Hey -- this is as lame as it gets. New Year's Eve - it's 10:23 - my son and I are sick, I just watched RENT (oh the guilty pleasures) my husband is at a party and I am blogging. Ugh. I can barely stand it.
But it's been a great holiday - I've been too sick to do much work so I've been doing a lot of thinking. I am a resolution fanatic. Love 'em. And Maureen told our critique group a while ago, something that sounds pretty basic but really made me feel better about my career == my resolutions can't be things I can't control. IE -- be published more. I have no control over that since I am not a buying editor at a publishing house. What I can do is write more publishable books -- but that's not one of my resolutions because that sounds hard. So here are my resolutions - the things I plan to control in the New Year.
1. Figure out what kind of writer I am. I'm not talking about writing romance, or writing fast or even what my voice is or what my themes are. What do I write? What do I want to write? What do I want to accomplish with my writing? What do I want my readers to think when they put down a book of mine? How far can I get writing this way? I am beginning to formulate an answer to this which I think I am going to talk about next week - inspired as I am by ROCKY BALBOA!!! That's right -- I saw it and it really made me think about my career and my writing and why don't I work out more. Anyway - more about that next week.
2. When something is really delicious I am going to stop asking what's in it. It's always butter. Or as I was stunned to find out this year about my Aunt's fantastic orange slice cookies -- LARD. That's right. I honestly didn't think you could buy that anymore.
3. Discipline. I've said this one every year for the past few years after I realized that just saying I was going to lose weight had very little to do with actually losing the weight. But I need to be a lot more disciplined about my writing. I'm not sure if you've noticed but I watch a lot of TV - some of it very bad and that is time better spent writing. So I resolve to be more disciplined about writing at night.
4. Figure out commas. I'm 31. I'm a writer. This nonsense has gone on long enough.
5. Forgive myself the days when I just don't feel like writing. I'm a pretty hedonistic person -- like Maureen I can be talked into just about anything (Sinead, she's a tough nut to crack sometimes - Maureen will always have another drink) But when I decide not to write for a day - because I'm tired or sick or I need to recharge or I need to read or take a break or stop thinking about how to get my hero and heroine in bed - I always feel guilty. That's going to stop this year.
6. Use what I learned this year. Challenge myself. This year was a banner year for craft learning for me. The McKee Seminar was amazing and now I just need to keep that stuff in mind and not be lazy about using it.
That's it for me. Are you resolution people? What are they?
11 comments:
What a great list of resolutions, Molly! (note comma use)
I think I'll save my resolutions for Wed... That is, think about them and try to blog about it later in the week...
You know what I watched last night? The pilot and next two episodes from the beginning of Nip/Tuck.
I bought the first season ages ago -- someone had told me it was good -- but never watched it. I think I've seen maybe two episodes from various seasons and was interested, but never drawn in...
Well, the pilot for that series was amazing. Where was this shown on US TV? I mean, I know it was on a regular broadcast station up here, but I can't believe it was on a broadcast station in the US market which is normally so conservative...
Characterization by constrasting sex scenes. Genius.
Fantastic list, Molly! I'm with you on #4, only my problem is the semi-colon. I love it. I hate it. It appears in the weirdest places. I must reign it in.
GREAT seeing you and noshing on Saturday! And fabu seeing Maureen and Sinead! Hope to see you gals on my next TO visit and maybe I can be an honorary drunk writer. LOL!!
Marley = )
Molly I teach grammar classes and I still misuse commas. I hate them. That and the semicolon - the most useless punctuation mark. I hope you and Mic are feeling better soon.
I wish all the Drunk Writers a Happy New Year, and I can't wait to see you all in a few weeks!
Molly, you so crazy girl!
This blog is updated 3x's a week and you decide on New Year's Eve as one of those times?
Bonkers.
I was going to have write a profanity free novel as one of my resolutions (trying to get off the express train to hell). Then I used the F Bomb on the first page of my latest. Hope Kim Howe's judge friend isn't a delicate flower. LOL
Great blog, Molly. I have yet to figure mine all out as well. I have writing and life goals I need to address. I'll get to that tomorrow. Today is an offical jammy day.
Marley, girl, you were in Tarana and didn't let me know? Bad bad Leaf fan you. LOL
The excitement of my New Years Eve was going to dinner and seeing Night at the Museum. Great steak and a good flick, quite funny, I thought.
Jordanne
Great resolutions, Molly! Good luck with those commas; or if you prefer, semicolons. Personally -- and this could just be me -- I like the em dash. :)
Maureen - Nip/Tuck is AWESOME, isn't it!?! It's on the FX network in the US. Season 4 has already been shown, but not here in Canada yet -- so hurry up with seasons 1, 2 & 3 and you'll be able to watch with the rest of us. (Did you get to the part where Matt almost .... himself? -- squeeee!!!!!)
Thanks guys -- nice to see everyone back! I think I've already given up on the comma use one. That's resolutions for you.
I'm excited about everyone tv obsessions. I have to say that I started Poison Study (Thanks SMurphy for that recomendation) and hey!!! So readable. Is it most well written book in the world? No. Is it terribly original. No. BUT - the author is smart about storytelling that's for sure. Good book I really recommend it for those of you looking for something to read in the New Year.
Great list.
Molly I hate grammar. HATE IT. I was so bad at it I took a grammar course this year and I still HATE IT. I went into my final and forgot everything! I did learn about Gerunds and ellipses. Very interesting.
And I know this post is probably so bad with respect to grammar. My main resolution is to spend time on the writing and with my 11 month and three year old since I returned to work full time.
GERUNDS!!!!!???? Is that something else I should know?
Hey Marley -- it was excellent seeing you this last weekend. I'll spend several hours eating things with you anyday!!!
Gerund is a verb with an "ing" ending. So when I was asked on my final to use a gerund in a sentence I said "Interestingly, I have found I no longer remember what I studied." My instructor must of thought I was nuts.
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