I recently helped a friend out with a short film project. I was only supposed to be acting in the capacity of a production assistant but at the last minute wound up being needed to say a couple of lines of dialogue on film. I was so nervous. Who knew that someone sticking a camera in your face could be so scary? I thought I really blew it and that I'd probably wind up on the cutting room floor. But I saw the rough cut of the film tonight and it turned out better than I'd expected. I never thought anything would come of it.

Another friend saw the footage and asked me if I would like to play a part in a short film that he is putting together before he heads off to Sundance in a few weeks. I agreed to do it so I guess I can officially say I have been bitten by the acting bug. I am even more nervous about this role because I have no formal training. It is a great story and I hope I can pull it off.

May 2007 be the year that we all prove the adage about old dogs and new tricks wrong.

In 2007, I would like to accomplish the following goals:

• Write every day.
• Write one new short story per month.
• Write at least one short story in an genre I don't normally write.
  
• Write one novel-length manuscript.
• Read two novels a month.
• Critique at least one short story a month for a fellow writer.
• Submit at least one story per month for publication.