Updates
1. I sent ‘A Kind of Death’, formerly titled ‘Judith’ to the Writers of the Future for consideration. I should hear results in about two and a half months.
2. Finished ‘Struck By Chocolate’, my attempt at a romance novel. It is currently tucked away, so that I might get some distance before revising.
3. Finished ‘Phib’, tentative title, a short story for the next quarter of WOTF.
4. Started ‘Home’. New novel…top secrets. ><;
I finished writing SBC on the eighth of January, and dived right away into Phib. Then, I finished Phib on Thrusday. Friday saw me feeling sick and oogy, and starting a new novel. I remember days, weeks, months…years even, in my past when I didn’t write anything.
"I’m not inspired."
"I’m too tired."
"I don’t have anything to write about."
And to be honest, a lot of things have changed in my life. I’m married, I have a stable job and living situation, I’m not constantly stressed about money and basic safety. And I think that helps. But there was still about two years when I used those same excuses. Not until diving into NaNoWriMo and finishing Chasing Smoke did I realize that I can really do this. And I’ve been going ever since.
It was a choice I made to be awesome. To pursue my goals. Nothing special about me except that I made that choice, and that I make it again, every day.
The really funny thing I’ve found, though, is that I feel more inspired. I’m tired less often (and even when I am tired, I have the energy to write something). And I always have something to write about. Too much really. It’s like exercising a muscle- the more you do it, the stronger it gets.
I’ve seen a lot of resolutions getting thrown around the last couple weeks. A lot of goals, too, for those a bit squeamish on the word ‘resolution’. I figured I would offer my own, here.
And, being one of those who finds the word resolution pretty empty, here are my 2010 goals:
1. Write a short story for every quarter of WOTF, and send that puppy in.
2. Write a novel I feel comfortable with submitting to agents.
3. Keep a record of all the books and short stories I read, as well as my thoughts on them.
4. Read. A lot. And then read some more.
5. Ditto #4, with writing.
I realize that all of these are writing focused. That’s because that is where my life is focused right now. I want to be in the best possible position two years from now, when we move to Japan.
Oh, 1 more: 6. Post regularly on this blog. Having a ghost town of my life floating round on the internets is kind of depressing.
For anyone who stumbles across this space, feel free to add your own New Years…whatever you want to call them.
