Give Yourself a Great Present

There are a number of things a serious writer does.

1. Write every day.

2. Read other writers' works.

3. Learn something new about the art of writing.

4. Do their best at work so they can afford to write.

5. Pray.

Regarding the writing every day thing, hopefully it is on a new work or editing a piece you want to publish. There are other things. Posting on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or other social sites does not count unless you are using complete and grammatically proper sentences, otherwise they are a procrastinator's dream. Journal entries or a letter to Santa Claus do. So does a year-end review. This can be one of your greatest tools for moving from a good writer to a great writer. Yes, this is about resolutions.

I had the privilege of growing up in a community heavily influenced by Jews. While I was brought up in the Christian faith, it was difficult avoid not being influenced by my friends. I celebrated Jewish holidays with them and Christian holidays with family – the best of two worlds and made out like a bandit. However, in later years I came to appreciate the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish new year. During 2014 it fell on Sept. 24.

During this time, a person reviews the year past in some detail before making a plan for the next year. Such introspection is far more beneficial than the typical New Year's resolution thing that usually ends in failure, laughed off, and forgotten.

What sort of things did I focus on before writing down goals for 2015? (Yes, written down).

1. Review what I had planned to accomplish in 2014. (This included personal as well as professional goals.)

2. For each one, how did I do? Fell on my face? So-so? Pretty well? Right on!?

3. For each goal that was less than stellar, is it worth trying again? What can I do to do better?

4. What do I want to accomplish in 2015? (Let me share some professional goals.)

a. Complete the edit of A Pirate's Legacy VI by April 1.

b. Submit “a” to publication

c. Complete research for new novel, Herakleides: Prelude to War (done)

d. Draft “c” during National Writing Month in November (done)

e. Edit Herakleides during Dec and Jan and have ready for publication by Jul

f. Write synopsis and begin research on Just Me in Feb and have everything ready to write draft in Nov 2015 for the National Writing challenge.

g. Write bi-monthly eFile Anatomy of a Story

h. Submit one book review per month

i. Learn and apply a new or forgotten aspect of the writing art

As you can see, a pretty ambitious and busy schedule, but it's not just a list of want-to-do. Having spent a month thinking about each goal, I have a plan on how to achieve them (with alternatives because neither the world or me are perfect). The over all list is posted prominently where I work. Personal goals are posted on a mirror. That's because I have to look at myself and discuss with that reflection how those things will be accomplished today or explain why I didn't do so well yesterday.

Serious business? yes, but how else does a person improve on what they did yesterday? How do we become a better person and a better, productive writer?

Have a great and productive year ahead.

Sean