New year, old you: Wherein I am bad at recaps

I didn't write as much as I'd hoped I would in 2012. I didn't blog as much as I hoped I would. I didn't stay as up-to-date and organised with my email and everything else as I'd wanted to. I spent a lot more time aimlessly reading stuff on the internet than I planned. I think that's okay, and maybe a bit inevitable. I hope to do better this year.

2012 was my gap year but I'm not sure I did a very good job of it. I had planned on more Life Experience (what counts as life experience? When will I get this life experience? People are always telling me I need more of it but it's very difficult to find). I had just as much difficulty as I always do with the fact that reality is quite poorly plotted. My character arc this past year hasn't really gone anywhere. Being a real person is tough.

In my resolutions post at the start of last year, I wrote 'This time next year I'll probably have the same goals and will be bemoaning the fact that the year went by so fast'. This is true.

Still, it was a pretty wonderful year. I spent my first year living on the Gold Coast. I went to some nice places: Sydney (twice), Cairns, Mackay, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia. I was on TV. That was terrifying. I spoke in more schools and appeared at a couple of festivals. I finished editing my new novel. I spent lots of time swimming, and I spent lots of time with my family, and those are both very good things.

For a bit of a blog recap, here are my top 6 (why not 6? I feel both 5 and 10 are overly favoured) most-read blog posts of 2012 (how annoying all those comments got lost):

1. 'Let's stop doing this, shall we?'
2. 'America is not the centre of the known universe'
3. 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar & other books I loved as a kid'
4. '10 Things the baffle me about YA paranormal books'
5. '7 Things I never want to read in blurbs for YA novels ever again'
6. 'How to get a book deal when you're fifteen'

I don't so much have resolutions for this year, but I have plenty of goals. I've noticed telling other people about them doesn't actually make me any more accountable, though. I promise to tell the internet all about these goals as I achieve them, as that is much more satisfying. I've a lot to look forward to in 2013, including the publication of All This Could End. Which I am both excited and anxious about.

I hope you had a wonderful 2012, and a lovely new year. I know everyone is always talking about how a new year doesn't really signify anything much, and just instils a false sense of optimism, but honestly those people are pessimists and I am quite tired of them: be as hopeful as you like. Hope is always a good thing. If you give up on your resolutions by mid-January, don't be too disappointed in yourself. You're awesome. I hope this year is good to you.