2011: A New Year with New Resolutions

It’s almost 2011—and how weird is that? For once in my life, I feel like any goal I set I can actually achieve. I just found out I got an A (102%, to be exact) in my only class, The Grammar of English. What’s more, I’ve just gotten my room sparkly clean for the first time in at least a year. And I’m the first one to admit that my room is a fairly accurate reflection of my state of mind at any given time.

My goal in creating my new year’s resolutions is to set the bar low, but higher than it is currently. I don’t think that unrealistic-for-me goals, e.g., lose 50 pounds in 2 months, will do anything but frustrate me and make me abandon my resolutions too soon.

With that in mind, here’s the list of things I’d like to accomplish in 2011:

Health & Fitness

v Lose at least 5 pounds a month from January to October. (Averages out to 1–1.25 lbs/week.)

v Don’t gain any weight from November through December.

v Exercise at least 3 times a week.

v Drink no more than one can (12 oz.) of carbonated beverages per day.

v Drink at least 2 bottles (32 oz.) of water per day, and other non-carbonated beverages totaling 64 oz. per day.

v Create and follow a weekly dinner menu of healthy dishes.

Education & Mind

v Study twice a week for my Independent Study class (Monday and Friday evenings).

v Get an A out of my chosen class in Fall 2011.

v Read at least 50 books, including at least 25 from cover to cover.

Finances

v Save at least 20% of my gross income each paycheck for long-term goals.

v Save enough to buy my Mac by the start of school (end of August).

v Save enough to buy a nice camera by my 23^rd birthday (January 2012).

v Use no more than $100 per paycheck in discretionary funds (i.e., books, music, movies, gifts, food, craft/hobby supplies, etc.)

v Save at least $1000 by the end of the year, just because.

Spiritual

v Read my scriptures (at least a verse) every single day.

v Once I finish this time around (I’m at the end of Helaman now), read the entire Book of Mormon again by Christmas.

v Finish reading Preach My Gospel.

Preparedness

v Create a meal plan for our year’s supply of food and begin to purchase items from that list, so that by the end of 2012, we have at least a six month’s supply.

Personal Enrichment

v Teach myself to make jewelry.

v Attend BYU Education week in August.

v Write in at least one blog once a week.

v Organize my personal library (this falls under personal enrichment rather than organization because it’s so fun).

v Invent a language or two for my fantasy world.

v Finish my 2010 NaNo novel before November 2011.

v Participate in and win NaNoWriMo 2011.

Business

v Complete at least two major editing jobs for 2012.

v Get my new jewelry Etsy shop up and running, and sell at least three pieces of jewelry by the end of the year.

Organization

v Follow the House of Order Handbook’s instructions for creating an organized home.

v Clean/organize every room in the house by the end of the year.

v Re-clean/organize my room on the first Friday of each month.

Family History

v Finish Dad’s life history and have it published by Christmas.

v Begin work on transcribing Dad’s journals.

v Finish Marjorie’s diary and have it published by Christmas.

Family & Friends

v Write at least one email a week to close friends.

v Purchase at least one Christmas gift per family member or close friend before December.

Service

v Start a Girl Scout troop with my sister and someone else (anyone out there up for it?).

v Plan a special Christmas surprise for a deserving family in my neighborhood/ward.

August: The Month for Updates

I swore to myself I'd write a post in April...and here it is, August 1st, and I still haven't gotten one up. In my defense, a lot of things have happened since my last post. Here's just a few:

1. I started my own editing service, and got a client! Iris Editing Service was responsible for editing 28 Day Financial Renaissance, which is currently up for sale on Amazon. If you scroll through the "Look Inside" feature to the Acknowledgments section, you'll see my name listed as the book's editor. (When I saw it there, I had to fight the urge to jump up and down.)

2. My oldest sister got married in May. Though they'd been engaged for months, Jen and Chad gave us about one month's notice as to the actual day the were getting married. Wedding preparations were a nightmare, but definitely worth it. Jen was radiant.

3. A friend and I attempted our own version of National Novel Writing Month in June. Though I only got about 6,700 words written, I still had a blast and learned a ton. That being said, my novel has been abandoned yet again.

4. After much crying, praying, and searching, in July I finally got a job, working for the Midvale Walmart on their remodel crew. I have some awesome co-workers, as well as few I'd rather never see again. The store is looking better, though the customers (and employees alike) are getting progressively confused about where to find things. The store's grand re-opening is slated for October 22. While I am infinitely grateful that I have this job, I have to admit that the recurring nightmares about pegboard, shrink wrap, and back-to-school-colored towels are rather unnerving.

5. Not sure where this fits in chronologically, but I've also attempted to clean my room a few times. Mixed results. At least I have a pathway to my bed.

And now I've arrived at August. Next week my family (sans moi) leaves for Disneyland, then we're headed to BYU Education Week, which I expect will be the highlight of my year. A week after that's over, I start school. Exciting things in the wind. Bring it on!

What a Novel Idea!

So for the last couple weeks I've tried to pick up where I left off with National Novel Writing Month. After determining that the plot I'd attempted in November was unsalvageable, I stole my main characters from that story, and am now writing a new story featuring the two of them. I haven't gotten terribly far along yet in the actual writing phase, but I'm going strong on creating backstories for all my characters and in creating the world and history (it's a fantasy novel).

I've been doing a fair amount of reading on the side to get ideas for improvement. I'd recommend my favorites so far, Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell, and Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card (although, if you're looking for an updated version that includes exercises, try Characters, Emotion, and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress).

Easily the best book on novel writing in general, though, would have to be The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman. I can only compare the quality of this book to that of Strunk and White's classic Elements of Style. The First Five Pages gave just the kind of specific instruction that I've been craving.

One rule to concise writing that Lukeman describes is to improve the quality and limit the overall number of adverbs and adjectives you use. Similarly, a longtime favorite of mine, On Writing the College Application Essay by Harry Bauld, offers profound advice on the subject: "Nouns are the bones of writing; verbs are the muscles....An essay flabby with adjectives [and adverbs] weighs a reader down." This gem by Mark Twain also illustrates the point: "Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."

And now I should probably be getting back to my writing (and the cleaning of my room). My space is littered with mind maps detailing various internal conflicts, and I have yet to determine which character is screaming for a Magenta personality/aura. Perhaps I'll try this exercise, lifted from Inspired Creative Writing:

"Having trouble visualizing a new character? Write a list of twenty objects she might carry or wear. Don't think too deeply about this, just write down whatever comes to mind. Next, write a series of short sketches describing exactly how your character came by these items. Try to describe what the item means to her, and how she would feel if she lost it. You may never use these character sketches, but...they will give you--and your reader--a clearer sense of who your character is."