I couldn’t be more excited for the year ahead. I know that there’s still room to grow no matter how old I get. Resolutions are a terrific way of giving myself an extra nudge in the right direction so I wrote down seven that I plan on following through with.

1. My first New Year’s resolution is to write two novels in 2016: one mystery and one literary work of fiction.

2. My second resolution is to re-read more classics. I’m inspired by the works of the imagination that endure through generations of readers. What is it about them that keeps us coming back to their pages over and over again?

3. Contemporary novels have enormous value in our society as well, which leads me to my third New Year’s resolution: to read more of them in 2016. New voices offer new perspectives. I never stop learning; life would be too dull if I did.

4. My fourth resolution for the new year is to be available for mentoring young writers. All of my experiences could be helpful to someone else who is just starting out.

5. Another one of my resolutions is to show interest in why other people write. I was inspired to create Writers of the World because I saw how much burgeoning writers would benefit from a platform where their voices and life stories could be heard.

6. My sixth resolution is to encourage older people to write works of the imagination. It strengthens our minds and souls. It relieves tension and teaches us new things about ourselves.

7. Lastly, I plan on listening to millennials more carefully. They are the future and they’ve got a lot to offer. Happy New Year, everyone!

This was featured in IndieReader’s “8 Bestselling Indie Authors Share Their New Year’s Resolutions”