Children’s author Julie Hedlund, challenged participants of her 12 Days of Christmas for Writers series to post SUCCESSES (rather than resolutions) on our blogs this year. She believes the way New Year’s resolutions are traditionally made come from a place of negativity – what DIDN’T get done or achieved in the previous year. Instead, she suggests we set goals for the New Year that BUILD on our achievements from the previous one. I decided to participate in this Anti-Resolution Revolution! Here is my list for 2014.
- I edited Swallow Me, NOW! to a stage where it can be published. For those that know me, this is a huge achievement.
- Published and launched Swallow Me, NOW!
- Ran a successful crowdfunding campaign
- Edited a picture book manuscript
- Launched my author website – www.melissagijsbers.com
- Got support for writing a book about chronic fatigue
- Started writing a book with a main character who has chronic fatigue
- Submitted a picture book manuscript to a publisher
- Continued with my blogging
- Solved an issue with a chapter book I started writing a couple of years ago
- Wrote more flash fiction for my White Dress anthology
- Completed and started drafts for further Green Oaks Primary School books
- Ran a great workshop to kick start the Chapter Book Challenge
- Started a Teen Writers Group with Monash Library – this is a lot of fun and we’re learning from each other
- Started my own challenge, Our Reading Challenge, to kick off on January 1, 2015
- Started reading through my pile of Writing for Children books that had been gathering dust for way too long
I’m sure there are other things that can be added to the list that I’ve forgotten, but this is a pretty awesome list. I don’t know about you, but it’s easy to focus on the negative and everything that didn’t get done, instead of the positive and everything that was achieved. Reading over this list, it’s been a pretty good year for writing. Bring on 2015!
