Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

Writing Resolutions

Writing.com has an official contest "Dear Me: Official WDC Contest" , which asks about our new year’s resolutions. This is a wonderful encouragement to writers because just to mull over the idea would help any one of us.

Chuck Palahniuk, too, asks “Okay writers, it's a new year. What are your 'writing resolutions?” in:
http://litreactor.com/news/new-years-writing-resolutions-these-are-ours-now-show...

The idea in the contest and Palahniuk’s question got me going. If I were to come up with a few resolutions, what would they be? Mind you, resolutions can turn into scary monsters to steal away from one’s life and family. That would be the last thing I would go for. So in my half-hearted way, while not entering the contest, I’d probably answer the question as:

I could resolve to finish at least the first draft of anything. My writing is full of half-cooked ideas. My computer weeps incessantly because of those. So are the flash drives those ideas and half-done work are stored into, not to mention the shoe-boxes filled with notes that never see the light of day. If I can only do this, I won’t need other resolutions.

I would also like to try slightly different ways or genres than what I usually do.

I don’t submit much anymore, well, not at all, except for posting stuff here in WdC. Only because I don’t think anything I have is really “finished.” It would be nice to finish a thing or two, then act on it.

Having said all that, I’m afraid of making resolutions. What I have up here is only wishful thinking, not resolutions. If they were resolutions, I’d beat me on the head at the end of the year or while trying to accomplish what I set me out for. I’m big on keeping my promises, even those I make to myself.

There is also this other thing: I like reading more than writing, which takes a lot of time.

One resolution I made several years ago and have kept up to now is to write every day. I guess it is an ongoing one and, sort of, makes up for all my writing ills. On the days when I can’t be near a writing apparatus, I compose something inside my head. This comes in handy in waiting rooms and similar places, even though it might make other people in the place to wonder about the faraway look on my face or the frown that comes from not liking an idea. If people wonder about me, so what? I am not the only one who talks to herself, and who says I have to be in the loop for anything!