December 16 – Friendship: How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst? (Author: Martha Mihalick)

This is a tough one. I have no idea. If anything, I think I’d like to thank all the online authors I know. Being active on blogs and on twitter has really made me realize what an excellent network of support there is for writers, and seeing other people’s work inspires me to keep at it. Writing has gradually changed from a solitary endeavour to one I can discuss with others, and as a result I think the last year has been one of my most productive by far.

December 17 – Lesson Learned: What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward? (Author: Tara Weaver)

That my writing really is the most important thing to me, and so I should learn to say no. I have a tendency to want to be involved in everything — people approach me with ideas and I nearly always say yes. Then I end up with too much on my plate and the first thing that goes (other than sleep) is writing. And if I don’t have enough time to write, I get frustrated and low without knowing why. So I need to be a better planner, and be more careful of what I take on.

December 18 – Try: What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)

I wanted to try the 100+ Reading Challenge this year, and to my surprise I managed to complete it. But now I realize the reason I completed it was because I planned carefully and made sure to set monthly goals so I could track my progress.

See, I also really wanted to get Above Ground rewritten this year, but I didn’t set myself any deadlines and got involved in far too many projects. So for next year, I’ve already begun planning my schedule and setting down some goals and deadlines to get it done.

December 19 – Healing: What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leonie Allan)

I don’t know whether I have been healed this year. I think if anything, it’s been a year where I’ve realized where I need healing, and that is the first step towards improvement. As to whether it was sudden or drip-by-drip, perhaps it was a combination: a lot of little things added up till one day I realized something needed to change.

December 20 – Beyond Avoidance: What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?) (Author: Jake Nickell)

As I mentioned in the December 18 prompt, I wanted to get Above Ground edited and published. But I got distracted by a myriad of other projects… and also I think I wasn’t ready to tackle the project. I finished AG in March 2010 and I think I needed to shelve it for a while and work on other projects. Now I’m already feeling re-energized and have begun making plans and outlines for its rewrite.