Writer’s Life Resolution Time. One Christmas my grandkids gave me a very special gift. A mug with these words on it. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.” I had coveted that mug from the moment I saw it on a bookstore shelf.
I Used to Haunt Bookstores. Especially bookstores with a café. I clocked many contented hours at their small tables. I wrote No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells at a bookstore café and worked on many other titles in similar surroundings.
I No Longer Haunt Bookstores. Many are now out of business. The survivor nearest me has no café. They cannot afford to devote floor space to anything other than sales items. Besides, the pandemic got me into the habit of buying my books online and doing my work at home.
Things Change. We begin this new year in different circumstances than those we may have enjoyed in the past. Some of us lament these changes. None of us can benefit from focusing on their loss. That way of thinking is a drag-down against what we need most – to forge forward with the confidence and enthusiasm my precious mug is meant to inspire.
New Inspiration Needed. I love holiday movies. A writer friend suggested Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey on Netflix. There I discovered another inspiring quotation that rings true to me right now. “The magic isn’t just in what you’ve lost. It’s in what you still have.”
We Still Have Our Selves. My mom said “You always take on more than you can chew.” So true of many of us. We mercilessly burden our already overtaxed shoulders. We must resolve to be gentle with our selves. We deserve a break today and every day.
We Still Have Our Good Sense. When I am sensible about my life – and especially about my work – I make a plan and write it down. We need that now. A plan. In writing. With lots of specifics. A plan for going confidently into this good year at Writer’s Life Resolution Time.
We Still Have Our Dreams. What do you want to accomplish? Gentle expectations for the next 3 months only. Brainstorm. Do not brain-strain. Write down everything that comes to mind. Be as specific as you can. Concrete goals you can realistically achieve.
We Still Have Our Good Judgement. Continue in rapid-response mode. To each item on the above list add 3 specific actions you might take to make that accomplishment happen. Do not edit or judge. Simply whale away with the brainstorming. No harpoons allowed.
We Still Have Our Priorities. Star the 3 goal categories that excite you most. Follow your gut. Still fast-tracking. Rate the stars in order of which ones brighten your imagination most. Now you have it. A plan for your next 3 months. Probably longer. A map to the direction of your dreams.
We Still Have Our Future. What Comes Next? Whether you realize it or not you have made a bold move toward living the life you’ve imagined. Let us all resolve to do exactly that from now on in our Writer’s Life Resolution Time.
Alice Orr Says – You Possess Storytelling Magic. Keep on Writing Whatever May Occur. https://www.aliceorrbooks.com.
Ask Alice Your Crucial Questions. What are you most eager to know – in your writing work and in your writer’s life? Ask your question in the Comments section at the end of this post.
Alice Orr has published 14 novels, 3 novellas and a memoir so far. She wrote her nonfiction book No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells as a gift to the writers’ community she loves. Her novel – A Year of Summer Shadows – Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series Book 2 – is a available HERE.
Praise for A Year of Summer Shadows: “Alice keeps you wanting to read faster, then when you finish the last page, you want more.” “Orr’s characters come alive on the page.” “A Year of Summer Shadows has moved up to one of my favorite books.”
All of Alice’s Books are HERE.
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I enjoyed reading your blog, Alice. It’s very uplifting and encouraging. This year I constructed a vision board rather than a bunch of resolutions. Writing is among my goals. I’ve created my special writing room where I work on drafts, revisions, and plans for writing. It’s not always easy to stay focused and motivated, but I still have that paper you gave me that read “Do It Anyway” and posted it on my wall by my computer. Have a Happy New Year.
Great post, Alice! I always take on more than I can chew, at least in my mind. Hopefully, this year, I can focus on the whole “realistically achieve” notion and feel prouder of each accomplishment as I achieve it.
Hi Jessica. You are absolutely right on. We take on more than we can chew and miss out on the flavor in the meantime. We do this writing thing because we love it. Then we beat the pleasure out of the loved thing by flogging it with our expectations. We can’t seem to let ourselves bask in the gift we have been given of having discovered the joy of what we do. We need to let up and let be and say “Permission granted” to that. I hope you and I and all of us can alter our behavior in this respect for the sake of keeping our author psyches alive and well and still loving what we do. Love and Blessings. Alice
I’m in the midst of doing that list. I have my goals laid out and they are specific. Now it’s brain-dump time. Goals may change depending on how that goes. All good advice, Alice!
Thank you for this inspiration, Alice. Well articulated, and I’m now whaling away, following your advice.
Hi Mary. Whaling away indeed. That’s what we are all trying to do. While taking care of ourselves at the same time. I wish you the best of luck and joy at doing that. It is the writer’s life you richly deserve. Keep in touch and let me know how the effort and the work progress. I would love to hear from you and share in your storyteller’s story. Thanks so much for commenting. It is great to find you here. Love and Blessings. Alice