Before I get to the meaty part of this post, I want to give you this quick update, before I forget (and apologies for its lateness): L. Lee Lowe’s online serial fantasy novel Mortal Ghost is now being podcasted, read by a young UK theatre student! Download or listen online to the first installment here.
And now for the REAL procrastination. (Yes, I have work to do; no, I really don’t want to do it because we’re getting a new washer and dryer delivered this afternoon and I’m inordinately excited about it). After looking at the latest issue of the Writer’s Market newsletter, which contained some writers’ resolutions for the new year, I was inspired to come up with a few writing resolutions of my own. I wasn’t very concretely productive over the past month or so, so I think setting a few specific goals might help. These are actually goals I have in mind most of the time, but articulating them for the world to see might provide that extra guilt-induced kick-start.
1. I will write at least two brand-new short stories (literary, for an adult audience) to add to the manuscript I’m trying to build up. I currently have four finished stories. I will also revise the story I did a first draft of in 2006.
2. I will send out copies of said short stories (new and already-existing) to at least three places (contests, literary journals, etc.) per month. Of course, this entails massive updating of my calendar of submission deadlines, unless I just want to attack this project randomly, which is also possible.
3. I will finish the first draft of my Latte Rebellion YA novel, which I got about 4/5 done with during NaNoWriMo; revise it; and send it to an agency which was recommended to me by TadMack.
4. I will finish rewriting my Olwen novel, which has been on hold for a few months. If the rewrite is still unsatisfactory, I will give up on this project for a while without any regrets. (HA! Easier said than done.)
5. I will stop being such a writing flake: I will faithfully post to this blog and Readers’ Rants at least once weekly. I will spend three or more hours on writing/revising at least twice weekly. (This doesn’t sound like much, but believe me, it’s hard sometimes.) I will make writing a priority and I will try my best not to use reading (or housework, or blogging, or e-mail) as a convenient way to procrastinate.
Clearly, #5 will probably be the sticking point. But I encourage all of you to sit down for a few minutes and think about your own writing resolutions. Just the act of articulating them, writing them down, and maybe taping them above your computer desk or your calendar will help you remember to keep your goals in the front of your mind. Make them realistic–but make them optimistic, too. Remember that this is your work, but it’s also what you love. (And believe me, I’m saying all this to remind myself, too.) We here at Finding Wonderland wish you a productive and writing-filled new year!
Towards the first of every year, in our 5:30 a.m. Spin class, there’s this guy who wants to make up rules about how we count the newcomers. You know, the people who’ve made resolutions, show up to a class or two, and then flake?
It’s rather macabre, actually, to count those who flake out on themselves. Makes me wonder how many of them totally flake, and how many change their workouts from the ungodly hour of 5:30 a.m. to something more reasonable.
I wish reasonableness upon you for the new year.
I wish you well on your writing resolutions this year. Thanks for sharing them, and Happy New Year!
Eeek, you’re scaring me. I’m trying to forget that the calendar has rolled and I’m supposed to be starting fresh at all. I suppose I should resolve something or other. At some point. Eventually.
Maybe.
Resolutely.
Thanks for the link.
I’ve got the opposite problem regarding no. 5: how to stop sitting at my desk and deal with the house, laundry, garden etc. at least twice a week!