Today is the 1st of January 2021 (well, 2020 till around March when I finally remember to get the date right!) and I face this new year with the same sense of hope and excitement that I do every year. Never mind that the levels of hope and excitement fluctuate will inevitably fluctuate and sometimes even disappear. There have been many times that I have then plummeted into that deep abyss of despair that some of you may know all too well, but what’s different is that all those experiences have also taught me how to get back up! And one thing I’ve learned during all those hopeless moments of 2020 was that it helps to have goals, however small. And although most of my ‘goals’ are in the form of a simple checklist on Google Keep, this year I thought I’ll focus on an overall plan when it comes to my writing. So that when a low hits, it will help me stay focused on the long game. And as any writer would know, this is a loooong game.
So here are my writing resolutions for this year:
- Finish and polish my MG novel.
- Write a new picture book manuscript every three months (I take ages to polish these as there is always SO much editing to do with PBs)
- Work on the weekly poem challenge I’ve entered into with a few of my beloved CPs. I love that we are exploring new ways of writing, and obviously, I love poetry.
- Enter mentorships and giveaways. I rely on free resources as much as possible and am super grateful for ALL the opportunities there are for writers.
- Build my blog in a way that’s both informative and inspiring, even if it’s only for myself. I’d love to focus on South Asian books and authors whenever possible.
- Read more books in the genres I write- nothing beats this mode of learning for me.
- Lean on the amazing writing support systems I’ve built this past year more closely, rather than attempt to be active on social media all the time. This way I will have more time to read their work and help out when needed (again this is also a win-win because you learn so much from fellow writers)
I think that’s it. For now. Fingers crossed I can make my way through most of it!
What about you?
Until next time,
A very wise and well-thought-out list of writing goals, Thushanthi! It is very inspiring to me. My goals are unfortunately not as specific as yours, but they include making my writing a priority, even when other things call to me instead. I want to continue submitting picture book manuscripts regularly to my editor as I know this is the only way I can continue to have books published. Like you, I also want to make a greater effort to read books by other authors, picture books and middle grade novels. I learn so much from reading the work of others, and it also keeps me motivated to keep at my own writing.
I wish us both success with our goals this year!
I’m glad to have inspired you David, and I look forward to you inspiring me too! I’m sure it will be a good year ?