2017 left as fast as it came in. Now here we are in 2018 and I’m sure tomorrow will already be 2019.
At the end of every year I sit back and reflect of the things I did and the things I didn’t do. Then at the beginning of every year I make lists and more lists and plans and goals and decide, “This is the year of me!”
Well, as long as you work hard, take care of yourself, and be kind and support others, every year is the year of you.
I had so many plans in 2017 and I implemented a lot of them, but time does get away from you as does life. If I had an opportunity to hang out with friends or family, I did. My biggest goal was to quit my job and while that was scary, I did it. Not only did it free up a lot of time for me to write and blog, but it allowed me to have a bit of a social life as well. I finally feel like a semi-normal young adult.
There were some plans I made for 2017 that didn’t come to fruition because I didn’t have the knowledge or the tools to implement them. So, did I complete all my 2017 resolutions? No. However, I’m prepared now more than ever to finally get started.
What are my resolutions for 2018?
For my Goodreads 2018 Reading Challenge, I’m pledging to read 52 books. Again.
For the last two years I’ve pledged 52 books and surpassed that both times. 52 books in a year means one book a week. I know I can do that and then some.
As for actual books, I want to read more mystery, short stories, and poetry. Depending on what I find and what mood I’m in, who knows if that will happen. So we’ll see.
I have a lot of writing goals this year. So many in fact that I’ll be talking about it all in a post tomorrow.
Just know that I’ll be finally utilizing my Wattpad account this year, I’ll be doing plenty of self-publishing research (yikes!), and I’ll be focusing a lot on submitting to contests, magazines, and other websites.
It’s going to be a busy year.
What’s up for the blog in 2018?
Well, for one thing… have you noticed any changes? Yes, I finally re-branded the whole blog! I have a new theme, all brand-new graphics, I’ve updated old pages and added new ones, and I even re-did my entire newsletter.
I did all of this myself and it took me a couple of months to get it done. It was a lot of planning and eye-straining at the computer, but I can at least say I have a good grip on how Photoshop works now! It’s always fun to teach yourself something new.
With that said, please take a look around the blog and let me know what you think. I worked hard and, if I say so myself, I think it came out pretty good.
Schedule
For the most part, content and the overall schedule will remain the same.
WEEKLY
Monday-Thursday: Article posts based on the current month’s theme with the occasional guest post or author interview. One Wednesday a month will be WIP Wednesday as well.
Friday: Time to Write, a creative writing prompt
Saturday: A book review
Sunday: Short Story Sunday
MONTHLY
Guest Bloggers: Guests will appear on my blog 1-2 times a month
Author Interviews: I will interview published and non-published writers 1-2 times a month
Mystery Month: The fourth annual Mystery Month will be in May. Yes, the past three years it has been in June, but I changed it to May. (I don’t remember why I changed, but I’m going with it.)
July & August: I’ll be reading two books a week during these two months (book reviews for Tuesday and Saturday) and there will be a few bookish events such as readathons, book bingo, and more.
Making Connections
I know I say this every year, but… I swear I will be better at reading and commenting on other blogs!
For a while now I’ve been focused on my own blog and writing and it’s taken up a lot of my time and energy. Now that the bulk of it is done, I’m planning on spending at least one hour a day reading and commenting on blogs I follow. Plus, I want to seek out a few new blogs each day.
Hold me accountable here, people.
Anything Else?
Etsy Shop
I’m opening an Etsy shop! I’m super excited about this. I was hoping to have it ready for today, but I still have some last minute touches to do for some of my items.
It will officially open this month in January, though. I’m almost done.
The shop is called Spilled Ink Press Shop. I wanted it to be just Spilled Ink, but the name was taken. So I tried Spilled Ink Shop and that was taken… it suggested Spilled Ink Press Shop and even though it’s long I realized the abbreviation is SIPS and I find that hilarious so I went with it.
Anyway, I’ll be sure to make a note of it here when the shop officially opens. I’ll also send out something in my newsletter.
Newsletter
Speaking of, I re-did my Newsletter! Please feel free to head over to the Newsletter page and check it out. If you’re not already subscribed, please consider doing so. There are some goodies in it for you if you do.
Happy 2018!
So that’s that. Other than my writing goals which I’ll talk about tomorrow, I think I covered everything. 2018 is going to be an ambitious year for me. I hope I make it, but I know I’ll have you guys by my side. You have no idea how grateful I am for your support.
With that said, please be well and be kind. Allow yourself to be extra creative and stay positive. Shoot for the stars but remember to accept help and support along the way. Pat yourself on the back once in a while and encourage others. You can do it.
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