Friday, December 30, 2011

My 2012 writing resolutions


Today is my birthday--yay for me! I love having a birthday so close to the end of the year, because I get double the new beginnings, and double the chance to make resolutions.

I've made a few for 2012, but several are too boring, strange, or gooshy to post on my blog. Since 2012 is the year of BEAUTIFUL MUSIC FOR UGLY CHILDREN, out in September (promo starting . . . now!), I thought I'd share the writing resolutions.

I tried on about sixteen, but I came up with two that seem possible.

Resolution #1: 329 days of NaNoBICMo

Many of you know that November is NaNoWriMo--National Novel Writing Month. Not possible for me. However, this November I decided I'd have my own event--National Novel Butt In Chair Month--I'd write or do something writing-related every day. And I did. FANTASTIC. When I let my writing career be a part of my daily life, it became something vital, instead of something I have to wait to do until everything else is done. People have called it a hobby and a time-waster, but it's not. It's my career, and it matters. And 329 days is 90% of a year, so I can have a couple days off.

Resolution #2: 365 days of trusting myself
Way back in my wayback days, I learned not to trust myself. Long story. Even now, as a grown-up, it's a hard position to shake. Consequently, my internal writing dialogue often goes like this: why aren't you writing characters that sell? Why aren't you doing more social media? Why don't you have a career like hers? Or his? What's wrong with you? Why aren't you producing a novel a year? Why are you even writing? Dumb. Hurtful.

This year I resolve to trust myself to write the characters I love and the stories I love, and have a career I love that's mine, not someone else's. I will not worry about Twitter or Google+ or Goodreads, nor will I call my work pointless, even if every single other kidlit author in this state has a NYT bestseller. I also will not give up hyperbole, because I am good at it. : ) But seriously, have you checked out how much talent is in the Minnesota kidlit community? Amazing people here, and they could all accomplish it, all at the same time, even. And then I would cry. But I still resolve to trust myself.

Trusting = relaxing. Enjoying. Having fun. Those things can only be useful.

Please share your writing resolutions with me/us! I'd love to know them, so we can all support each other. Happy 2012, and peace and love to all. Yes, there are hippies in my family tree.



Beautiful cake photo swiped from here.

7 comments:

  1. You said it, sista! These are wonderful. I'm inspired to post a couple of mine own. I love your #1 resolution. I need to get back to that. I had a little streak going a few months ago. I also include networking or finding a new blog or new information in "writing-related" duties. One thing I want to try is find one writer to follow on Twitter or LinkedIn for one month. You never know where those 30 connections might lead!

    Happy birthday!

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  2. Happy Birthday! So excited to hear about a 2012 release from you! :)

    Those are great resolutions. Trusting yourself is so important and so hard to do. I think I need to add that to my resolutions list, too!

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  3. KCM
    I am assuming you mean those resolutions other than losing weight...exercising more...eating right??

    Being happy and living in the moment!

    Feeling simple....Tracy

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  4. Happy birthday! And yay for BEAUTIFUL MUSIC -- I absolutely can't wait! :)

    NaNoBICMo sounds like the best idea ever. As it is, I don't really have any resolutions, but a lot of hopes, plans, dreams. One of the most important right now is to finish rewriting the manuscript I'm working on. Soooo close, not quite there yet :)

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  5. Happy birthday and NaNoBICMo is the best idea ever and I need to adopt that sort of resolution too!

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  6. Happy Birthday!

    No writing resolution for me, but a painting one! My resolution is to paint, and paint, and paint some more, even if I can only fit in 20 minutes a day.

    Writing and painting are art forms that make us better humans and the world a more beautiful place. So write, art is not a waste!

    xo

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  7. Thanks for your comments! All of these are resolutions/hopes/plans/dreams AWESOME. Yay for all of you, and here's to a wonderful 2012 for all of us!

    (And no, Kelly, art is never a waste. Let's all keep creating. : ) )

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