Dear Me, 2011

Dear Me,
Well, this is the year. You finally made the big 4-0! It’s always great to start the new year out by turning a year older. What are we going to accomplish this year? I have some ideas, if you’d like to hear them.

First of all, you landed that gig for Examiner.com as the Northern Wisconsin Fishing Examiner. I know it’s not exactly what you’d call a “paying gig”, but you can make a little money at it here and there. Look at all of the Examiners that are being picked up by magazines and local papers. You’ve read the emails. You know. It’s time to get serious about it. One article a week. That’s not too much to ask, is it? I didn’t think so. It’s an easy goal. By summer time you’ll be cranking out four or five a week with all of the tournaments and events going on. Don’t forget to stay in touch with John, the fisheries biologist from the DNR. He has always given you good ideas in the past, and he really has his thumb on the pulse of all pending regulations changes and legislation that could affect the sport of fishing in Wisconsin. Stick with him. He’ll take you places.

As for your fiction writing, this past year for NaNo you had probably your best storyline yet in the way of novels! I know you’ve been revising and working on it, but don’t give up now. You’ve got something really good there. Take a trip to your mom’s for a couple days. She’s been published several times. Learn from her. Let her tell you how to break in. It’s not always about the Best Seller’s List. Just get published. You know she can help you get into the same small press where she publishes her work. Get over there and hang out with her. Learn more about the business of publishing. You can do this. I know it. Mom knows it. Listen to us. Get that novel published and start networking with other published authors. Make it happen this year.

Above all else, remember that you can add value. You’re an assistant instructor for the New Horizon’s Writing Academy. Diane has you as an assistant because she values your input. Don’t shy away from that. Don’t think you have nothing to add, because you do. Stick with Diane, and stick with the Academy. You have fun doing it – everyone knows that. I hear you talking to people about the classes and how great the students are. Every term you learn something from them, and they learn something from you. That’s what it’s all about, you know. It’s all about the ride, not necessarily the destination.

Way to go, by the way, taking the poetry class! I know poetry seems foreign to you and you don’t know about all of the technical terminology, but it’s great that you are taking the class to learn – no matter how nervous you are about it. You’ve always wanted to know everything you could ever possibly learn. It’s going to be a great experience – you know, like when you took that Shakespeare class in college because you felt bad about wimping out and not taking a class like that in high school? It was a great experience, wasn’t it? This will be, too. You’ll learn a lot and expand your horizons.

One last note – don’t forget your short fiction. Keep doing the 10-minute free writes. I won’t hold you to every day, but at least 3 or 4 a week would be good. I know it’s drivel sometimes and it doesn’t ever come to anything, but you have to admit that sometimes you come up with some pretty cool ideas in those free writes. So, just keep doing them. You found that Website with all of the prompts. Click on a random one a few times a week and spend the 10 minutes writing about whatever it is that you click on…. And don’t ever delete them! You never know when one of your babbling sessions will spark an idea. It wouldn’t hurt you to enter at least two contests a month on WDC, you know. You can fit that in. You’ve structured your life to make time for your writing. Share it with others!

Okay, I know I said that last thing was the “one last note”, but you know me… just one more thing. Don’t just mark pages in the Writer’s Market. Submit stories! Keep submitting stories! Make the month of February your planning month. Find 10 places you want to submit to. Ten isn’t too many. Just find 10 publications in which you want your writing to be featured – then work toward that…. And always look for feedback. Get as much feedback as you can. You’re in the feedback stage. If you get an answer to what you’ve written, then you know that someone is watching you. They are giving you valuable information. Use it. It will help you in the future.

Good Luck, Me! You can do this! If you ever need any support, and we all do, don’t forget there are people who believe in you. Talk to them and get inspired. This is going to be a great year for you, and I think you know that. I’ll close this letter with your favorite quote:

Do not come lightly to the blank page.
Happy New Year, Me!
Myself

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