2007: My year of writing, no really
So, about this time last year, I wrote this:
This year, I resolve to write, send out and see a story published. At least one, but hopefully more.
Well, I failed miserably. For the better part of the year, I wrote regularly and even finished one whole short story (and yes, I know that's pretty pathetic.) I did manage to send it out to a friend, who gave me some good advice on what was wrong with it. Shortly thereafter, I was inundated with wedding planning and real estate issues. I'm making no attempt to say those things should have stopped me, only that they did.
My other writing, blogging and journaling, was pretty miserable as well. I was strong blogging at the beginning of the year and faded away. By May, I had completely stopped. Journaling, on the other hand, I kept up regularly up until October. Even then, I'd find the occasional time to slip in a paragraph in a notebook here or there.
This year, I'm making a resolution again. It's not much different from last year, just more specific:
I resolve to write every day with an aim to creating good fiction.
The main difference here is the resolution is all focused on doing the work. Forget anything else until I'm writing regularly and getting better. Besides, I have no control over whether something will be published. I can only work on my own craft until I write things that are publishable.
3 comments:
Okay, if you're really going to write this year, I'll link to you on my recently revised sidebar. Don't make me come after you.
And hang in there. It took me four and a half years to write my first novel, which was juggled in between college, getting married, and looking for a succession of jobs. It ended up being published third in the chronology of things, but that's another story...
Thanks for your support, it's much appreciated. After all, it was a post of yours last year (I think) that got me started blogging about my writing.
I was writing when I saw that you had posted, so I'm starting off OK, now I just have to keep it up. My biggest ongoing problem is discipline, sitting down and do it every day. That's why I made this resolution so specific.
Did you write much short fiction before you started that first novel?
Hmmm, I started to comment an answer to your question and it started to get lengthy. Look for an answer to this on my blog soon.
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