By Deborah Wilbrink
The two most important resolutions for writers are: 1.) Write every day; and 2.) Share my writing. There are many more resolutions, but most writers can use these two.
Write every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. It will feel more natural and you will come to enjoy and look forward to that time. If you are experiencing writer’s block, just change the subject or format and have some fun. You will feel refreshed and return to your project a better writer.
Share your writing. That can mean submitting an article to an online “zine” today, attaching a poem in an email to a friend, reading to your writing group, commenting on or composing a blog, or working on getting a publishing deal. There are many ways to share. Communicate your thoughts. Isn’t that why you are writing?
Here are some more great resolutions for writers, couched in the affirmative:
1. I will publish the writing that readers want to read.
2. I will end an old project: revise, finish, or shred it, making room for a new one.
3. I will learn by observing and practicing a new technique.
4. I will seek constructive criticism and listen.
5. I will try writing in some new styles, experimenting in order to further develop my own style.
6. I will organize my writing area so that it attracts me and offers easy access to tools.
7. I will decorate my writing area with visual reminders of success.
8. I will happily tell others about my writing and listen to their experiences.
9. I will mentor and encourage others.
10. I will be ready for a mentor to find, teach, and encourage me.
This year has just begun, but already I have encountered writers who are fulfilling their New Years’ Resolutions. Writers are contacting Writers in the Sky wanting to improve their general writing skills—clearly a step in the “write” direction! Soon I’ll be teaching a class of senior citizens how to improve writing their memoirs so that these stories will be a joy to read.
Other writers are finishing up worthwhile projects. “BJ” is writing about attracting abundance to one’s life. It’s a how-to book, with steps clearly illustrated by her life and by a journey metaphor. Now that I’m in the car and on the road with BJ, preparing her book for publication, I feel just as excited as if it were my own project. BJ’s book is going to help a lot of people when it’s published!
Make your resolutions today to improve your writing and sharing. Happy New Year!
Deborah Wilbrink is an editor and ghostwriter with Writers in the Sky, specializing in personal history and memoir. She offers creative writing and life journaling workshops. Deborah was an English teacher, video producer, Senate aide, journalist, and cemetery manager – all in this lifetime! Visit Deborah's blog- Perfect Memoirs and you can contact Deborah here.
The two most important resolutions for writers are: 1.) Write every day; and 2.) Share my writing. There are many more resolutions, but most writers can use these two.
Write every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. It will feel more natural and you will come to enjoy and look forward to that time. If you are experiencing writer’s block, just change the subject or format and have some fun. You will feel refreshed and return to your project a better writer.
Share your writing. That can mean submitting an article to an online “zine” today, attaching a poem in an email to a friend, reading to your writing group, commenting on or composing a blog, or working on getting a publishing deal. There are many ways to share. Communicate your thoughts. Isn’t that why you are writing?
Here are some more great resolutions for writers, couched in the affirmative:
1. I will publish the writing that readers want to read.
2. I will end an old project: revise, finish, or shred it, making room for a new one.
3. I will learn by observing and practicing a new technique.
4. I will seek constructive criticism and listen.
5. I will try writing in some new styles, experimenting in order to further develop my own style.
6. I will organize my writing area so that it attracts me and offers easy access to tools.
7. I will decorate my writing area with visual reminders of success.
8. I will happily tell others about my writing and listen to their experiences.
9. I will mentor and encourage others.
10. I will be ready for a mentor to find, teach, and encourage me.
This year has just begun, but already I have encountered writers who are fulfilling their New Years’ Resolutions. Writers are contacting Writers in the Sky wanting to improve their general writing skills—clearly a step in the “write” direction! Soon I’ll be teaching a class of senior citizens how to improve writing their memoirs so that these stories will be a joy to read.
Other writers are finishing up worthwhile projects. “BJ” is writing about attracting abundance to one’s life. It’s a how-to book, with steps clearly illustrated by her life and by a journey metaphor. Now that I’m in the car and on the road with BJ, preparing her book for publication, I feel just as excited as if it were my own project. BJ’s book is going to help a lot of people when it’s published!
Make your resolutions today to improve your writing and sharing. Happy New Year!
Deborah Wilbrink is an editor and ghostwriter with Writers in the Sky, specializing in personal history and memoir. She offers creative writing and life journaling workshops. Deborah was an English teacher, video producer, Senate aide, journalist, and cemetery manager – all in this lifetime! Visit Deborah's blog- Perfect Memoirs and you can contact Deborah here.
Deborah, shown here implementing Resolution #7.
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