Happy 2013!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long, unintentional hiatus there. Holidays, traveling, and pneumonia threw me for a loop there for a while. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. I didn't write as much as I was hoping for, but instead of beating myself up about it, I'm just going to move forward from here. I have high hopes that I can train myself to consistently write 1000 words a day and get this novel done in a few months instead of over a year. I'm not there yet, but I think that is because it's such a change for me. I'm not going to be able to do it overnight. I was reminded of this quote from Dieter F. Uchtdorf yesterday, and it seems particularly appropriate.

Let us resolve to follow the Savior and work with diligence to become the person we were designed to become. Let us listen to and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. As we do so, Heavenly Father will reveal to us things we never knew about ourselves. He will illuminate the path ahead and open our eyes to see our unknown and perhaps unimagined talents. The more we devote ourselves to the pursuit of holiness and happiness, the less likely we will be on a path to regrets. The more we rely on the Savior’s grace, the more we will feel that we are on the track our Father in Heaven has intended for us.

So, what are your hopes and dreams for this year? What do you want to become in 2013?

Be sure to watch for my interview with short story contest winner, Almiria Wilhelm, and for her story "The Favourite," which will be coming in a couple of weeks! 

Welcome, Welcome, Twenty-'leven

So, what do you think we should call the new year? Two-thousand Eleven? Oh-eleven? Just plain Eleven? I'm going with Twenty-'leven.

2011 will hold, among other things, my oldest child graduating from high school and going off to college, and my fortieth birthday. One consolation is that my fortieth birthday will be on 9-10-11. Really, who could ask for a better date for a fortieth birthday than that? Also come fall, I will have children in every level of school from pre-school through college. Nice, huh?

I feel like I should report at this point on my Big Goal. You know, the one over there on the sidebar with the countdown clock? If you don't want to scroll down and see it, I'll just tell you. It says, "Within two years, I will have a novel published or at least have a contract. Also, I will be presenting at a local writing conference." Well, sometimes I think I ought to just remove that from the blog and pretend I never said it. No novel contract as of yet. But not for lack of trying.

I haven't been invited to present at any conferences, however I am going to be on some panels at Life, the Universe and Everything at BYU next month. I am trying to act all nonchalant about this. Just a few panels. No big deal. Inside though, I'm doing a major happy dance. This is really a long-held dream come true for me. (Squeeeee! Okay, back to being cool.) If you're in the area and want to come see me on some panels, LTUE is Feb. 17-19 on the BYU campus. Anyway, I figure it's a step in the right direction. And since my novel is still out on submission, I won't give up on the novel contract part just yet either.

Now, on to the Twenty-'leven writing goals:

Keep Writing

Keep Submitting

Finish "Refuge" in January

Write another novel

Yes, I'll be starting off the year with another novella challenge like I did in October. Shall we see if I can beat the PR I set then? "Refuge" is the third and final part of my three novella series of prequels to my novels. What novel I will write after that remains a mystery to me.

What big plans do you have for the next year?

Let's make it the best year ever!