Well, dear wenches, it’s the new year. This is the time of year when people make resolutions; some they keep, some they wish they could keep, and some they abandon like we pirate wenches abandon ship at a port of call for a rum-soaked evening.
A quick Google search tells me that the Babylonians were the first to make resolutions. One site even claims the Babylonians resolutions usually involved returning farm equipment. Whether it’s eating better, working out, or saving money, most people you talk to are in the mood for fresh starts. It’s a new year, a clean slate, and it’s the perfect time to start again. So, I thought I would jump on the bandwagon. (Yep, I don’t have original thoughts. Bear with me.)
However, I have no interest in making resolutions that I will disregard in two weeks. It leaves me feeling like a failure and I have enough failure in my life, thank you. I think the whole idea behind this resolution gig is that we’re supposed to KEEP the resolutions, so that we feel better about ourselves.
Having no unreturned farm equipment handy, my resolution-making mind turned to my writing. While I was thinking about good resolutions for my writing, I decided that making a resolution like, “I will get a publishing contract this year” wouldn’t get me anywhere. It just is not a realistic goal. Such a resolution would require me to have some control over the publishing entities and, sadly, I have none. Therefore, I am going to attempt to make goals that I can control and attempt to reach said goals tenaciously.
The first goal is that I’m resolving to write at least five days a week. Because I am the boss of me, I gave myself the weekends off. (Unless my slacker self doesn’t write during the week and then said slacker will be forced to work on the weekend.) While I will not bore you with the minutiae of my writerly goals for the year, most of them just involve getting words on paper. So, I made a promise I would do that.
The second resolution is to start meaningful critique relationships. I think it’s time in my writing career to let others into my writing circle which, until now, has consisted of, well, me. (Can one person make a circle?) I’ve spent the past year learning a lot about the craft. Had you asked me what GMC was a year ago, I would have responded that it was a brand of car. But, now that I’ve come so far in my knowledge, it’s time to jump out of my comfort zone and start laying it on the line. That means letting people tell me if it’s crap (which, I’m certain, at least part of it is).
My last resolution has to do with continuing my networking and growth as a professional. While I did join RWA this past year, I’m going to join a local chapter as well. Getting serious means hanging out with other serious people.
What writer goals have you set for yourself this year? And, if you aren’t willing to share, or you just want to gloat, how far have you come in the past year?
A quick Google search tells me that the Babylonians were the first to make resolutions. One site even claims the Babylonians resolutions usually involved returning farm equipment. Whether it’s eating better, working out, or saving money, most people you talk to are in the mood for fresh starts. It’s a new year, a clean slate, and it’s the perfect time to start again. So, I thought I would jump on the bandwagon. (Yep, I don’t have original thoughts. Bear with me.)
However, I have no interest in making resolutions that I will disregard in two weeks. It leaves me feeling like a failure and I have enough failure in my life, thank you. I think the whole idea behind this resolution gig is that we’re supposed to KEEP the resolutions, so that we feel better about ourselves.
Having no unreturned farm equipment handy, my resolution-making mind turned to my writing. While I was thinking about good resolutions for my writing, I decided that making a resolution like, “I will get a publishing contract this year” wouldn’t get me anywhere. It just is not a realistic goal. Such a resolution would require me to have some control over the publishing entities and, sadly, I have none. Therefore, I am going to attempt to make goals that I can control and attempt to reach said goals tenaciously.
The first goal is that I’m resolving to write at least five days a week. Because I am the boss of me, I gave myself the weekends off. (Unless my slacker self doesn’t write during the week and then said slacker will be forced to work on the weekend.) While I will not bore you with the minutiae of my writerly goals for the year, most of them just involve getting words on paper. So, I made a promise I would do that.
The second resolution is to start meaningful critique relationships. I think it’s time in my writing career to let others into my writing circle which, until now, has consisted of, well, me. (Can one person make a circle?) I’ve spent the past year learning a lot about the craft. Had you asked me what GMC was a year ago, I would have responded that it was a brand of car. But, now that I’ve come so far in my knowledge, it’s time to jump out of my comfort zone and start laying it on the line. That means letting people tell me if it’s crap (which, I’m certain, at least part of it is).
My last resolution has to do with continuing my networking and growth as a professional. While I did join RWA this past year, I’m going to join a local chapter as well. Getting serious means hanging out with other serious people.
What writer goals have you set for yourself this year? And, if you aren’t willing to share, or you just want to gloat, how far have you come in the past year?
