This time last year I was making smug comments about gym attendance in January.

I re-read the post with a tiny smile, then realised that – gasp! – I’d made resolutions of my own:

1. Get Above Ground done and dusted. Finish serialising it, get it out in print and ebook form, and close the chapter on that novel.

2. Plot/plan the next book. I haven’t decided which, yet — I may run a little poll and get you guys to vote on which I should work on.

Success rate = 75%

#1, obviously, is done.

But rather than fully plan the next book, I’ve half-planned the next four. Maybe I should have run that poll after all.

Too bad I forgot I’d even made any resolutions.

What else did I accomplish in 2012?

The reason I only set two goals was because I generally end up involved in all sorts of crazy unplanned things, such as:

• MERGE.
  I adored co-writing this series of stories and wouldn’t mind dipping back into that universe.

• The LAST book of The Antithesis series.
  Terra was one of the first authors I brought on board for 1889 Labs, and it’s been really rewarding to edit her kick-ass series. The fifth and last book came out in August.

• The FIRST book of The Legion of Nothing series.
  I was thrilled when Jim Zoetewey accepted to publish LON with 1889. We’re already working together on the second book in the series.

• Editing other cool 1889 books.
  Like Gangster by Melissa Jones and Ventricle, Atrium by Gabriel Gadfly. I feel an almost auntlike pride over 1889 books.

• A month-long blog tour!
  Writing that many guest posts and interview answers has got to count for something.

• Redesigning this website.
  Okay, okay, I’m clutching at straws now….

As of October, I also started a new job, which I’m pretty chuffed about.

But of course in a few days it will be a new year, and time to accomplish new things. I’ll post some goals in a few days.

In the meantime: what have you accomplished this year?

Warm wishes to everyone for happiness and inspiration and lots and lots of chocolate!

I know it’s an advert, but I love this Christmas video:
(not suitable for vegetarians)

Did you receive a Kindle?

If you were lucky to get a Kindle for Christmas this year — or if you already have a Kindle, and got an Amazon gift voucher — you should stock up on reading some great indie titles!

Anyone who contacts me by December 31st can request a free copy of any of my books. Just let me know which you’d prefer. :-)

Fancy something else?

I’ve also got an Amazon gift voucher to spend, so why don’t we compile a Christmas reading list? One suggestion per person, and it can’t be your own book.

Christmas Reading List

Here’s my suggestion to start off the list:

The Eighteen Revenges of Doctor Milan by Christopher Ruz

Despite it’s awkwardly long name, this is an awesome psychedelic scifi novella infused with philosophy. I proofed the ebook for Ruz several days ago and read through it in mere hours; the setting is reminiscent of Chronicles of Riddick but it’s so much more than that.

If you’re looking for some well-written, contemporary scifi that will have you hooked, this is it.

What else should be on our Christmas reading lists?

Drop your reading suggestions in the comments.

If you’re reading this, then the Mayan apocalypse doomsday hype was exactly that – a hype.

(On the other hand, if the world has truly ended, then no one will be able to read this and prove me wrong. Hurray!)

The plus side of the gloomy end-of-world predictions is that I’ve learnt a bit about solar flares, Nibiru, Mayans, and supermassive black holes.

The downside – other than the film 2012 – is, of course, that some cunning people have made manure-loads of money off of the naive.

And so life goes on…

SO WTF WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN?

According to my limited research Wikipedia, this fashion-conscious chap – aka the god Bolon Yokye’ K’uh, associated with the underworld – was supposed to do something today.

Some believed he was going to descend onto Earth and smite us all, others thought he’d hurl planetary rocks at us, others still thought he’d shake his booty until the ground ripped itself apart. Judging by his open mouth, maybe he’s just hungry and wants to have an Earth-sized snack.

But why the doomsday predictions?

He could easily be having his first ever Big Bang Theory party. He’s an ancient god, after all. They’re a bit slow at catching onto TV series.

THE END? WRONG!

The end of something is not the end of everything.

What everyone focussed on was poor Bolon Yokye’ K’uh’s connections to the underworld and destruction. A little closer reading on Wikipedia shows that old Bolon was also present at creation events.

After all, the end of one cycle is the beginning of another.

If anything, we should take today as a day of change. A day to set aside old things and begin anew. And, since the new year fast approaches, perhaps it is also a day to reflect on any changes within ourselves that we would like to accomplish.

Today marks the end of Bolon Yokye’ K’uh’s permanent #LOFNOTC membership, and the beginning of a weekly Big Bank Theory lovefest.

Eat that, doomsday lovers.

I woke up this morning feeling overwhelmed.

My writing to-do list is obscenely long. Every single item on it is overdue. The desk is obscured by clothes and knick-knacks. The laundry basket is overweight. And the dishes in the kitchen sink are like sullen children sat for far too long in a bathtub.

There is clutter everywhere.

If you’re anything like me, clutter causes stress, weighs you down, and makes you even more unproductive — which only makes matters worse. But finding the time to declutter can seem impossible. How do you conquer the mess?

As I am a list-fanatic, my first reaction — after a good ten minutes of lying in bed feeling sorry for myself — was to grab a paper and pen, and start writing a list.

List #1 – What To Declutter:

• The entire house
• Computer
• Writing commitments
• Editing commitments
• Website

The above list only made me feel worse. The problem is that it’s too general, so I didn’t know where to start and felt even more overwhelmed/stressed.

The only item on the list that I could easily tackle — my website — was the only one I managed to fix. (Cue compliments from you readers on the streamlined site design.)

My mistake was focusing on WHAT needed to be done, rather than HOW best to do it. So I started a second list.

List #2 – How To Declutter:

1. Start small. Tackle one shelf, one cupboard, or one overflowing email inbox at a time. The mess didn’t happen overnight and it isn’t going to disappear overnight.
2. Be unsentimental. If it hasn’t been used in a year and probably won’t be used in the next, throw it away.
3. Be charitable. Can’t throw something away that’s still in good condition? Donate it to charity — a guilt-free way to get rid of clutter!
4. Make quick decisions. Sorting and re-sorting will take forever. Trash it or keep it!
5. The ‘maybe’ box. Anything on the fence gets put in a maybe box with a sell-by date. If that box isn’t opened by the sell-by date, everything inside goes into the bin.
6. Create a system. Not having one is like trying to shovel snow while it’s still snowing: the clutter will just keep coming back.
7. Celebrate victories. Cue pat on the back for doing the website!

There you go. I’m feeling better already!

What about you? Do you have any suggestions to add?