Monday, December 30, 2013

Write Resolutions for 2014

When I make new year's resolutions, I try to list those that I can keep. I tend to stay away from the traditional ones such as doing healthier things, quitting bad habits, and decluttering my life because I'm just setting myself up for failure -- albeit minor ones for the most part.

That's not to say a person shouldn't have various and sundry resolutions to improve one's life. But I don't need to create a once-a-year list to do those things. I like to think that I can make changes as they occur along the way.

But I do like to establish some goals in my writing life that I try to adhere throughout the year. They're really not that difficult to keep since they are commonsense goals.

Here what I'll try to do this, and every, year as a writer:

1. Write every day. It doesn't necessarily have to be a book project although that will come during the course of the year. I have a full-time job that involves writing and editing. I post entries to this blog (my goal is two or three a week but sometimes I fall short of that). I also work on short stories.

2. Read every day. I always have a book or two that I'm reading. I try to have an fiction or nonfiction on my nightstand that I read every evening before I retire for the night. I read quite a bit on the Internet and from magazines that I subscribe. And I venture to the public library's reading area for items to read. I must admit that I fell short of my Goodreads goal of reading 40 books in 2013; I only made it to 29.
3. Maintain contact with author friends. I always enjoy their company as we chat about writing, books, and other authors.    

 4. Participate in writing events. I believe it's important for authors to take part in literacy programs, book fairs, library activities and similar events to stay in contact with the reading public and other authors. And in a sense, it's a way of giving back and supporting others.

5. Continue to study and learn the craft. I subscribe to several blogs about writing. They open my eyes to all things writing, from characterization, plot development, dialogue marketing, promotion, and more. 

6. Always give my best effort. I want to be the best writer I can be so I'll endeavor to make every word, every sentence, and every paragraph count. I know I'll probably fall short but it's the effort to improve that will make me a better writer.

Do you have any "write resolutions" for 2014?

Until the next time.


2 comments:

  1. Good list, Michael. I need to follow all of them. After talking with a fellow writer a week ago, today I started setting aside an hour every morning to write on a project I've had in mind for a long time - my year-long experience reporting on a young man with AIDS. My goal for 2014 is to finally finish this and stop thinking about publication. I need to just get it down and tell the story.

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  2. That's important, Ken. You have to have a manuscript before it becomes a book. You'll be surprised how much you can accomplish by setting aside one hour each morning to write. On my other books, I'd write from 30 minutes to three hours before heading off to work. I would stress that you not concern yourself with the editing at this point; simply get the words down. You can do the cleanup afterward. Good luck!

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