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On Crushing Resolutions with my Tiny Yet Powerful Fists
January always brings a rush of blog posts and witty articles bursting with either shining optimism or eloquent raging on the topic of resolutions. I may as well declare my bias right at the start: I’m pro-resolution. I love the feeling that comes with the new year, the feeling of a fresh start, a time to reflect and reexamine goals. I think Maggie Stiefvater best sums up my feelings:
“…I always keep promises to myself, because I like myself. Why would I lie to me, my dearest friend? What would I do to myself if I couldn’t trust myself to do the things I say?”
I may not accomplish every single resolution, but I make every one with the sincere intention of completing it, and you better believe I make an honest effort. I think setting goals is a powerful and essential part of achieving them, and if I happen to set those goals on January 1st, it doesn’t diminish them in any way, nor does it prevent me from setting additional goals throughout the rest of the year.
Apparently this topic gets me fired up with Opinions. I guess I’m just as guilty as the rest of the internet.
So, without further ado, I am publicly declaring my 2015 resolutions, writing-related and otherwise, so you can all watch me spectacularly crush them all over the next twelve months.
1. Finish querying Firestarter (YA novel)
2. Edit Space Academy Rejects (YA novel)
3. Begin querying Space Academy Rejects
4. Draft a third novel (stretch goal: draft a fourth one, too)
5. Go to the eye doctor and get new glasses, damnit. Five years is too long and you are a terrible example to everyone ever.
6. Ditto re: dentist. We won’t even discuss how long it’s been, self.
7. Play and complete 5 video games
8. Read 50 books (minimum 15 diverse titles, but make it 25.)
9. Go to zumba once per week (stretch goal: twice per week, or exercise at home in between)
10. Attend at least 3 South Jersey Writer’s Group meetings
11. Start blogging at mkengland.com (stretch goal: post once per week)
12. Make a household chores schedule (stretch goal: actually stick to it for more than a month)
See you on the other side, creatures. Happy New Year.
Do you have any resolutions, writing-related or otherwise? Share them below. I won’t judge you.
A Year of Writing and Gratitude
2014 was a big year for me. As of January 1, 2014, I had written zero books. As of December 27th, 2014, I’ve written two. I’ve done immense amounts of editing. I’ve started querying my first book and participating in twitter pitch parties. I’ve made amazing writing friends, connected with supportive groups, and made tons of progress. I’ve started to see myself as a WRITER and find joy in the grind, the hard work and blank pages. I’ve finally figured out how to give the commitment to writing a permanent place in my life. And I have a lot of people to thank.
First, the long-suffering Man-Creature who endured endless plot brainstorming sessions, weeks of black moods brought on by self-doubt, and long stretches where he wondered if we were still married or if I’d left him for my laptop. Thank you.
Next, my writing communities: I met so many lovely people through the YA Buccaneers and found lots of encouragement and discipline through their bootcamps. I met new friends through NaNoWriMo and ended up finding a new local writing group because of it. Twitter has been amazing. No, really, I had no idea that twitter was where the entire publishing industry was hiding. So many agents, editors, and fellow writers throwing out 140 character wisdom for my ravenous consumption. Thank you.
Finally, though, I have to thank myself. I find it hard to explain just how difficult this year was on my mental health. I’ve suffered from anxiety and moderate depression on and off for my entire adult life, and the process of chasing my ultimate dream, writing a book, was fraught with intense fear, self-loathing, and a whole host of other unhealthy emotions. I finally typed “the end” on March 1st, 2014, and hoped that would be the end of it – fears conquered! On the path! Achieving my dream! Unfortunately, the process of rewriting, editing, and sharing my work with beta readers proved to be even more terrifying. Then starting to query. Each new step in the process brought new fears, fresh insecurities. But then NaNoWriMo happened, and I wrote a second book. And it was easier to master the fear. And querying is easier now, too. I’ve made progress. It’s still hard work, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve learned so much, met so many people doing the same things. I’ve come out the other side with two books under my belt and months of querying and editing ahead of me.
And I’m excited to tackle it all.
So thank you, self. Thank you for sticking with it. For not giving up. For proving you can do it, and that you can keep doing it. Thank you for reaching out for help when you needed it. Thank you for becoming a writer.
I share this with the hope that someone else who is struggling might glean a little courage to keep fighting for the dream. It’s possible. Keep going. Every word counts, even the ones you know are awful. Rip off the band-aid, take the time you need to look after your mental and physical help, and put in the work. You can make it happen.
Here’s to a happy, healthy, and productive 2015.
What 2014 accomplishment are you proud of, creatures? What do you deserve to thank yourself for? Share in the comments and receive high fives.
Questions for Unpublished Writers
I came across these questions for not-yet-published authors on this blog and thought I’d share my answers over here because they got way too long for a comment. Fun to think about!
1. Did you always know you wanted to be an author, or did the idea of writing occur to you later on? Describe the circumstances which led to that choice.
I’ve wanted to be a writer since elementary school, but I took a major break from that dream. I got picked to represent my class in the school-wide Young Author’s Conference in some really young grade, but didn’t get one of the final picks for my grade level to actually participate, which crushed my tiny 8-year-old heart. I stopped writing stories until I discovered fanfiction in seventh grade, but then I was too scared to share my work with anyone. I started roleplaying a bit in high school, and had an English teacher who was wonderfully supportive, but all creative writing classes conflicted with band. I didn’t write again for a long time. I had ideas, and I used to fill bits of scrap paper with endless notes, bits of dialogue, and story beginnings while working my retail jobs.
The early idea for Firestarter came during that time period, somewhere around 2006. I didn’t start really writing fiction again until 2009 or 2010, when I decided to finally start Firestarter. I got 10k words in and quit. Did the same thing the next year, and the year after that. It took me until 2013 to really get serious about it, but I still only hit 20k words. Finally, on February 1st of 2014 I said NO MORE EXCUSES. I sat in the chair every morning and built upon those 20k words until the book was finished, 28 days later. Now, I pursue writing relentlessly and professionally. I’m querying my first novel and drafting my second. Writing is a major part of my life, and I hope I never let it go again.
2. What are the things that inspire your work as a writer? Music, art, people, travel, life in general?
I’m mostly inspired by other works of fiction, whether they be books, movies, video games, or roleplaying games. “What if I took this character type, but threw them into this completely different setting and situation…” etc. Eventually the character and plot I end up with bear zero resemblance to what originally inspired them, but the spark was there to set it off. I read widely and game widely, and those two things inspire my writing more than anything else.
3. What types of books are you drawn to reading? What types of books are you drawn to write?
I’m finding it really hard to pin down what exactly draws me to a book. I know I DON’T like characters who are weak-willed or passive. I like my books like I like my food: bold and spicy. I like strong, tough girls, and yes that includes the physically-strong sword-wielding types. I know it’s not the only way to be a strong female character, but it’s the type of character that has appealed to me since childhood. I wanted to BE a lady knight and a starfighter pilot. Still do. I like tough girls who have big dreams and big ideals, or girls who struggle with issues of gender expression and traditional femininity because they reflect my own struggles.
I don’t do sad/deep/issue books much. It has to be really outstanding for me to put myself through that. I love a book with a great setting and subtle, awesome worldbuilding, but it has to have a great plot too (and here I’m thinking of the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix). I like to write the same kind of stuff I like to read, unsurprisingly. Snarky humor, big attitudes, lots of personality, and an interesting setting. If it’s real world, it has to be described so that it almost feels alien, like in Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle.
I think I learned a few things about myself and my tastes after free-writing those answers. Thanks for the inspiration, S.M.!
Anyone want to offer up their own answers?
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