Happy New Year! It’s the first week of 2018, which means it’s time to dive into our New Year’s resolutions! A new year means a fresh start, right? So for my first creative writing post of the year, here are a few of the goals I’m setting for 2018 (and beyond). Enjoy!

To take my blogging to the next level

What exactly does this mean? That’s an excellent question. To be honest, I still only have a vague idea of how I want to achieve this goal, but I am aware that my blogging has been relative static over the past couple of years (thanks, grad school) and I’d like to start taking it more seriously. Of course, talk is cheap and fear is powerful, but even simple steps like growing my mailing list and experimenting with guest posting could make a big difference in the months ahead. Once again, we’ll see how this year goes!

To become a published author

I mentioned last year that I finally finished the rough draft of my first fantasy novel, so I’m closer than ever to achieving my dream of being a published author! The editing will still take a while to complete, but in the meantime, I’m planning to self-publish some shorter stories to build up my author profile and work my way up to self-publishing novels. It’s a long road ahead on my creative journey, and I’m more excited than ever!

To make a living from my passion(s)

Writing fiction has been my greatest passion since childhood, so it’s no secret I’ve been dreaming of making a living from it my whole life. Interestingly, I discovered last year that aside from writing, I’m also cut out for editing and proofreading work; in fact, most of my income since finishing school has actually come from editing blog posts and web content. This year, I plan to continue focusing on these passions of mine until I become completely independent! Here’s to an even more productive year!

What about you? Any new resolutions for 2018? What are your plans for your writing?