New Year’s Resolution: Write!

Originally published in the December 08 Silken Sands Newsletter (Gulf Coast Chapter RWA)

Another year is quickly coming to a close. Time to take stock. And, for writers, that “taking stock” means it’s time to evaluate your productivity. Tell me…did you write as much as you’d hoped to write? Did you finish the book (or books) that you aimed to finish? Or do you find that your writing goals are coming up a little bit short?

Well, next year will be different! When 2009 rolls around and you are making your resolutions, one of those resolutions will be to write. This time, you’ll stick to that resolution—and by the year’s end, you’ll be proud of yourself. (I know, I know, we always say we’re going to stick to our resolutions. Things are good for the first—what? Month? Then we get off track. Not this time!)

Here are some tips to help you stay on track for operation New Year’s Resolution: Write!

  1. Set realistic goals. The word “realistic” is key here. Each author writes at a different pace, and you have to find the pace that is right for you. Then you have to match up that pace with your lifestyle. If you have a full-time job, three kids, and you’re a care-giver for a parent who needs assistance…you’re going to find that your time is limited. Very limited. So you’re going to have to factor both your lifestyle and your writing pace into the equation when determining your writing goals.

    Some sample goals: Write 2 pages a day. Just 2 pages. By the time July ends, you’ll have 400 pages of a manuscript written.

    Write 5 pages a day. In 80 days, you’ll have your rough draft finished.

  2. Hold yourself accountable. Don’t blow off your page goals. You may have to sacrifice some days to get your pages (or your word count, if you decide to set a daily word count instead of page count). Record that TV show you wanted to watch. Skip that movie—you can catch it on DVD later. Go to bed a bit later, or get up earlier (before the kids do) and get some work done on that story. This is your dream—you’ll have to sacrifice some to achieve it.

  3. Stay motivated. When the new year dawns, you may begin your new writing schedule with a sense of excitement. But, as the days pass and it gets harder to pound out those pages, your motivation may start to wane. This is when you’re going to need some help. You’ll have to find ways to stay motivated. There are many online groups dedicated to helping authors stay focused on their craft (and our very own GCCRWA has a great loop that can offer you encouragement). An example option to consider: “Sven’s 70 Days of Sweat”—this runs periodically throughout the year. Writers are given 70 days to work on their stories. You check in on the Sweat blog and record your progress. Other writers check in to support and motivate you. You’re held accountable and you realize you’re not in this situation alone. Sven is great for keeping your spirits up! (You can find more info about Sven here: http://70daysofsweat.com/wordpress.)

  4. Reward yourself! Sticking to your page goals will be a hard task, and another way to stay focused and on track is to reward yourself. The rewards can be small. After you write your pages each day for a week, maybe you can splurge and buy that book you’ve been wanting. Maybe you can have that chocolate. But you deserve a reward for your hard work, and you should treat yourself.

  5. Take stock. When the mid-year point arrives, you need to stop and take stock. Ask yourself: Am I meeting my goals? Am I enjoying my story? Have I written as much as I planned? The mid-year check is very important. Because if you’ve been slouching with your work, this is your chance to turn things around. You’ll have 6 months left. Get in that chair and write!

  6. The final point: Write. Very simple—just write. You can talk about the story as much as you want. You can talk about how great it will be, but the simple fact is…the story will never get written unless you force yourself to write. There may be days you may think your writing is terrible. Most writers feel this way at some point. But you know what? When you go back later and look at your work, I think you’ll be surprised. That second glance can show our work to be much, much better than we expected.

So, write. Write when the words come so quickly that your fingers can barely keep up with the pace of your mind. Write when the words come so slowly that you feel like you are dragging them out of your spirit. Just write. And before you know it, you’ll have that book finished.

Good luck! Happy Holidays!