So here it is – another year over, a new one about to begin. 2016 was an odd year, wasn’t it? Referendums and US elections yielding unexpected and (to me) unwelcome results; the worrying rise in popularity of the  far right; all those celebrity deaths; the ongoing tragedies in Syria.

I don’t do politics on this blog – there’s enough of it elsewhere. Instead it’s time for my annual goal-setting exercise. I looked back at last year’s new year blog post to see what I’d targeted myself with in 2016 and found this:

So what am I planning to achieve in 2016? Actually for once I don’t have as many definite goals. It’s more a case of keep on keeping on. I want to maintain fitness and try to keep weight off. I want to keep writing the dual timeline novels I love writing, and which people seem to like reading. I will definitely write another complete novel in the year, and as that will be the second contract completed I’ll then need to work on getting another one.

Keep on keeping on. Easy enough, for once! Maintain fitness – yes, kind of. Keep weight off – hmm, crept up a little over the year. Keep writing – yes, definitely done that. I completed a novel which is currently awaiting publication, and I did manage to secure a new contract for three more books, one of which I’m a third through writing.

2017 is going to be a rather different year for me. The company I work for in my day job (John Lewis) give employees six months paid leave when you have completed 25 years service. I qualified a while ago but we’d always known we would wait until both sons had left home for university before taking the leave, and 2017 is the year we ear-marked. My husband’s retired so no issues with him having time off.

Back in February 2016 we bought a  motorhome and our plan is to travel through France, Italy, around the Adriatic, back through the Alps and across to Spain, starting in April and coming home in early October. I’ll be blogging about it – for anyone who wants to follow our travels! While we’re away travelling I do intend writing each day. I have to – to meet the deadlines of my new contract – but I also can’t imagine not writing for that long. It’s too much part of my life now.

So, my 2017 goals are:

• To make the most of the six months travelling
• To come home part way through the trip so we can make it to our son’s graduation!
• To complete the book I am currently working on
• To be about 2/3 through the next book by the end of the year

Finally, let me wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year, and I hope 2017 is better for the world than 2016 was. Have a great evening, whether you’re out partying or curling up alone with a good book, and here’s to 2017!

(free fireworks image from here)

Happy New Year to all my blog readers! Hope you all had a great night out and I wish you all the best for 2016!

For several years now I’ve put my New Year resolutions on a blog. Makes it easy to review them periodically and see how well I’m doing. Also, making them public means people are more likely to ask how I’m getting on with them, and that provides some wonderful encouragement.

First, here’s a review of last year’s resolutions:

• Complete the editing of The Pearl Locket – Done, and it was published in February
• Write synopses and plans for three further novels and see if I can get another book deal – Done, and I got another 2-book deal from Carina!
• Produce paperback versions of Mr Cavell’s Diamond and Give Up Ironing – Not done. If ever my Carina books come out in print I’ll do a paperback version of Mr Cavell’s Diamond.
• Write another complete novel – Done, and submitted just before Christmas, to be published in April.
• Do the pier to pier swim again. Not sure about a half marathon – knees are getting dodgy. But definitely need to increase fitness and lose a few kilos. Let’s say 4kg. – Hmm, is all I’ll say to this one.

2015 was not an easy year. My mum died in June, so the first half of the year was all about hospital visiting, and the second half was all about dismantling her life – obtaining probate, clearing her flat etc. It was a struggle to keep going with all my targets for the year during all this, but I managed most of them.

So what am I planning to achieve in 2016? Actually for once I don’t have as many definite goals. It’s more a case of keep on keeping on. I want to maintain fitness and try to keep weight off. I want to keep writing the dual timeline novels I love writing, and which people seem to like reading. I will definitely write another complete novel in the year, and as that will be the second contract completed I’ll then need to work on getting another one.

It’s that time of year again! Time to look back at 2014’s resolutions, see how I fared, and set some new ones for 2015.  Here’s the link to last year’s post, and here are the resolutions I set together with the results:

• Lose 6kg weight — Let’s not discuss this one, shall we?
• Take part in the Bournemouth half-marathon in October — I signed up, but owing to too many other pressures I wasn’t able to train enough and had to drop out
• Take part in the Bournemouth pier-to-pier swim in the summer — Yay, did this, loved it, got the medal! 
• Complete next novel, edit and submit by end of the year — completed a draft, currently editing in line with editor’s suggestions
• Combine my two How To Write books into one print version, with some added material, and publish through CreateSpace — decided to keep them separate but I did publish as paperbacks and they’ve sold nicely
• Persuade him indoors to do up the living room — amazingly, 3 years after this started appearing on my resolutions list, we did actually complete it, with the help of lovely son while he was home from uni in the summer.

I achieved more than the above list suggests. I submitted a novel to a publisher and got a two book deal – The Emerald Comb was published in September and has lots of lovely reviews now. I also published a historical novella, Mr Cavell’s Diamond, and wrote a time management book for writers, as well as working on that second novel.

There were some rough points in the year – my husband’s cycling accident in the summer tested my nursing skills, and on Boxing Day my lovely cat Sal had to be put to sleep while we were away on holiday.

But in terms of writing, it was a great year. In fact, the best yet. I’m a contracted novelist, with 6 books to my name on Amazon and that feels very, very good.

So, what’s next for 2015?

• Complete the editing of The Pearl Locket
• Write synopses and plans for three further novels and see if I can get another book deal
• Produce paperback versions of Mr Cavell’s Diamond and Give Up Ironing
• Write another complete novel
• Do the pier to pier swim again. Not sure about a half marathon – knees are getting dodgy. But definitely need to increase fitness and lose a few kilos. Let’s say 4kg.

If you’re wondering how on earth I’ll find the time for all the writing jobs, then you need to read (shameless plug coming up, sorry) my latest book, Give Up Ironing – a Writer’s Guide to Time Management. It is due for release on 1st January, and I hope will inspire you to write more books or stories!

I hope you all had a productive 2014 and a merry Christmas. I wish all my blog readers a very happy and productive New Year. May you achieve all your goals and be happy in the process!

I’m a great believer in writing down and making public your new year resolutions. That way, everyone will keep asking you how you’re getting on with them, and reminding you what you wanted to achieve. It helps spur you on.

Last year I posted my resolutions over on the womagwriter blog but now that I have this shiny new personal blog I think they fit better here.

So, how did I do with last year’s resolutions, and what am I aiming for this year?

Last year I resolved to:

• keep the 8kg of weight I’d lost, off. Hmm. Sadly I put 6kg of it back on.
• build up my running to half-marathon distance, keep up zumba, try open-water swimming. Nearly. Built up running to 10 miles (though usually I only do 8 miles). Did zumba through most of the year. Did some open-water swimming training sessions in the summer.
• complete novel, edit it, send to agents. Yep, did all that. No luck yet with agents but I’m still trying.
• do up the living room. Move along please. Nothing to see here.

And this year’s targets:

• Get that 6kg weight off again
• Take part in the Bournemouth half-marathon in October
• Take part in the Bournemouth pier-to-pier swim in the summer
• Complete next novel, edit and submit by end of the year
• Combine my two How To Write books into one print version, with some added material, and publish through CreateSpace
• Persuade him indoors to do up the living room

As always, I’ve tried to make my goals SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-boxed. What about you? Do you make resolutions, and more importantly, do you stick to them?

And finally, may I wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2014!