Hello My Imaginary Friends,
Last Thursday I graded my 2017 resolutions. I accomplished a lot but only 55% of what I was hoping.
I make these resolutions to push myself and to do more. Even if I only accomplish half, that’s more than I would have without them. Let’s hope this year is fruitful. 
Write 2000 words a week for The Mystery of the Dancing Lights
This is arguably more ambitious than last year’s 3000 words, since that included blog posts and short stories, but I really need to kick myself into writing more of my novels. I’m getting stressed at the idea that I’ve only written one publishable novel in the past four years.
Pitch Everdome and the Super-Secret Project
I need to decide if I’ll pitch Everdome to the big publishers, if I pitch it to others, or if I self-publish. It’ll, in part, be decided by how my pitch for the Super-Secret Project goes. Something I need to write up and submit. (I’ll hopefully have news by the end of the year.)
Write a Monthly Serial Story
I like writing these, they don’t stress me and they’re a lot of fun. It forces me to think on my feet and learn not to plan too hard and let the story go where my weird brain sends it.
If you haven’t already voted for the 2018 Serial story, go do that now.
Continue to ensure there’s content 5 days a week on JenEric Designs
We’ve been going for five years now with content every weekday on JenEric Designs and I’m very proud of that. Jen and I have worked hard not to miss a day. I’ll do my best to ensure we keep that streak going.
Read 30 books
I succeed at this last year and I hopefully I’ll do the same this year. I love reading and it’s important to me that I keep doing it.
Finish the new content for FADDS and playtest it
This has been on my list for a long time and if FADDS were a human child, it would be going into second grade at this point.
I need to finish the new content and do an overhaul to take out the races. I’ve come to find that a race system in RPGs is, well, kind of racist. Instead I’ll be switching it to bonuses based off of Nurture and Nature.
Test, Design, and Produce 2 new coffee flavours
This will be easy. I have two flavours chosen. They need some more testing with people and I need to design their theme. We’ll have at least one for Comic Con.
Edit and send Dinosaur Road Trip to a willing betareader
This will be tough. It’s not a great book, but it was extremely personal and I really need to get it into a physical form for my daughter. I’m sure I’ll add some stuff along the way.
Jen, Weditor, has gone through it and made comments. She doesn’t seem sure it’s publishable so I’d like another opinion and a betaread. Depending how that goes I’ll either pitch it or just print a copy for myself and baby Dragon.
Start getting a short story collection together
This is going to be the fifth year of the Serial Story and I’m really proud of the worlds that have come out of it.
What I’d like to do is write an extra chapter for each story and put them all together, this year included. That would give me roughly 65,000 words and I’d pitch it to my publisher. I’d want to write 2 or 3 stories featuring characters from my books to try and tempt people to buy it and round it out to 70,000 ish words.
Play more Videogames
I have been doing a lot. Between my full time job, my part time job, coffee roasting, writing, housework, freelance layout, and other things; I spend a lot of time creating or doing things.
I need to force myself to sit down and play some of the games I’ve been wanting to play. Even if it’s only a few hours a week. It’ll help me relax.
Dragon is getting old enough now that soon she’ll be able to boss me around or at the very least stop attacking the controller.
Once again it’s an ambitious list. Hopefully I can get at least 50% done. Wish me luck.
What are your Resolutions this year?
Éric
