Wednesday, January 1, 2014

New Year’s Resolutions and Other Woes

by Janis Patterson
How can it be a new year already? I’ve just become used to writing 13 on my checks, but then I have never taken change well. The change from 19— to 20— was positively traumatic. How can time go by so fast?

I know our metabolism slows down as we get older, but the sad truth is that time goes faster to make up for it. Sigh.

I never make New Year’s Resolutions as I do not handle failure well. The only time I ever followed through on a resolution was when I resolved most solemnly never to make any more New Year’s Resolutions!

If I were to, though, they would be simple. To cook more from scratch. To write faster and more. To keep a cleaner house. To socialize more. To be less distracted by the fascinating trivia of life. Yes, they’re sometimes contradictory, but then so am I. And with time slipping away faster and faster, such good intentions tend to get squished into smaller and smaller timeframes and therefore negated.

Am I the only one whose life seems roughly equitable to trying to have a leisurely swim in a blender? Too much to do and much too little time in which to do it? So many of my friends, writers and otherwise, seem to be doing so much more, producing so much more than I, and that is disheartening. Obviously I must prioritize more, must make better use of my time and resources. Unfortunately, that sounds too much like a New Year’s Resolution, a failing I must overlook if I am to follow through. At least I can try. 

I do have a small brag, though, if you will allow me... under my Janis Susan May persona I received two book contracts in December from Vinspire Publishing. Miss Morrison's Second Chance is a traditional Regency romance which will be released next September. Welcome Home is a contemporary gothicky romantic suspense, so far without a release date. Talk about ending 2013 with a bang! 2014 is going to have to do a lot to catch up.

I wish each and every one of you the Happiest of New Years, along with good writing, all kinds of happiness and many sales.  

9 comments:

Lynn Cahoon said...

Woo hoo on your new contracts. And I'm a big believer in reaching for the simple. Including cooking from scratch. Happy New Year!

Morgan Mandel said...

Congratulations on your contracts!
And, yes, I've noticed time goes by much faster. Also, I need to cook more from scratch, and not just the same easy things!

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

May I add my congratulations! Terrific news! No resolutions for me, just glad to be here.

Anonymous said...

Congrats aplenty on the new contracts, Susan. You must be writing right. I'm not big on resolutions either, but I promise myself I'll write more this year. I also promise to eat more food cooked from scratch.

All the best to all of us in the New Year.

Terry Shames said...

Congratulations! Am I the only one who views new contracts with mixed feelings? It's all about your swimming in a blender image (love it)--new contracts mean swimming harder and faster.

Okay, fire up that blender and let's get 2014 rolling!

Janni Nell said...

Congrats on the contracts!

Jacqueline Seewald said...

How lovely to have two new contracts! As my younger son who works for big pharma always says, it's important to have new product in the pipeline. Congrats!

Book Readers said...

What a lovely way to start the New Year with 2 contracts. Congratulations! Happy writing!

Brenna Chase said...

Happy New Year, and congratulations!