New 50-Day Blog Series! Get Serious About Writing
Day One: Do It for Your Future Self
This is my fifth year of blogging, and I don’t think I have ever been as excited about a post or a series as I am about this one.
First, a note to all who subscribe via email: For the next 50 days, I’ll be blogging daily about writing. Specifically, the posts will be about getting serious (finally) about our writing, from daily habits to lifelong mindsets and everything in between. The “Get Serious About Writing” series of posts will apply to any creative pursuit or goals, but if such topics aren’t the kind of thing you want to receive in your inbox every day, please feel free to unsubscribe or change to a weekly rather than daily updates.
However, if you have been waiting too long for your writing to happen somewhere over that elusive rainbow where “the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true,” you’ll want to stay here for the next 50 days through the end of August. We won’t be wishing upon any stars or chasing rainbows. Instead, we will embrace the challenge of finally feeling good about our writing ambitions by owning rather than hiding from them, by understanding some of the psychological and other roadblocks that can get in our way, and by writing, not just when we feel like it, but every day.
Why am I doing this series now?
2014 has been an important year for my own writing. There have been years when I have published more and even blogged more often, but I finally turned a corner this year in terms of a) understanding some of my own creative and practical stumbling blocks and b) establishing some new habits for lasting change.
I still have far to travel on this journey, however. To keep myself on track, I want to write about what has and hasn’t worked so that I don’t forget, and I also want to make sure that I continue to move forward rather than back.
What’s in it for you?
The short answer is that you need to do it for your future self. That future self will be the same you who is reading this post, and you can give yourself the gift of knowing that you have taken the first steps toward no longer feeling regret about the writing path not taken.
We writers even more than many other workers need a strong support system. If you are also someone who has waited what seems like forever to get serious about writing, or if you are on the verge of giving up on your dream altogether, join me here, where each day you will have a chance to comment and share your own thoughts, dreams, questions, and fears. You can use this series as a daily or occasional check-in, to keep yourself accountable. Or just read along for ideas, resources, and inspiration.
Today’s question:
What would make you feel good about your writing on August 31, 2014?
In other words, what would you have to accomplish (I would encourage you to think small rather than big, but big enough that it feels like a stretch) in terms of output, habits, schedule, or some other aspect of writing to wake up on the morning of August 31st with a big, endorphin-rich smile? Note that this isn’t a goal at this point, just an idea to help us to think forward to how our future selves want to feel, act, and live.
My answer is in the comments.
Isn’t it time we finally got serious about what matters to us?
Post edited Jan. 17, 2015.
By the end of August, I want to have fully revised the novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo in 2013. That would be enough to make me very happy. If I could also finish two short stories, I’d be even happier. And if I could sustain my daily writing habit of 1000 new words a day, I’d be ecstatic!
Oh Lisa, perfect timing. I’m in. I would feel wonderful about my writing if by August 31, I (1) revise the short story I finished more than three years ago, (2) post twice a week on my blog, and (3) revise a few of the poems I wrote during NaPoWriMo and submitted them for publication somewhere. And I would be over the moon if in top if all that I had a good list of the books and articles I want to read for this historical novel idea I have….
Jessica, what a terrific list! I’m really looking forward to taking this 50-day journey with everyone.
By the end of August, I want to have completed my novel revisions and have submitted it to a few small presses. I also want to have put out a call for an anthology a friend and I are prepping.
And, I really hope to keep my own blog breathing a few times all the while. 🙂
Those are excellent plans, Pam. Can’t wait to hear more about the anthology!
I feel (“feel” as in when I write something and it just “feels” right) like I should write something, but I don’t know what it is. Seems the stuff I’m good at has already been written 🙂 Jack of all trades, master of none…that’s me. I thought about putting together all past blog posts, but they’re already on the blog, so that’s not it.
Where’s that visual-spatial muse when I need her??
So, I suppose a goal would be figuring out why that feeling won’t go away.
I can definitely relate to the jack of all trades feeling! Have you ever used mind-mapping to sort through your ideas? If not, it might be worth a try. My V-S students seem to find it very helpful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map
As you can see by the date of this post, I am coming to this series late. Thus, my ‘wish-list” will be more simple. I hope to (1) finish outlining the chapters of the book I began during last years NaNoMo (“Stories for Bam”) and (2) identify the research that needs to be done for each of the chapters. I began this book last year and plan to finish it during this year’s NaNoMo. It is a series of stories for my grandson.
What a marvelous idea, Joy! I look forward to hearing more about the book.