A Man A Plan from James W. Ziskin

A new year is upon us! How do you plan for your writing calendar? 

1. A bit of blatant self-promotion to follow. But never fear, it does speak to this week’s question, if tangentially. 

2. And after that, I’ve posted my annual poem, “I Hereby Resolve,” spelling out my New Year’s Resolutions.

For the past several years, the day job has prevented me from maintaining a regular writing schedule. I teach high school French and devote my time to creating my lesson plans, correcting assignments, attending meetings, communicating with parents, and gnashing my teeth in despair at the future of our civilization. 

Just kidding. 

My students make the early risings and tiring days worth the while. I love teaching the spirited little darlings, despite the headlock they exert on my writing time.

But school is only in session from September to June. That leaves me most of the summer to try to write. Ordinarily, I’d like to complete a first draft of a new novel in that time, but last summer, I had to content myself with a major overhaul of my upcoming release, THE PRANK, instead. (July 26, 2026, Level Best Books.) I’m truly excited about this new novel, and thrilled that Liz Nugent—a brilliant author I admire tremendously—read it and provided a wonderful blurb. For God’s sakes, read Liz Nugent now.

“THE PRANK…enigmatic and unnerving. The pace never flags for a second. This is some masterly plotting. I loved it.”

—Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond

 

THE PRANK. A picture clipped from Playboy magazine, a missing Swiss Army Knife, and a prank gone terribly wrong conspire to make Christmas 1968 a deadly holiday to remember.

 

A psychological thriller, THE PRANK is a cautionary tale of bad judgment and smoldering menace. Pitched as “The Holdovers meets The Bad Seed,” THE PRANK features charming but volatile thirteen-year-old Jimmy Steuben. He befriends his seventh-grade English teacher, Patti Finch, just days after her boyfriend—also a teacher—is killed in an electrocution accident while hanging Christmas lights on his roof. Patti desperately needs respite from her grief, and a chance encounter with Jimmy provides just that. Ignoring the dangers of a potential scandal, the mismatched pair begins spending time together over Christmas break. Patti finds solace in Jimmy’s company; Jimmy discovers desire and infatuation. But what Patti doesn’t know is that it was Jimmy who caused the tragic accident that killed her lover.

From two-time Edgar Award finalist; Anthony, Barry, and Macavity award-winner James W. Ziskin, THE PRANK releases July 26, 2026.

*    *    *    *    *

And now, back, despite popular protest…

I Hereby Resolve

Upon the first of Jan-u-ary each and every year

I choose a comfy cushioned chair on which to park my rear

Then taking pencil, pen, or plume I think with all my might

About my life, my hopes, my dreams, and then begin to write

I make a note of all my flaws, my missteps, and my sins

And number them from one to ten and sort them into bins:

A catalogue of wishes, goals, and changes to achieve,

To lose some weight, to write more books, and royalties receive!

But not all thoughts are for myself, I also have a heart

So I resolve to do some good, pitch in, and play my part,

To be a better person and to help human-i-tee,

Or maybe just be satisfied to keep my san-i-tee

For all in all you must admit that things are not so good

At home, abroad, in Baltimore, and in your neighborhood

With guns and hate and politics and fears we cannot quell

It often seems we’re on a highway heading straight to hell 

But then I reason as I sit here in my pensive pose

Some things I can control and fix, so why not start with those?

My wrath, my sloth, and moods most foul are faults I could improve

Why not correct them right away? Cast out, erase, remove?

While in the past I must admit that my resolve was frail

This time my pledge is resolute; I don’t intend to fail

I vow to change, to grow, to thrive, and forge myself anew

And through hard work and sweat and blood I’ll make my dreams come true

But just in case my will is weak and my plans gang ag-ley

I’ll save this verse for twelve months more until next New Year’s Day

Then with high hopes and best intents I’ll shout for all to hear

The very same prom-is-es that I made and broke this year

*    *    *    *    *

This coming summer, I’ll be working on a first draft of my next novel, tentatively titled NIGHTS ON BROADWAY. (That will surely change.) It’s an unsettling story of hedonism, seduction, and shifting identities in 1977, as the disco craze rages and Son of Sam terrorizes New York City.

668

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