2017 Writing Resolution

New Year’s Resolutions. We just have to do them every year, don’t we, even though they may not pan out. What’s life without hope? This year, once again, I hope that I can keep my New Year’s resolutions!

Every year my main resolution is to lose weight. Apparently I haven’t been that successful at it or it wouldn’t reappear again on January 1st but it’s on the list again for 2017. Cross your fingers, tighten the teeth and hope for the best.

Seriously, I have another resolution this year and it’s to focus on what I love to do best and that is to write. A few years ago I wrote a novel. It was a great story; I will stand behind it even today. Unfortunately, I made a few mistakes, spent a lot of money, and found out that I’m not as proficient at grammar as I thought I was. Oh, and not a great proof reader of my own work either! Needless to say, I am not on the best seller list. All that being said, I tried.

Once upon a time, I joined writing.com but never really took advantage of the exceptional things it had to offer. I let my subscription expire. This last year, probably due to my failure as a bestselling novelist, I re-joined with enthusiasm. Amazing! I can’t say enough about the encouragement and tools that are offered on this site. I know, I know, I’m sounding like a sales pitch rather than staying on topic (my resolution). They go hand in hand, however.

So, my resolution is to give myself a lot of attention, stop getting waylaid with other projects, and take my writing seriously! I want to take advantage of the New Horizon courses that are being offered (dirt cheap, I might add); enter as many contests as I can, help and encourage others as they have me, and pursue this thing called writing that won’t let go of my brain.

Call me crazy, but I have these night dreams or visions that give me ideas; I have to get up right away and write them down. This happened to me when I was writing music as well. I’m hoping that the most amazing dream happens and I will suddenly find myself another Catherine Cookson (my favorite) or Diane Gabaldon. Instant millionaire! I know that is not going to happen, and really, writing is something that a person feels compelled to do and not for fame or recognition but to express inner thoughts and ideas. Whether or not one ends up to be a Pulitzer prize winner or not, if you have the urge to do it, then I don’t think you should quell your instincts.

It’s a funny thing, but I’ve read some stories and poems that were so riddled with bad grammar and spelling, and yet, the story was there, the idea was there. It was clear that the person who wrote these items had the necessary imagination to create a very powerful and exception story; they just didn’t have adequate tools to write it well. I think you can learn how to write well but I’m not sure you can learn imagination.

Prompts do help. I have heard writers say that they are so full of ideas they don’t know what to write next. I suffer from writer’s block. I can sit in a room and my mind will be completely blank, there is no speck of an idea there, not one. That’s when I search for a prompt and many times that will help. I’m hoping to learn more about writer’s block and what causes it. I believe it might be overthinking. I’m an over thinker, I will basically think myself out of something.

I hope that everyone has a terrific 2017 and all resolutions come to pass, if they are good ones. Watch for me, I will be trying my very hardest to keep my resolution this year.

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