• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jackie Keswick

Where Endings are new Beginnings

  • Blog
  • Guest Authors
  • I’m reading
  • Contacting
  • The WiP Shelf
  • Coming Soon
  • Book Series
    • The Power of Zero
    • Rock & Art Theft
    • FireWorks Security
    • Dornost Saga Tales
      • Shades
  • Free Reads
  • All Books
  • Jackie’s Bookstore

Making Plans

Leave a Comment

So, it’s finally 2017. Which is a relief, since 2016 wasn’t the greatest vintage in the barrel. We lost far too many people many of us cared about, and… let’s just say that many things are no longer the way we knew them to be. A bit of a new start can’t be all bad, even though – personally – I am not a fan of New Year’s resolutions.

Making Plans | Jackie Keswick

I mean, if I failed to sort it out last year, what are the chances that I will do so this year? Or is that just the grammar nazi / engineer in me speaking? Re-solution? Solve something again? Whyever, if you did it right the first time?

Never mind. Let’s agree that I don’t do resolutions. I’m making plans instead.  Linear ones if I can. And since I can’t see any further ahead than anyone else, my plan for 2017 currently has five distinct points. More will be added from a the rather vague “nice to have” bucket once I tick these five off.

What am I going to do this year? And I hope you notice the very positive vibe here. Not “would like to accomplish” but “am going to do.” 😉 That’s what making plans is all about.

  1. Get Married. Again. – In the same place as last time, and to the same man, in honour of still being a tight team after 25 years. Maybe even in the same dress, if I can find someone to help me put a back into it. And if, as of right now, I can locate the damned thing. I mean really… how can I have lost my wedding dress?
  2. Get to see X Japan live.  – Chronologically, this should come first, since it’s scheduled to happen a week before our anniversary, but things change. We should have seen Yoshi, Toshi, Pata and the crew last year and were prevented by illness. Pata’s. Fingers crossed that he’s better and I get to watch Yoshiki play drums and piano for real.
  3. Finish and submit the glassmaker story. – I used to write nothing but fantasy and sci-fi. Then things changed. The glassmaker story started as a dream and didn’t leave me alone, so I went to look for my fantasy voice. A lot of words came spilling out and I ended up with something quite different from the story I was expecting. I’m still changing the title every few days, but Minel and Falcon’s story is almost ready to go. Now I just need to grow a pair to send it…
  4. Finish and submit Swings & Roundabouts, Jack and Gareth’s fourth book. – This is a book full of arguments and reconciliations and it’s been bugging me for over a year. It’s hard to write because I don’t like fights and Swings, where Jack, Gareth, Nico and Daniel learn to work as a family, is full of them. While I can predict Jack fairly well, Gareth and the boys surprise me at times and each such surprise needs time to think about reasons and implications. Those four really have taken hold of my heart and I want to tell their story the best way I can. I’ve already written book #6, so once Swings is out of the way, it’s on to making plans for the one in between.
  5. Read kana. – A personal challenge with a lot riding on it. I’d been wanting to visit Japan for many years. In 2015 we had the perfect first holiday. I’d spent a year learning to speak basic Japanese, so I could make sure my husband wouldn’t accidentally eat meat or fish out of ignorance – he’s been Vegetarian for as long as I’ve known him – and the language continues to fascinate me. As does the country and its exceedingly welcoming people, its music, history and the most amazing food. I’ll never be able to explain how I, a card-carrying introvert, fell in love with Tokyo, but I can’t wait to go back. And I want to be able to read menus and signs. I want to mangle the language a lot less when I speak and I want to be able to do a lot more of the speaking. Last time I did an audio-only course, so learning to read is top of the list. And by the end of 2017 I want to be able to do this.

There are plenty more “want to dos” in the bucket. Just take a look at the WiP shelf and you’ll know that I could write all day every day and still struggle to make a dent. That’s fine. Just as it’s okay that there’s a day job and assorted other “life” things that will need to happen this year. The plan will get added to as the year plays out, but if those five get ticked off, I’ll consider myself okay.

So what about you, then? Are you making plans or are you a fan of New Year’s resolutions? Or none of the above and something utterly different?

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 2017, Jack & Gareth, making plans, writing

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Look me up

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
Jackie Keswick at Queeromance Ink
Claim your free book from author Jackie Keswick. Meet Jack Horwood and Gareth Flynn in Midnight Tracks

Recent Posts

  • Hat Trick | A New Hockey Romance from RJ Scott and V.L. Locey
  • Made in Manhattan | Book Chat with Ana Newfolk
  • Awakenings & French Songs | Book Chat with Nell Iris
  • Apple Boy | Book Chat with Isobel Starling
  • Something Old, Something New

The Power of Zero Series

The Power of Zero series by Jackie KeswickExplore Series

Shades Series

Shades | mm fantasy romance series by Jackie Keswick Explore Series
Crossfire by Jackie Keswick

View Book

Rock & Art Theft Series

Rock & Art Theft | MM Action Adventure Romance series by Jackie Keswick Explore Series

FireWorks Security Series

Leap of Faith by Jackie Keswick

View Book

Keep in touch with me

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,521 other subscribers.

© Jackie Keswick, 2008-2018, All Rights Reserved.

Disclosure: This blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program which is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and amazon's international stores.

Home | Contact Jackie Keswick | Privacy Policy

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.I accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy