New Year’s resolutions – love them or hate them, they come up every year. The idea of turning over a new leaf for a new year appeals to me as a writer, a fresh start using a very visible (if immaterial) line in the sand. Perhaps it’s the idea of beginning at the beginning.
So each year I’ll try and put a writing resolution in place. Last year (and I had to look this up), I said my aim was to finish the second draft of the first Cauldron Trilogy book. This made me laugh because I had assumed that I’d finished the first draft. Ah, naive little 2022 moi (I hadn’t actually finished the first draft – I still haven’t finished the first draft, although I’m getting closer).
This year (and I realise it’s February already), I’m going back to basics. I’ve put my blog on the back burner (you may have noticed) to give me more time to write my book – but I still have to start writing more of my book. Rather than put in a finishing line or a final point, I’m going to try the simplest of approaches. For the parts, I still have to write I’m aiming to get in 200 words a day. And once I get back to edit mode, I’ll switch to a time limit of probably 30 minutes a day.
Now – that’s not a lot. But if you have a full-time job and other commitments, it’s probably better to aim at “achievable” rather than “ambitious”. And if I get on a roll I can of course keep going.
Knowing there’s a limit makes things less daunting. Just 200 words, just 200. That’s just like a long tweet. You could start with more or less depending on what you feel you can manage. Or use a time limit if that’s what works better for you.
If the past few years have taught me anything it’s a) there’s more to life than well, most things and b) time will go by whether you pay attention or not. More specifically, it will go fast. So even small steps forward will count. And more importantly, it should help prevent you from getting overwhelmed and stopping your writing altogether. Sometimes, simple really is best.
What do you think? Have you got any writing aims (or other aims)? Please share in the comments.
Wordland 
Glad to see you’ve got back in flow. Look forward to future articles!
Sent from Outlook for Androidhttps://aka.ms/AAb9ysg
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good luck with the drafting. I am also making it a more writing-focused year. Last few years I lost my way but I am aiming to get several projects moved much closer to completion.
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All the best with the book and the blog, you’ve got this. My initial writing goal for this year was to finish writing my screenplay. Now a new goal is to post consistently on my blog. I want to dedicate maybe one afternoon a week to writing.
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