 Drama: January 01, 2014 Issue [#6072] |
  Drama
This week: What Are Your 2014 Writing Resolutions? Edited by: zwisis
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| As I write this, my last newsletter of 2013, I find myself reflecting on my own writing efforts during the last twelve months. While I can honestly say I have written more in 2013 than I did in the previous three years I am nowhere near the amount of writing I produced between 2003 and 2010. My search for inspiration and encouragement over the last year has helped me develop a few Writing Resolutions. I'm not someone who makes New Year Resolutions but if any of these help me with my writing ambitions then I'm more than happy to embrace a few of of them. Who knows - perhaps 2014 will be YOUR Writing Year! |
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Make a plan to set some modest goals for reading this year. Read a novel you’ve always wanted to read, but haven’t done so yet. Choose a genre that interests you, or you believe might inspire your own writing. Don’t stress too much about reading “the right kind of book”, because all writing – good and bad – can inspire. Reading helps you understand different approaches to storytelling and reveal how writers tell their stories. This will become part of your own experiences, and help you formulate your own writing style.
BANISH WRITERS’ BLOCK!
Make a commitment to overcome this affliction for once and for all. Find out exactly what is causing this issue, and deal with it head on. Some ideas to help you:
 Talk to fellow writers about your block. Write down any anxieties you have about your writing and go through the list to see if there is actually anything concrete stopping you from writing.
Stop criticising your writing – the time to do that is when you edit your finished work.
Multitask! Writers who switch between several projects simultaneously claim they never suffer from writers’ block. Perhaps this is because multitasking does not allow fear or boredom to get a grip on a writer?
Set deadlines and keep them. This isn’t always easy to do alone, so find a writing friend and set each other daily targets. Knowing somebody is waiting for you to complete a deadline helps many writers produce positive results. Joining writing groups or classes is another way to get into a routine and meet deadlines.
Organise a writing schedule. Set yourself a specific time to write, and stick to that schedule. Initially this may not work, but when your body and mind settles down at the same place at the same time every day you will soon do the same. Graham Greene wrote 500 words every morning, which equals one page. It may not sound like a lot, but Greene published more than 30 books.
Create a writing-friendly workplace. Even if the space is small, you can easily make it a more conducive place for you and your creativity. Tidy up the clutter and surround yourself with things to inspire you – pictures, little ornaments, flowers... make your writing place somewhere special you look forward to entering.
Think of writing as a job. Writers create something, be it a poem, short story or novel. Think of yourself as a craftsman, using grammar, punctuation, vocabulary and spelling to produce a form of art... much like a builder uses building material to create a house.
Try writing exercises. Start a blog, enter a competition, get involved in an interactive story – there are many different writing exercises on WDC!
Take a break. This only applies if you’ve finished a writing project. Take some time to gather new ideas and experiences – read a book, watch a film, go to a place you’ve not visited before before you start your next project.
COMPLETE AN UNFINISHED PIECE OF WRITING!
I have several of these lounging in my portfolio and I’m ashamed to admit some I haven’t looked at in five years. Make a resolution to look at them this year. Your break from these items may give you a new perspective, and you’ll want to complete them. Unfinished projects can be a big drain on your writing energy; writers claim once they’ve completed older works new ideas seem to flow onto paper.
WRITE THAT NOVEL!
Ever thought about writing a novel, but been too afraid to start one? Make 2014 the year you do this. Don’t stress about if it’s good or bad – use that story you need to write... the one only YOU can write, and WRITE IT! Whether it’s publishable or not, there’s something really satisfying about making the decision to do this and completing a full length novel. It’ll keep you writing and it’s something you can definitely cross off your bucket list. And you may even decide to self-publish your work!
SUBMIT YOUR WRITING!
If you believe your work is ready to publish, set yourself a goal about the number of places to which you want to send your work. Also consider entering a specific number of competitions. Even if your work is rejected, you will know you’ve met your goal, and you’re trying to get your writing out into the public domain. Your stories and poems needn’t lurk in your portfolio forever; make an effort to share them with other people.
Finally... don’t be hard on yourself. Writing can be a lonely, very selfish activity and if you spend too much time setting yourself unreasonable and unrealistic goals you will not enjoy yourself and your writing will not work. Focus on what you want to achieve in 2014. Writing is tough, and getting published is even tougher. Stick to your resolutions and embrace your writing!
Happy New Year!
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Joshiahis 
When you wrote, "Think like a teenager," I thought, "but kids are dumb!" 
LOL - not always! They just think differently to the rest of us... and we all grew up okay, didn't we???
Jeff 
Really loved your NL this week, Sarah. Some great advice there for those interested in writing YA fiction. I think one of the biggest mistakes many writers make (myself included!) is forgetting that some of our characters have different backgrounds, personalities, and opinions than we do, and it can be tough to consistently tell a story through their perspective rather than our own! 
Thanks for your thought-provoking comment. I agree, and this is what makes writing YA fiction so challenging! I think we all think very differently as adults compared to the way we thought as children and teenagers. |
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