Was It Resolved? 2012 Edition

At the beginning of the year I made my New Year’s Resolutions public in the hope that it would add a little extra motivation to complete them in time. Here we are on New Year’s Eve, so let’s see how I did.

1. The first resolution of redesigning my website and finding a new host was somewhat challenging, but it officially went live on July 1st. Not only does it look way better, but I was able to add a lot more content with room for more. Using Rapidweaver has been a revelation and I enjoyed getting under the hood to modify their Japanese Fantasy theme (the name was a coincidence, I just liked the parchment paper background) and learn a little bit about how css code works. Although a weathered look suits the site, I’ve acquired enough knowledge to make a cool, contemporary one, but just don’t have an outlet for that expertise. Every time I see a dated website from a local business, I have to resist the temptation to offer my talents to them because I have enough on my plate right now as it is. 
2. My second resolution was an admittedly easy one, but it had a larger purpose--buy an eReader. You can read my first impressions of it here, but additional uses emerged over the course of the year: 

• I was able to load a copy of The Samurai Poet on the eReader and edit on the computer as I proofread. Huge timesaver.
• Having Smashwords’ Style Guide on the the eReader also facilitated the preparation of TSP for electronic publication.
• The pdf display capabilities of the eReader provided unexpected help at work where portability and lightness are more important than having a colour display.
3. Publish The Samurai Poet. This was the most difficult one on the list and I made a lot of progress on it. Unfortunately, the best I can say is that as of today, the novel is prepared for publication. While making these final preparations, I discovered that it might be best if I start my own business to manage the publication and sale of the novel. A decision whether to incorporate or not is best not rushed to meet an end of year deadline, so I will have to beg your patience until early in the new year. I know better than to announce a publication date prematurely, but promise to make this happen as soon as possible. 

I have yet to formulate any resolutions for 2013 yet, and when I do, they will not be appearing here. Thanks to everyone who indulged me in 2012 though, because your silent presence in the back of my mind was a definite source of motivation to move this project forward in a major way. Enjoy a reflective or festive New Year’s Eve, depending on how you celebrate.