- Happy New Year - My Motto for 2010. I plan to post Donna's motto on my bulletin board (if I ever succeed in following up on my 2009 resolution to hang said bulletin board on the wall).

For myself, I traded in the word "resolutions" for "goals" and immediately felt challenged instead of punished. Resolutions implies I need to "fix" something I did wrong. "Goals" means I have a new mountain to climb, a new skill to master.

I know, it's all in my head. Isn't everything?


On Dealing With Change

Writer Tim Northberg talked about dealing with change in his Jan. 1st post at The Darth Writer: Hello 2010!

Back when I was in the real world, working at a real job, I often told the folks who reported to me that "change is good." The truth is, change can be hell and it's not always good. It would have been more appropriate to say, "adapting to change is good." Adapting, for most of us, means working through the difficulties that often accompany change and remaining open to those new possibilities and opportunities Tim points to in his post.


A Success Story That Sets a Good Example

One of my blogger-friends, writer Alan Orloff, summed up his great 2009 on Dec. 31st on his blog, A Million Blogging Monkeys: Happy Old Year!

As I read Alan's list, I began to weep........JUST KIDDING!

Congratulations to Alan for having a great 2009. I hope we all have a writing year like that in 2010 (remember -- this requires butt in chair, hands on keyboard).


A Reminder About Promo Opportunities at Author Exchange Blog

Please don't forget about Linda Faulkner's Author Exchange Blog. Linda promotes authors by conducting and posting interviews. She also is interested in guest author articles of interest to writers and readers. If you have a book coming out in 2010, be sure to contact her. All of her contact information is in the sidebar of the blog.

This year, I'll shift my primary focus away from promotion and back to writing/editing and submitting/pitching/querying.

Even when we're not scheduling book signings, however, authors want to participate in activities that keep them in the public eye. Toward that end, two other local authors and I are forming a new panel which we hope will be of interest to Northern Colorado libraries. So far, we've worked on the topic questions we'll discuss and have prepared a handout listing books related to our topic. One of our members is putting together a tri-fold flyer to use when talking to library program directors. When our materials are ready, I'll write more about how to form author panels.


2010 Blog

I started blogging in mid-2009 and have been feeling my way ever since, trying to develop my own blogging voice. Since I'm a person with many and varied interests, my topics have been all over the place. Does that make the blog's focus too scattered? Is there anything you'd like to see more or less of here?

Just wondering.