Writing Wednesdays: New Year's Resolutions

Here it is folks. The ubiquitous New Year's Resolutions post (sure, I'm a week late, but I still have a week until Russian New Year, so go with it).

As usual, Sarah asked me what my resolutions were for this year, and as usual, I told her that I'm perfect and you simply can't improve on perfection. Then she glared at me and I admitted that perhaps I could use a few tweaks here and there. But this is a writing blog (contrary to the fact that I hardly ever post on actual writing-related topics) so I'll keep things writerly for the most part.

My main resolution this year is to stop worrying about things I can't control. For a million years now, I've made it a yearly goal to get a literary agent. Well, I think I'm living proof that no matter how much blood, sweat, tears, and temper tantrums you put into life, some things are simply out of your hands. I'd like to stop being so negative, not because I believe John's theory that I'll magically jinx my life into sucking (if that were the case, things would be a hell of a lot worse than they actually are), but because at best, it's a waste of energy, and at worst, it causes you to ignore all the good things that you do have. I'm healthy, I have a beautiful family and amazing friends, and I have a job that allows me to keep plugging away at this writing thing until eventually the writing world will be so sick of my complaining some agent will have to take pity on me. I want to stop being such a catastrophizer (or fatalist, or whatever you call someone who habitually makes mountains out of mole hills). A word to the wise: if you decide to marry a man who has actually lived through a life and death situation (a Marine fighter pilot, for example), he will not take pity on you when you decide to throw a fit over something that may or may not take place at some point in the future unless it ACTUALLY involves death.

I'd like to write at least one novel this year, hopefully two (I have three waiting in the wings, plus a brand new idea I'm excited to research). Of course I'd like to get a literary agent, but I'm going to aim for writing the best novels I can instead of spending my time agonizing over querying. This probably won't happen, but it's still early January - a girl can dream, right?

On the work front, I'm going to try to get an international school built in Yekat. Partly because I think it would be an amazing accomplishment which would benefit a lot of families as well as this city, and partly because a bunch of people have already told me it's impossible. I do love a challenge.

I should probably throw "learn Russian" onto the list, since I may need to speak to a stranger at some point this year. Working out seems to have fallen off the map lately, but I'd still like to get back up to 20 miles a week (every time I feel like I can slack off a little, some hefty lady tells me that she used to be my size and I'd better watch myself; perhaps the universe is trying to tell me something...). Add a pinch of the usual "be a better wife and mother" goal, and I think I've got plenty to work on in 2013.

Oh, and one more thing. I seriously need to curb my dependency on parentheticals (I mean seriously, this is getting out of hand). They say admitting you have a problem is the first step, so here goes: I'm Mara, and I'm a parenthetical-aholic. Are you happy now, Sarah?

I hope everyone has a wonderful, successful 2013. As the Russians say, S Novim Godom!