It’s been a few days since the beginning of the year (ok, perhaps more than a few) but Yotaan and Fussypants still want to sit down and go through our New Year’s Resolutions for 2018. So, without further ado, our yearly update to the Goals tab above!
Fussypants: 2017, as I have previously written about, threw a giant wrench in both my writing and WoW playing time. Because of a million different factors, both in and out of my control, I just didn’t get to dedicate as much time as I would have liked to the game. As such, I didn’t really hit as many of the items on last year’s New Year Resolutions as I planed. Last year, I vowed to…
1) Write consistently and write for myself
On the whole, I did not do a very good job of this. The year before last, I had gone the other way with this type of goal, vowing to write ‘5 blog posts a month’, which was entirely too much and led to a lot of burn out. However, as it turns out, my reactionary goal to that one didn’t do much better. Instead of being too strict, the limit I set for myself this past year was too vague and unbinding. It wasn’t quantifiable, and as a result, it fell by the way side.
Going forward, I definitely need to make sure I’m setting realistic output goals for myself. I’m a pretty deadlines oriented person (as I suspect many people are); I need that hard due date in order to motivate. While the idea of ‘writing for myself’ is a very positive one, it didn’t light the fire under my proverbial butt to go and get typing.
All of this to say, I didn’t write enough this year. I did do a pretty solid job writing for myself, but a couple of blog posts every couple of months just doesn’t cut it, both by my own personal standards and for readers. I recognize that, and I apologize for that.
I will say, there is one exception to this: NaNoWriMo. During the month of November, I managed to get out a blog post almost every single day. It was a challenge, absolutely, but it was also one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in a while. I probably don’t need to go that crazy in the future, but I’ve proven that I can do it, so I should get closer.
2) Post more stories
Alrighty well, this one should probably be chalked up to another big fat X. While I’ve written a ton of stories behind the scenes, a grand total of 0 have been posted here on the blog. However, since this goal still did get me to flex my creative muscles, I don’t think it was all failure. Now I just need to work on editing so I can actually post some of the dozens of stories I’ve written!
3) Integrate my artistic side into the blog more
While I definitely didn’t go as far as I could have, I think I could rightfully say, I did bring a bit more of my artistic side into the blog (if only in the site redesign). However, I wouldn’t disagree that there’s absolutely more I can do, and going forward, this one is definitely going to be a personal goal. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to tie together stories with some art!
4) Complete Suramar (and whatever max level story follows it)
I have completed the Suramar storyline on two, count ’em, two characters, so I’ll definitely be putting this one in the success category! While Suramar did have it’s moments of frustration (especially on the second time through), overall, I enjoyed the zone immensely. The story was so well done and the city felt like a living, breathing place. It’s just icing on the cake that Nightborne will be playable sometime soon!
5) Participate in more community building projects
This is another one of those where I didn’t get as involved as I would have liked, but I did do a little bit. Unfortunately, both the Running of the Gnomes and the Running of the Trolls occurred when I was either out of town or otherwise unable to play. Both those events were the ones I had in mind when I wrote out this resolution, so I’m a bit bummed that I couldn’t swing by to join them. That being said, I did do a few different things that I’d say did count as community involvement. For one, I participated in the Legion Fanzine (which you can go and preorder here by the way!) as well as joining the Perky Pugs Discord (another link for you!)
Now that we’ve gone through 2017, I think it’s high time we turn to the present year. 2018. On a more real-life level, this coming year is going to hold a lot of huge changes for me, and I don’t know where that will leave my video gaming. I definitely want to keep writing and keep playing, but I truly have no idea what the future will hold, or even where in the country I’ll be living in a year’s time. The goals I come up with might turn out to be unfeasible in 6 months, or I might knock them all out of the part. We shall see!
1) Write 4 blog posts every month
A toned down version of my 2016 resolution, I’m hoping that this will keep me writing but not burn me out. And hopefully, I’ll be able to get more out than just four on some months!
2) Post the stories for my WoW characters
A hold-over from last year, I still want to get some narrative type work out here on the blog, if only so I can point to a place when people ask about my OCs!
3) Re-open my art commission business!
For those who’ve done a bit of snooping around ye olde site, you might have noticed the new tabs up above! I am really, really hoping that I will be able to re-open my art commission business this year as it was both a great challenge and a nice source of income (especially considering I’m quickly approaching the biggest financial burden of my life, haha college debts).
4) Level a Horde-side character to max
Confession time, I have not played on the red side of things in a long while. There are both friends and lore on the Horde side, and I’d like to finally reconnect with that!
5) Help out with Violet Spellwing carry runs
Whether this means to run my own or help out with others, I really want to do my part in paying it forward and helping folks get their Ahead of the Curve mounts for Heroic Argus. What was once done for me, I want to do for others.
Yotaan: For me, writing is not second nature, or even third or fourth nature! I always admire Fussypant’s interest and enthusiasm to write. Unfortunately, my writing was scant in 2017. But how did I do with my goals?
1) Play on a PvP realm. I miss the danger. I will need to find the best one to level up.
This one did not happen at all! While Yotaan PvPed a bunch more, it was entirely in battlegrounds. I think I did not want to start a new character from scratch that was isolated from the rest of my toons. I did start Roy, a disc priest from level 1 in the past few months, but I wanted him in OtQ. Now, as a look to the future, this goal will be unachievable, as PVP and PVE realms, as distinct entities, are going away.
2) Try again to play with Fussypants more.
Definitely achieved this one! We have leveled demonhunters a bit and PvPed a bit. She keeps trying to get me to join her raids, but I just can’t do it. Every time I tried I get sweaty and anxious!
3) Get the Mount Parade achievement
When I set this goal Yotaan was at 153 out of 200 mounts. Goal achieved! (Actually, this is a bit of a cheat, Yotaan got the achievement just a week ago.) Currently at 205 mounts and climbing. This goal was great to have since Yotaan got help. Fussypants picked up a few for the family collection and the middle-child-who-shall-not-be-named-but-is-named-Shorts got a few old school mounts.
4) Figure out Pet Battles. It’s a thing, isn’t it?
I guess it is not a thing for me. Didn’t even open the Pets tab.
5) Really enjoy my time in and out of WoW.
This was a great goal to have and to continue to have. I can honestly say I achieved it. Recently, I had an injury that caused me to be at home for a few days. Because of the nature of the injury, I was able to play WoW. I played for HOURS and HOURS. I have not sat and video gamed for that much since I was a kid. You know what? I really enjoyed my time. WoW continues to surprise me with depth and variety. I continued on storylines. I explored nook and crannies I missed previously. I enjoyed old and new stuff (except pet battles) and was able to be fully distracted from my injury – a wonderful way to spend the days recovering.
So 2017 sped by quickly, what will happen in 2018? Like Fussypants, I really wonder what is in store for the blog. She will be embarking on new challenges and I suspect will be very busy. I still want to help and contribute but I do not want her to be overwhelmed. On to my goals!
1) Work on collections
Last year I was focused on mounts, but recently I have had more interest in gear appearances. I make sure to check the mog appearance of every gear any of my toons pick up. I want that pink typography of an appearance added to my collection to pop up! What is funny about the goal is that I have very little interest in mogging myself – Yotaan always looks like a clown in whatever he picks up!
2) Keep playing with Fussypants
While this may sound like a cop-out goal, it actually might be hard to achieve in the latter half of 2018. She will be someplace else in the country and will become, for the first time, a long distance playing partner.
3) Horde time
It has been too long. I bleed red. Time for moar Horde!
4) Get better at PvP
A long time friend of ours correctly pointed out to Pants that I am very below average in PvP. It’s time to fix that. Already started on this by playing Enhance on Yotaan seriously for the first time since I began playing. Elemental has been a poor PvP choices for years.
5) Have fun
Whether this is in or out of Wow, it is important to slow down and have a good time. Often we need a reminder of this and a goal can serve this purpose. (Right Pants?)
Let’s make 2018 a great one folks!
Growing up in Azeroth 