new year’s resolutions for writers

Some context: I’m a copywriter by day, creative writer any spare moment, and a bookworm 24/7/365.

I’m also a human being with an infinite number of other aspects to my life. Plus, I’m coming off of a year that literally almost killed me. So my perspective is different than other sites or authors or bloggers who post New Year’s resolutions for writers.

1. write more (duh)

At work, I nailed productivity. Didn’t miss a deadline. Supported my team. Got everything done. Even won an actual this-didn’t-come-from-the-company award. Outside of work, I didn’t have the energy or ability to do much. In 2023, I’m will write more stories. Get back to my 100 projects.

2. write poetry (huh?)

I’m not known for writing decent poetry. So I’m going to write terrible poetry. The point isn’t produce anything worthwhile, but to think in words differently and stretch myself.

They shall be awful, but they shall be written. I smell a new 100 projects item.

3. read more (ahhhhhhhhhh….)

Reading was not on my To Do list for the past many months. Did the best I could, but barely a fraction of my usual, devoted reading time.

Coming up, I’m going to inhale as much of my home library as possible.

4. catalog my home library (oh whoa)

Before the pandemic, I’d gotten pretty good at visiting my local library instead of buying new books. Then, shit happened, the library closed, and I got pretty good at buying cheap, used books online. Now, my home library is just weeeeeeeeeeeee bit out of control. My book towers and overstuffed bookshelves agree.

So, less buying. More borrowing. But that will start with shelf awareness and that will start by cataloging what I already have so I know what I have.

5. enter writing competitions (hahahahahaha!)

Always wanted to. Never have. But 2023 will see my work rejected by as many competitions as I can submit for. And hopefully, that will make me write more. Everyone wins. I think.

6. blog regularly (uh-huh, sure)

I own it. I’m guilty of dropping off the face of the internet. This year, trust me… I don’t post personal information too often, but this has been a year to step back from everything non-essential.

But 2023 is the year for me to reengage. In many ways, including my blog.

If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.

– Author Unknown

Usual, sound advice is to establish and measure your New Year’s resolutions. And that makes sense for many. For me, and maybe for you, measuring isn’t the only way to measure success. At the end of next year, I look forward to being more engaged. Have more of my own written work to show for it. Have made more of an effort to put my own voice and my own style and my own stories out there.

I want to have the courage to live my fullest creative life and have it stand up under public opinion. Or even my opinion because, let’s face it, that little Naysaying Voice in our head is our worst critic. The jackass.

If you’re looking for more traditional writer’s resolutions, Jeff Goins put together a pretty good list of 17 New Year’s Resolutions for Writers that I think you’ll find valuable.

So, now over to you. What are some of your resolutions?

Happy holidays, Ducky