New Year’s Resolutions

I usually make resolutions for each new year. This past year, my big resolution was to not purchase any new fiction. As a writer of fiction, you might think that is strange. They say, as a fiction writer, you need to read in the genre you are writing.

I had no control. Too much money went towards books. Changes needed to happen.

At the beginning of 2019, I decided to reign in this spending habit by imposing a BIG restriction. It did not mean I could not acquire new fiction, just that I could not spend actual money on it.

So, to impose a restriction on buying fiction seems counter intuitive. But here’s how I did acquire new fiction:

• Friends and family gifted me some marvelous books
• Free Little Libraries in my neighbourhood saw me visit more often, and,
• I purged my book shelves and took them into a local used bookstore for credit, and used that credit to acquire new fiction (no actual cash out of my pocket)

And, I was doing pretty good until I attended the Surrey International Writer’s Conference at the end of October. I attended a fabulous workshop and enjoyed the presenter so much, I purchased one of his works of historical fiction, and had him autograph it.

Resolution broken.

Once broken, I did spend a bit more on some new to me fiction, as a local bookstore, had a moving sale. I think, I acquire two more books of fiction which I paid cash for.

All in all, I think I did pretty good.

In 2020, I have a new literary resolution.

Use my local library more.

What about you? What is your new year’s resolution?