Put some thought into your writing resolutions for the New Year!
In 2014, I, the writer, resolve to:
1. Write at least twenty minutes every day.
2. Read one writing how-to book every month.
3. Finish the first draft of my work-in-progress.
4. Trade critiques with another writer.
5. Streamline my daily schedule to remove distractions.
6. Figure out five things I can do to increase my marketing platform.
7. Keep my writing area neat and organized.
8. Get better at handling criticism and bad reviews.
9. Stop calling myself an “aspiring” author.
10. Take a moment every day to think about how awesome it is to be a writer.
Tell me your opinion: What is your top writing resolution for the New Year?
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About K.M. Weiland | @KMWeiland
Three resolutions: 1. Write ten books of varying lengths, to include 2. A “space opera” series. 3. Build my newsletter list and attempt to gather the fabled “1000 true fans “
Excellent resolutions, all. Personally, I don’t think I could write ten books in a year if I tried, but I admire your fortitude! :p
My writing resolutions are 1) write at least 30minutes every day. This should help accomplish 2) finish the first draft of my work in progress and 3) stop being embarrassed to admit I spend my spare time writing.
You go! I think it’s so important to realize that “writing every day” doesn’t have to involve a huge time commitment. It’s the consistency that’s most important.
Great post!
Resolutions: Finish edits on Book #1. Draft book #2. Write another short story. Read 50 books.
Thanks for the great tips!
Great list! I love that you’ve got concrete – and very achievable – goals.
I’ve got the same resolutions :)))
My resolution is #3.
Hey, mine too! 😉
1. Write 5 days a week for at least an hour at a time (preferably more!)
2. Publish.
3. Work up a production schedule.
And, I’ll take you up on #4 if you need someone! :p
You go! Five days a week is what I like to do when writing fiction. Day #6 is for blogging.
To focus and write, and to write with focus.
It’s all to easy too get diverted, especially when you get new ideas, so it’s a double challenge for me. So, although I can usually find some time each day, I’m going to make a record of my word count each day when I write. Just to make sure I keep focussed.
Naturally, I’m gonna have new ideas but I’m gonna note those down and revisit them once a week, maybe. Just to make sure I don’t lose the opportunity to expand and predevelop them a little more while they’re still fresh.
So I’ve a programme which includes a non-specific writing ‘holiday day’ each week. And one more day for family time. Because, not everyone’s a writer!
Great perspective. Writers sometimes stress quantity over quality in the first draft stage, but there’s no reason we can’t strive for both.
This list was great! Although, aren’t you “aspiring” if you haven’t actually published your WIP? Or anything?
I would (and do) argue no. If you write, you’re a writer. Nothing aspiring about it. A few months ago, I saw a Twitter bio, in which the man claimed to be a “pre-emergent writer.” I like that term so much better!
Haha! That’s genius. Also, it reminds me strongly of some of Hemingway’s lines in Midnight in Paris: “You’re too self-effacing; it’s not manly. If you’re a writer, declare yourself the best writer! But you’re not as long as I’m around, unless you wanna put the gloves on and settle it.” You’ve given me great confidence, K.M.! I read your blog all the time and you’re the best. 😉
Katie, you rock, I’m sure you’ll achieve more than this 🙂 Happy New Year!
You too!
great list.
i made my own and posted it monday. your list had a few things mine did not and i got a few more good ideas.
here is a link to my list – http://nealabbott.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/top-ten-list-of-things-that-may-appear-on-a-writers-list-of-resolutions/
Thanks! I’ll check it out.
My top writing resolution is to finish the first draft of my fantasy novel. It’ll be the first draft I actually finish, so I’m pretty excited. I can’t wait to start editing! I’m sitting at 40,000 words at the moment, and I’m aiming toward at least 95,000.
Hey, you’re halfway there! You go!
My new years resolutions look very similar to this list, not including the non writing-related things which I have resolutely resolved to resolve.
Certainly, completing a manuscript/first draft of a novel is the big challenge that I’ve set myself this year. Even if it’s a terrible novel that causes eyebleeds and dysentery in anyone dares to gaze upon it, I still want to at least be able to say I finished what I started.
2013 for me was a year of self-discovery, which culminated in me realising that I want to write. (I hate linking to my own cobweb-covered blog in comments sections, but the full story is here is you’re interested – http://aeastwoodwilliams.wordpress.com/2013/11/10/why-i-started-writing-again/ )
2014, therefore, will be me actually doing what I decided I was going to do in 2013, after all those months of soul-searching and other recklessly self-indulgent behaviours.
By the way, on a personal note, I really love what you’re doing – I first stumbled across you by accident on Youtube, and it’s been a very happy, educational and useful accident since then.
Glad you’re enjoying the posts! Yes, sometimes we have to go through those messy discovery years, in order to clean ourselves up and prepare for the actual moving forward years.
1. Congratulations! Well deserved.
2. Happy New Year!
3. How did you get into my head to see all my resolutions?!
Hah! All part of my evil plan for world domination. 😉
1. Come to terms with realizing the type of writing career I thought I’d wanted, isn’t; it’s OK to change my mind, especially this early in the game.
2. Push my first novella out the door — and then keep writing and pushing! I worry so much about brand and marketing, but more works are always gonna be the best marketing I can have.
3. Get in on writing something within the games industry. Even if I have to make it myself!
I like your #2 resolution. I am hopelessly addicted to craft books, but sucked the fun out when I let them inform my writing habits too much. Going to try working on some again and just playing with the process!
Great goals! Keeping that flexibility, which you mention in #3, is so important. The writing lifestyle is deeply unique to each writer. We can’t box ourselves into the way other people do things. We have to keep an open mind and keep searching for the methods that will inspire *our* best creativity.
Happy New Year K.M & readers:
I write approx 10 hours per day seven days per week…but I do not live.
My income is 700 dollars per month (Gov. stipend) so I eat very little…and in 2014 I want to balance my equation.
I want a job to live more and write less.
What I write has been proven to be not so good so I cannot afford to spend more time without reward. Is that a fair comment KM…I know it should be the other way around, but from where I’m standing upside is down to me?
Rodney
We have to live – both in the sense of supplying ourselves with a livelihood and in the sense of experiencing life so that we are able to gather enough to write about. So, yes, there definitely has to be a balance.
Happy New Year, Katie!
I stopped calling them resolutions a few years ago and now call them goals. Tricks my mind. LOL!
Here are four from my list. (1) Become more tech savvy with Rafflecopter and WordPress, (2) do more book signings/speaking engagements, (3) publish 2 books and (4) streamline my writing/editing process. The last one is on my list every year. LOL!
Love your #6. With so much marketing options out there, picking a number is a good idea. It keeps you from running around like a headless chicken (or maybe that’s just me). 😉
Good list! I actually call them “goals” as well, and I definitely don’t confine them to January 1st.
I’d give a ‘pretty’ to figure out Number 4. Massive waste of time, wandering around the web, trying to sort out, just where one trolls for critique partners. Pub’ed writers you respect, they’re not looking. Wannabe beginners, belong with same.
Any suggestions for someone who’s been through two agents and NYC submission (no takers that time)?
Guess that makes me Looking for Ms. Goodbar, aka another massively experienced, ready to break in Epic Fantasy writer, YA or all grown up.
Any points in the best directions will be swooningly thanked!
Critique partners are everywhere, thanks to the massive reach of the online writing community. And yet, ironically, they can still be ridiculously difficult to find. Serendipity is definitely a factor. But we can put ourselves in the way of finding the right partners by developing relationships on social media, blogs, and writing forums.
Morgyn:
I would love to act as No 4…crit partner.
My gravatar info gives some of my details BUT it is all about the writing process and for that I invite you to email me with a list of your expectations.
We can work through:
structure
character (s) & their arc
archetype
tone-voice
sentence construction
first line-first five pages
formatting
…and more
cover
publishing
…or just a test for you to get to trust me.
Your call
Rodney
My first goal is to get back to writing at all. I haven’t had a computer in my room for months and I either get distracted going on the internet, don’t feel like writing, or the room’s noisy. Contrary to HolzCMy I am actually embarrassed admitting that I don’t spend enough time writing. I felt proud declaring what it was I love to do even if people didn’t share the same interest and feel like I’m under-achieving when my friends and piers ask how progress on my novel has been going when I’ve made none.
I’ve been stressed about my novel since I’ve run into problems due to the lack of outlining and I feel I exposed it to too many people too fast. My new plan is to finish the outline for a smaller scale project and then finish the actual story before the end of the year and choose only a select few people to see it after I’m done since I want to do it more for myself. Maybe then I’ll get back to my novel or I’ll just find another project to occupy myself. Good luck to fulfilling your resolutions everyone!
this is about writing
since we are in the same castle and there are passages of light and shadows of dark…
Helloo PS
when we get to a room with a locked door…a crossroad of another passage…and there is one finger pointing left and another right; what now?
Here is my invitation: use me as a live B-reader…email chat through the problems and step by step make that desire in your heart sing!
First…
When you are ready: I await your call to action.
Rodney
Although many people seem to do well sending out their unfinished manuscripts, piece by piece, that approach has always been destructive for me. I’ve learned (the hard way) to keep my writing a secret until the first draft is finished.
I like all your resolutions. For myself, I would add to spend a bit less time blogging and more time on my novels.
In the modern world of the writer, the balance between marketing and writing can be a tricky one. Best of luck!
2014 I want to write 20min a day, enter at least 4 writing contests, read more writing how to books and focus on writing in the now not what it should be. Here’s to a good productive 2014 for everyone
I love that your goals are so specific. Specificity is the key to success – in writing as well as life.
To find a literary agent or a publishing house who will look at the 3 novels I’ve already completed. To wrap up Djinn and Tonic. To spend at least 30 minutes a day, everyday honing my craft and encouraging my friend (who is brilliant by the way) to do the same.
Great title!
Thanks! I thought so! LOL
Claps, claps, claps and joins!
HAve a very successfull 2014!
Yay! Same to you!