New Year's Resolutions

As January comes to a close, and some conversations with friends about already failing on new year's resolutions, I got to thinking about what makes a resolution work. Looking back at my goals set for last year, I achieved nearly all of them, and if I didn't, it wasn't for lack of trying. So what was different about my resoultions, which I called goals, from others?

I think any resolution that requires a dramatic lifestyle change over night is going to fail.

That being said, insteading of "writing every day" my resolutions were more along the lines of "write another manuscript" and "revise finished manuscript." I don't write everyday; I don't write every other day. I'm lucky if I write once a week. I tend to stick to my month long Nanowrimos and script frenzys, because, well, it's easier to block out a month than an hour every day. It also keeps the pressure off of me.

If I said "write everyday" and I missed one day, well, I would have already failed that resolution. Since I already failed, why bother? And since I tend to be my own worst emeny, that type of resolution would never work for me. I can't dramatically change my life over night, and I don't think others can either.

Writing everyday is an unreasonable goal; writing more than than two frantic months a year, is not.

So, I like to keep my goals reasonable, and measurable not by days, but by quantiy, like keeping a blog (or 3) over the next year. Of course, this is a slow start - being as I've only managed to get one going. But I see that in Feb, I'll be able to start up another. By keeping, I mean that I post semi-regularly, and don't go months and months without posting. Then I can look back and say, well, I managed to post once a week every week of the year! That's pretty awesome!

I hope this will get me to start a new habbit, such as writing more frequently. And if I write more frequently, this year, then I can write even more next year. Then maybe, I'll be able to do one of thos "write 500 a day" resolutions without having to dramatically change my lifestyle.

Being as it's still a new year, I think there's still plenty of time to revise new year's goals...

So readers, how are you coming along with your goals this year?

Why a Blog on Rewriting

The other night I was at Friday's restaurant, enjoying happy hour dollar off cocktails and half off appetizers, in celebration of a promotion at my day job with a writer friend of mine. So of course, the subject inevitably led to writing.

We'd met during Nanowrimo, and being as it was the end of December, we were both talking about what we were going to do with our Nano Novels over the next year.

Two years ago I promised myself that in three years I would have a completed manuscript so I could start really looking into getting published. Instead, I've written three first drafts and done absolutely nothing with them. Well, nothing of use. Until about a week ago.

I started reading through my 2011 Nanowrimo Novel. My first step to actual revision.

I was so proud that I've actually managed to start revising a project, that it got us on to the epic discussion of revision.

And the epic lack of materials about revision.

I mean, if I want to write a first draft, there are endless books and general truths out there regarding it. If I'm looking for publishing information, well, there's oodles out there too, as well as even more general truths about how to do it. If I'm looking for tips about writing in general, there's even more on that!

But if looking for something in between, that magic way to get from first draft to something ready to submit to an agent, the horizon is surprisingly quiet. Is everyone afraid to talk about that next step? Is it because it's hard to define, or because we're afraid as writers that if we release that secret, we'll only add more competition?

The subject of revision seems to be this: it's what you do after your first draft, what you need to do before you publish, and completely different for everyone.

Somehow I doubt that.

I mean, there is some really good advice out there regarding writing that first draft like, write all the way through. Kind of a general truth there. Or you know, working out how a story is structured with a little outlining work. But when we get to the finished the draft, now what? stage, everyone gets silent. I mean, there has to be some universal truths out there that can at least help me get on the right path with this.

But everything I read just seems to gloss over it (or be a companion manual to a drafting book that if I didn't follow the drafting process doesn't make sense because I didn't fill out form A).

Well, it's a new year, and I'm going to make a resolution to write about my revision experience so that others like me might have some guidelines to follow. And it might keep me on the revision train. I'll talk about what I'm doing, what's working, and what's not working.

I can't guarantee that I'll be regular with this blog, because well, rewriting isn't the most scheduled thing. Still, I welcome all writers, of all genres, shapes, and sizes to follow along, question, and comment during my next year of revision. I want to make this a learning experience for everyone.