Sunday, January 6, 2013

Resolving to Write


It’s nearly a week into 2013 and I’ve barely written anything. I haven’t worked on revising my NaNoWriMo story nor have I expanded the short story idea that overtook me on Christmas Eve. I’ve become distracted by life again, and my writing has fallen by the wayside. If I had made a New Year’s resolution, I would have already failed.
But I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I think they’re rash, flimsy things that are usually lost by the first sight of Valentine chocolates. I prefer to make goals instead. I know the terms aren’t very different in meaning. However, I contemplate my goals for a while before I set them. I’ve been thinking about my 2013 goals since Christmas, and I am still contemplating as I write this post, nearly a week into 2013.

Should I resolve to… WRITE DAILY?
     (I’ll fail within a week.)

Should I resolve to… WRITE MORE?
     (Better but it needs to be more concrete. And how many words defines more?)

Should I resolve to… WRITE 5000 WORDS A WEEK?
     (Isn’t what I’m writing more important than how much?)

 
WRITING GOALS: WINTER/SPRING 2013
1.)    WRITE A SHORT STORY & GET IT PUBLISHED

2.)    REVISE MY NANO STORY INTO A DRAFT READY FOR BETA READERS

I’m starting small and simple. I would like to get something published, even if it’s just a short story. I have two finished short stories and I’m working on another. Once I finish that one, I will have three solid short stories to submit. Hopefully I can get one published by summer.
Also, my NaNo story has been in the back of my mind since November 30. I worked on it on and off in early December. But the holidays are so bright and shiny; I got distracted. So, I resolve to dive into edits and have a first full draft ready for beta readers, also by summer.
That gives me just over six months. I think I’ll be happy if I accomplish just one of these goals. I’ll be downright ecstatic if I can manage to succeed at both.
Now, I’ll post these in my apartment so they stare at me every day.


Some Helpful Posts on Writing Goals/Resolutions and the New Year:

3 comments:

  1. Don't stress yourself out too much, Jamie. When I'm in the midst of a major writing project, the holidays (or the entire month of December) goes out the window for me—oftentimes it's just too difficult for me to get into a suitable frame of mind. Maybe that's a copout, but it usually gives me a mental vacation so I don't beat my head against the wall when I'm Xmas exhausted and trying to push out quality work.

    I think you should start worrying when you don't even WANT to write, and I don't think that's a problem! Remember to have fun when you write—it's much better than adding up your word counts anyway!

    E

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    1. Thanks for the sage advice! Yes, I want to write most of the time, but work and other adult necessities get in the way sometimes. I have to admit NaNoWriMo put me in the word count frame of mind, but I'm trying to break that. Hope everything is well in Bloomington!

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