Writing To Rewrite

There are as many writing processes as there are writers. Some plot for months before writing a word. Others start with an idea and immediately start writing by the seat of their pants. Some write every scene before considering rewriting. Others will spend all day on just one page, getting it perfect before moving on to the next.

Of all the different processes that exist, I have not heard of a single writer that writes their book perfectly on the first shot. 

We all know rewriting is part of the plan. That no matter how you write, no matter how much you write, no matter what type of story you write, there will need to be editing and revising. Some of us enjoy it more than others (I’m strongly in the revisions are torture camp 😁, but I have some friends whose favorite part of the process is revising, just another way we are all different).

Lately I have been struggling to write. I know where the difficult comes from. It’s a combination of not having enough time to feel invested in my stories and characters, exhaustion, limited mental space (toddler mom life is not for the weak), and putting too much pressure on myself to do something amazing, since it has been so long since my last release. But I am finding it increasingly difficult to get words on the page. I get so fixated on the words being good, right, perfect, that I can spend twenty minutes with a thesaurus trying to find just the right word for a scene that I end up with very few new words by the time I’m done. Even though I know, as I said above, that I can’t possibly get it right the first time, I am still desperately trying to.

Frustrated by my lack of progress over the last few months, I’ve been actively trying to overcome this block by forcing myself to just write something. 

When I am staring at the page, or about to do my third thesaurus search, I tell myself just write something. A quick description of what is happening, a simple expression of their emotions, a single action, and then I move on. It doesn’t have to be right. In fact, it won’t be. But just write something, so you can get to the next sentence, the next paragraph, the next page. I tell myself I’m just putting it down and I’ll rewrite it later, which is true either way. As I said, no one can write perfectly the first time. But if you never write anything, you don’t even have the chance to perfect it the next time.

And amazingly, it’s been working. Over the last few weeks, I’ve started to feel more connection with my story. I am going back and rewriting many of these ‘just write something’ sentences, filling them in with more delicate wording or more detailed descriptions. Improving them to be closer to my vision. Sometimes they just don’t apply entirely and need to be totally rewritten once I read the wider scope of the story. And that’s okay. In fact, that’s perfect. Because I’m writing. I’m getting to know my characters again. Their stories again. And I am discovering what is true and not true at the same time. Every word written is a step closer to a completed story, even if those words fall on the cutting room floor.

A lot of life is the same. People are often afraid of taking a step, making a move, afraid to make the wrong one, when in truth, doing nothing is probably a worst decision. Doing nothing keeps you frozen. Doing nothing keeps you further from completing that book. 

Further from repainting your house. Further from starting that business. Further from whatever goal you want to achieve.

And while writing down the wrong word—when I know it’s the wrong word—just to keep moving is a very small step, it is at least a step in the right direction. And I’ll take a baby step over standing still any day. 

If you’re struggling with a project, or a goal, or anything you want to do, think about what baby steps you can accomplish. Even if you are unsure. Even if you know it’s not the perfect step. Because sometimes doing the wrong thing is far worse than doing nothing.

Changing with the Seasons of Life

I’m a night owl through and through (so is my son, which is its own blessing and curse). I can’t remember a time I didn’t feel more productive in the evening. I’ve always felt more comfortable in the dark and cozy time in the night, when everything is quiet, everything is done, and I can finally let my mind play.

That is, until I had my son.

Turns out, as a mom, there is never a time when everything is done. The evening has transitioned for me from a time when I could finally relax and let my imagination run wild, to a time when I have to try and fit in the million things I wasn’t able to get done during the day. To the time when I still have my ear half listening for cries and whimpers, even though my son has been sleeping through the night for almost two years. To a time when I’m so depleted and exhausted, I have nothing left to give to anyone. Not even my story.

At first I thought I needed better systems. Ways to get more done, so there was less remaining to be done at the end of the day. And that has helped. I do feel like I have more mental bandwidth now that I have improved my system. But still, at the end of the day, I felt too tired to do anything. My body and brain were exhausted. Far too tired for the exciting—but also demanding—work of creating. While I love writing, it takes a lot of energy, and focus. And I just didn’t have that at night anymore.

I evaluated all the productivity advice I’ve heard over the years, and tried to think of another solution, but the only one I could come up with was to start my day writing. Its advice many have given before. Focus the beginning of your day on what matters most, when you have the most energy to give. Before, I’d never thought this advice would work for me. Because I’ve always been a night owl writer.

But desperation is the mother of invention, so I decided to give it a try. I set my alarm for six am, went to bed early and prayed for a good result. I even set up a reward system, to incentivize myself for getting up early, fully prepared that it would be like pulling teeth to get myself out of bed before the crack of dawn. And for the first week, I employed that system. But early on, I discovered something I never could have guessed.

I liked getting up early.

It didn’t take long before I began adapted my whole life around waking up early. I was naturally going to bed earlier, so I could get up earlier. I was even waking up before my alarm went off some mornings. I was getting mad when I couldn’t get up early. Because I found that I enjoyed that quiet time in the morning more than the quiet time at night. Because I wasn’t exhausted. I wasn’t already tapped out and only capable of doomscrolling on Instagram. I was able to be me. The person I was before all the mental labor of being a mom.

I started getting more writing done. I am now almost halfway finished with a revision/rewrite project I’ve been wanting to do for years. I’ve been consistently making progress, which I haven’t been able to do for over a year, and I couldn’t be happier.

When I first started this new schedule, I feared it would make the end of the day worse. That I would be run even more ragged than before, since I started the day earlier, but I haven’t found that to be the case. Sure I’m tired at the end of the day, and more inclined to go right to bed after my son falls asleep, but no more so than before. As I’ve made this change, I’ve noticed that getting up early gives me more energy. Taking time for myself in the morning, to focus on me before everyone else, has filled my cup in a way I’d been missing.

I wasn’t just able to do my writing, but to be a better mom too. I was also able to be more patient with my son, because I wasn’t waking up and instantly being thrown into mom mode. I was able to play with him in the morning, because I was already awake and enjoying my day. I found I was writing more. Not just in the morning, but any time I could find. I’m now more inclined to pick up my writing than I was before, because I’m already connected to my story from my morning writing session. 

The toddler stage is just a season, and I’m sure that once my son is through this season I’ll need to reevaluate my writing time again. Maybe in the future, writing at night will make more sense. Maybe in the future getting up early won’t be possible (I’m already dreading having to get him up another hour earlier for kindergarten in a few years), but for now I’m changing with the season of life I am in. And I’m grateful I’ve have found a way to be the mom I want to be, while also finding a little time for myself and my own goals. Even if it’s at an ungodly early hour of day.

So if you’re struggling and finding at this moment you can’t fit in what you need, or your losing yourself to the stage of life you are in, take a moment to evaluated what you need. Try to figure out where you can find time for those things, even if its somewhere you might not expect. Play around, experiment, try something new and see if it works. It might not. But once you find what does, and you’re able to find a way to fit yourself into whatever this tough stage may be, you’ll be glad you did.

Question the Revision Premise

Becca Symes has a great podcast where she discusses assumptions authors make about the process and if they are valid. Every month she debates a new notion, or premise, that many authors act as if it is fact without even considering why or if it was right, such as books can’t market without being on social media or writers have to write every day. She asks why this belief exists, if it’s true, can it be changed, and if this premise is serving writers.

I’ve listened to Becca Symes question these premises for years, and I’ve learned a lot. As someone who has a less traditional writing style, I’ve always thought I was good at questioning the ideas that I have. The notions that have been unintentionally spread by the masses. But this month, I realized I had a huge belief of my own that I’ve never questioned, and that definitely wasn’t serving me.

Revising has always been my least favorite part of the process. I love writing. The exploration, the fun, the lack of limitations in the first draft. But having to turn all that enjoyment and free creation into something that makes sense to everyone else has always been a struggle for me. While writing flows out of me fast and exciting, revisions take forever and can be painful. Especially that first revision.

One of the reasons I think writing goes more smoothly for me is because I allow myself to work on whatever part of the story I want to work at that time. I usually start in the middle, with a sexy scene, and work my way out (though not in any kind of organized manner). I allow myself to explore whatever scene I want to write that day. But when it comes to revising I’ve always thought I had to start on page one and work my way forward. It makes sense. Or does it?

As I’m staring down the barrel of a lot of revisions (not just the books I’ve written over the last few years, but also all of my older works that I am trying to republish), I’m desperate for a way to not only speed up the revising process, but to make it less painful as well.

That’s when I thought back to Becca Symes, and her QTP podcast,  and wondered do I have to revise this way? Do I have to revise starting on page one, or can I move around, working on whatever scene I’m inspired by?

It’s an interesting idea. I’m not sure yet if it will work. I certainly think that I’ll have to do a round of revisions the whole way through at least once. But maybe starting out with revising certain scenes, especially the fun ones in the middle, might help speed up the process, or at least make it more enjoyable.

As I get started on revising these next few books, I’m going to give this a try, and revise in the order my brain and heart want to go and see how it goes. It might blow up in my face, or just simply not make enough sense to keep going, but it’s worth a try. And even if it doesn’t work, at least I’ll know I questioned the premise and the premise is correct. At least for me.

What beliefs do you have in your head that you’ve always assumed have to be true? What can you question about your processes that might open up a whole new world?

Using 5 Whys for Greater Character Depth

A few months ago, I started something new. Something that's been tempting my muse for a while, but I've been hesitant to write. 

I’ve always been tempted by lots of different stories. I have a million story ideas stories racing around my head at all times. Fantasy, paranormal, dark romance, historical. But I’ve found it a little too easy to settle into one type of story, with one type of voice. Mostly because I love these stories. There’s never been a time where I didn’t want to write a story about two sexy cowboys falling in love with a bookish nerd. I love each and every one of my characters and my quirky little towns. And I’ve been very happy writing them. 

But sometimes my crazy muse wants me to try something new. Maybe she knows that trying something different will push me to a new level, or help me find new enjoyment in my stories. Or a new kind of story that I love just as much as the old ones.

So I decided to take a chance and start a new, very different kind of story. Unlike some of the other books I’ve written, this one is more complex. Much darker. With more detailed worldbuilding and character arcs. One of the reasons I have put off writing a book like this is because the complexity and detail intimidated me.

Normally, I can hold my entire story in my head. I don't need outlines. I don't use note cards, complex character sheets, or plotting storyboards. I’m a pretty intuitive writer, and most of the time my intuition and an idea is all I need to find my story and get it to the finish line.

But these characters have been giving me more trouble than I’m used to. It's been harder for me to get my arms around them. Usually I know exactly what my characters are going to do, because it makes sense to me. Often it’s exactly what I would do, or a friend would do, or someone I might know would do. I understand all their fears and misconceptions. 

But these new characters are hard to figure out. They take actions I would never consider (some actions that are even illegal), and I've had trouble understanding their motivations. That’s when I knew it was time to pull out my writer’s toolbox and see if I can find a new strategy to understand these difficult characters.

I went back to an old but a goodie, and tried to determine in detail all my character’s goals, motivation, and conflict. But when I started to think about why they might take the actions they did, I found the goal, motivation and conflict didn’t go deep enough for me to truly get to the heart of their needs. Yes, I understood my FMC’s motivation for blackmailing her boss is money, but why? Why did she need the money? Why this man? Why? Why? Why?

That’s when I remembered the five whys. The five whys is an analytical tool that I’ve used in project management as part of my evil day job. The point of the five whys is not to address the first issue that arises, but to get to the heart of the problem and fix it. Hopefully permanently.

To use the five whys you only have to ask why something is happening, as you in the example on the left. 

When using this tool for character development you only need to keep asking yourself why your character is doing what they are doing. For instance, if your character plans to blackmail her boss, why? Maybe she needs the money quickly. But why? Maybe she has a lot of debt to a bad guy and she needs to pay him off fast. Why? Because he’s going to kidnap her sister if she doesn’t. Quickly, we’ve gotten to the real truth of why she is taking such a drastic action. To protect her sister.

The point of the five whys is to just keep winding down that rabbit hole, asking, Why? Why? Why? Why? Until you get to the very root of the issue. The rule is called the five whys, but that’s only to inspire you not to take the first few answers you receive. You can keep asking why as many times as you need until you get to the heart of the problem.

I decided to try and to apply this logic to my characters (why not😉), asking why they took their current action. Why they felt a certain way towards another character. And the more I asked, the more these characters—and the story—opened up to me. With the more whys I asked, the more complex, complicated and exciting the story became, but also the more understandable my characters and their actions became.

If you're struggling with how to determine why your characters are doing what they're doing, or what their next step would be, consider applying the five whys. Just keep asking. Why? Why? Why do they do this? Why do they keep doing this? Why is this important? Until you get to the very core of your characters. No matter how many whys it takes.

I think you’ll find a lot of secrets along the way, and a lot of fresh exciting ideas to explore, but most of all, you'll find a connection and understanding with your characters you never had before. Why not give it a try?

Give Yourself a Tip

For the last month or so I’ve been having trouble getting motivated. I was doing well for a few a while. I managed to write twenty-four thousand words into a new story, brainstorming new ideas, and starting to get exciting about writing again. Then a month-long bout of illness hit my household, just one right after the other, and since then I’ve been feeling like I can’t quite get my feet underneath me. I want to get back to working on my goals again, but being so far behind already, it's hard to get the motivation to start grinding again. Even simple stuff like making dinner or cleaning the house can feel insurmountable somedays.

I’ve talked multiple times before about how I’m not good at giving myself rewards. I never seem to be able to find anything that can motivate me. I just don’t have a lot of things I want. Especially not little things. Earning books has worked okay for me, I can always use more books, but anything else has failed to be appealing enough to motivate me. And now that I have a toddler, my options for 'gifting' myself things are even fewer. I don’t have the time to get a manicure or pedicure, or take a workout class anymore, even if I was interested in doing something like that.

I decided to try something different this month. Since Covid,  everywhere now seems to be asking for tips. Everyone wants a little something extra when they do a good job. Why not me? 

I set up a new system where I get a dollar every time I go above and beyond in my own life. Or at least above and beyond what I have been doing. If I can get to bed on time and get a good night sleep, instead of staying up late into the night scrolling social media, one dollar. Make a good healthy meal for my family, one dollar. Organize an activity to keep my toddler happy and give me a break, one dollar. Anything else I want to encourage myself to do constantly, I give myself a tip when I accomplish it.

I take all these little tips and put them in a special bank account. The start of a savings account to do something really fun. Right now, I’ve unofficially earmarked this money for taking my son to Disney World in a few years, but we’ll see how quickly it grows, and if we’ll have enough funds for that when the time comes. 

You might notice none of these activities are directly related to helping me meet my goals, but indirectly they have been very helpful to get me back on track. Now that I’m getting better sleep and eating better, I have more mental bandwidth to start thinking about writing again. Now that I’m feeling better about where I am, and what progress I am making, I’m more able to conquer that massive cleaning projects on my plate or dealing with another terrible night of illness.

So if you’re struggling to complete what you need to do, think about giving yourself a tip for taking those critical first steps towards your goals. It's amazing what a little encouragement can do for your state of mind. And you can also be saving to some special future fun at the same time.

What would you give yourself a tip for doing? Is there anything you can think of that would be worth encouraging with a nice fat tip?

New Year, Same Determination

A long, long time ago, when I first discovered by love for romance novels and was struck with the desire to write my own, I went to Walden Books (yes, that's long ago it was) and picked up Writing Romance for Idiots. A close cousin of the popular dummies' books. This was before yahoo groups and social media. It wasn't before the internet, but definitely predated using the internet for absolutely everything, like we do now. Back then I wanted to write traditional historical romance novels, like the ones I read and loved. Which I still dream of writing, with a saucier twist than the ones I wrote back then. 

How to write romance for idiots gave lots of great advice. I haven't read the book in ages, but I'm sure much of it doesn't apply any longer. The industry has changed so much since then. But one of the tips I always remember was to go to a bookstore and see where you're books would fit on the shelves. The idea was to pick a pen name that would situate you near authors of similar genre, so you might attract a reader to pick up your book along with your fellow author's.

This is where my books would reside in my local Barnes and Noble

This advice isn't relevant to how readers discover books anymore, but it's still a habit to check out my sister authors every time I enter a bookstore. I love to see what other authors I would be surrounded by if I did get my book into their bookstores. Or what covers might border my books.

For the last few years, my life has been crazy. So much has been changing. My family, my location, my priorities. It would have been easy give up on my writing amidst all this upheaval. I'm almost ashamed to admit, I did consider it. Especially after being so long without finishing a book, and knowing how much work it will be to get back to where I was before. I had to really take stock if I still wanted this writing career anymore. Maybe I'd done what I wanted to do. I'd been published. I made a little money. I made some great friends. Maybe I should walk away with my good memories and be done.

But the more I thought about giving up, the more it became clear I couldn't do it. Not just because I still have so many characters and stories running around in my head (though that is true). But because there are so many goals I still want to accomplish. So many things I wanted to do and see and experience with my writing. I wanted to see my book on those shelves, sandwiched between such prized authors. I wanted to get the chance to write the historicals that drew me to romance in the first place. And paranormals. And dark romance. And maybe dystopian or fantasy. I wanted to see readers devouring the books I write. To know, even for a little while, I gave someone else happiness and joy with my words.

I couldn't walk away. I couldn't give up on myself and my dreams like that. My only option was to keep going, to keep pushing, no matter how hard. Even though I won't be able to devote the same time and energy that I used to. I'm still going to work towards these big goals. Because some dreams are worth fighting for. And this year I am determined to make them happen.

And I hope you do the same for yourself. Never give up. Never stop trying. If it's something you really want, keep fighting. Because I have no doubt if I keep pushing, keep working and keep dreaming, one day I will accomplish these big goals and make my dreams come true. And I'm sure you will too.

Finding That Writing Mojo Dojo

I have always felt like physical places have energy. Sometimes its inherent to the place itself, and sometimes it can be created by what happens there. When buying all my houses, the second I stepped into the building I could just feel it was the place for me. Realtors would tell you they created that feeling (and I don’t think that’s completely untrue) but I think that the buildings themselves have a certain energy that I picked up on. Energy that welcomed me and soothed me and made me feel like this place could be my home.

I’ve also always believed that places have writing energy as well. Not that I can’t write anywhere, if properly motivated. I’ve written in some weird places throughout the years (during hockey games, in closets, on the couch while my whole family watched avatar), but when I settled down to writing in a place with that good writing mojo it always feels like the words flows better. It’s easier for me to get in that right headspace. Like everything just clicks a little faster, a little easier, a little deeper.

As a result, I tend to frequent places with good writing energy far more often. Especially when getting into that writing headspace can be even harder, due to stress, or real-life complications, or a strict deadline.

Here are a few of the places I like to write. Either because they have inherent great writing energy or because I’ve created it, by writing in these places enough that I can pick back up on that mindset the second I walk in the door.

While it may sound boring, my desk is one of my favorite places to write. Not because there is anything special about my desk. In fact, it’s pretty bland. Every year I think about fixing it up, getting some new stuff to make it more exciting and conducive to writing, but I always put it off. Regardless of how blah my desk might be, it’s a great place to get work done. Without any windows, and far away from the rest of the house, there are limited distractions to disrupt my flow. On a day when I don’t have the time to go anywhere else, I’ll put on some sounds (I need sounds instead of music, because lyrics can distract me when I’m writing, especially if it’s a good song), and shut off the world. 

After my desk, the most common place for me to write is my couch. I’m not sure it’s the best. It probably horrible for my wrist or back, but it’s the most well used spot in my house for everything. For eating, for reading, for writing/working, probably even for sleeping (I’m a big napper, which most often happens on the couch). But while it might not be the best for my body to write, the positive energy on my couch has served me well. Not to mention, there is something really nice about how writing on the couch connects my writing to my everyday life. While it can be freeing to escape from reality into my writing, sometimes it’s also nice to see my writing world as not a separate entity, but as a part of my life. An extension of the real me.

Barnes and Noble is one of my favorite places to write outside the house. I think being surrounded by all those books is great motivation. I look at all the books around me, at all the people who love those books, and it fills me with motivation to bring my characters into the world to be loved by readers just like the ones around me. Not to mention the snacks and coffee really help lubricate the writing process.

After Barnes and Noble, Panera is my next favorite place to write. The food is great, and the atmosphere—at least at my Panera—is focused. Maybe it’s because I live close to a large college, but most days I write at Panera at least half the restaurant is filled with other people on their laptops, writing presentations, trading stocks, editing videos. It can be quite a communal feeling, to see so many other people working to their goals, just like I am. And they make a mean grill cheese. What could be better than that?

I’ve always found walking very helpful for my writing process. It gives me time to think, to let my mind wonder and the ideas to flow. If I am going through a period of increased productivity it is almost always a time when I am consistently walking. And when I walk it isn’t uncommon for me to find a nice grassy spot to sit down and write. There is a perfect spot I used to tuck away into near my evil day job, just beyond the building I can’t see my office, or any other part of the realities of home, and I can just escape into my writing, with nothing to distract me from the world and characters I’m creating. I wrote most of my Frostbite Falls series in that spot, and to this day it is one of my favorite places to write. The wind, the trees, the birds, the sunshine, all only add to my enjoyment and my writing mojo.

These are the places I like to write the most. That have offer me just that little extra energy to make my words come to life. Where do you like to get your work done? What places have the best energy to you? Or help you be even more productive? Leave them in the comments below. Maybe we have some of the same places in mind.

Rewardin’ My Self

For any who have read this blog over the last several years, you know I’m big on goals. I love to set them. I love to achieve them. One might say I’m a little too obsessed with them. I have a tendency to set my aspirations a little too high, which is why I rarely meet them. That’s just how I roll. I know some people find this discouraging, but I believe if you reach for a high goal, even if you don’t make it, you are bound to end up somewhere great.

But as much as I love to make goals, and strive to achieve them, I’m not great at celebrating those achievements. Most years, I set a reward for myself if I ‘win’ Nanowrimo, but I can only think of one instance where I actually bought myself the reward. Last year, I wrote almost 20k in five days because I so desperately wanted the prize I promised myself, and I am still yet to purchase it.

We are now halfway through 2024, and I’m trying to get back onto my goals again. I still have a few things I want to accomplish this year, and I haven’t done nearly as much towards achieving those goals as I would like. So I’ve set up a new system of monitoring and achieving my goals. And with that I selected another round of rewards to gift myself if I achieve these goals. And so far, I’m doing a little better rewarding myself than I have in the past. 

But I’ve only managed to do that by applying these new rules for the prizes that can be awarded and the way that I give myself those gifts.

1. Set prizes I really want. Often I convince myself I want a certain prize for achieving a reward that isn’t what I actually want. And therefore it is not all that motivating. For years I have set rewards for meeting my workout goals that I didn’t really want. Usually I would set a goal of more workout classes, workout clothes, DVDs and music too workout to. These were the type of goals I thought I should get for this goal, but in truth it always felt like a reward of hard work with more work. No thank you. Instead this last month, I am rewarding myself with money towards house purchases. Things I want to buy, but always convince myself I don’t really need. Nothing to do with working out at all. Turns out I find getting a new mirror for my bathroom, or a milk frothier just because I’d like it, is far more motivating than new workout gear or yoga classes could ever be.

2. Make them frivolous. I tend to be a very frugal person. I don’t really like to buy things, and often convince myself I don’t need anything. Which is all well and good most of the time, but when it comes to being motived, the practical doesn’t do it. To find something that will encourage me to push that extra mile it has to be something I wouldn’t normally buy myself. Something a little extra, and frivolous. And making these rewards all the more special.

3. Immediately gratification. One of the issues I’ve had in the past is that I often forced myself to wait to receive a reward I’ve earned. Sometimes it’s because I’m waiting for the reward to be available, but most often it’s just because it doesn’t seem crucial. I’ll put off getting a reward, thinking that I can just get it later. But when I put off receiving that prize, not only do I not get the serotonin spike for achieving the goal, but I often convince myself it’s been so long since I was supposed to get the reward and I didn’t, so I don’t really need it. For this set of goals, I’m purchasing the rewards (or move money into an account if that is the reward) right after achieving the goal. Minutes after if possible. No doing it later. No thinking about, it which leads to not getting anything. Immediate gratification, and immediate celebration.

These are all the ways I am changing my system to reward myself for what I accomplish. And I hope, that by making these changes, and giving myself the rewards I deserve, it will not only be more motivating to me to complete my goals but also more rewarding. I want to start learning to fulfill the promises that I make to myself, and improve my ability to believe in myself and what I can do.

What tricks do you use to motivate yourself? Do you offer yourself rewards? And if so, what are they? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

Habits over Goals – My New New Year’s Resolution

I’m a very goal focused person. I’m very good at creating goals, I’m okay at meeting those goals. Of course, I don’t succeed in every goal I set – I don’t think there is anyone on the planet that does—but I am good at working towards them. If I set a goal, I’m going to work towards that goal until either its complete, or it’s no longer possible. I will just keep grinding, pushing myself to complete that goal any way possible. Even if its not always through the healthiest methods.

But while I might be good at meeting these goals, the work I do to get there is often not sustainable. Nor am I good trying to create systems or habits that would make a goal like this not only easier but also repeatable.  Nanowrimo is a great example of this. For thirty days I work myself to the bone, with so many other amazing writers, and hit that 50k words. I write in the middle of the night, while I’m eating dinner, on my lunch break, any time I can find. And I hit that goal. For a little while I celebrate. I might even keep writing with the same kind of intensity, high off the excitement of the accomplishment. But within a month or two I go back to the same old bad habits. Sitting on the couch and scrolling through Instagram instead of writing, not prioritizing or setting aside time for writing. And letting time go by without completing another story, or seeing another set of my characters find their happily ever after.

While I don’t think hitting 50k words every month would ever be realistic on a more routine basis (at least for me, if you can do it, I am very jealous). But it would be nice to use the time I spent feverously getting all these words to create habits that would carry me through, and help me finish stories until the next year, when Nanowrimo strikes again.

So this year, instead of setting New Year’s Resolutions of what I want to accomplish, what books I want to write or revise, how much I want to read, or how much promotion I want to do, I want to focus on growing habits that will help me meet those goals. Not once. Not just for this year. Not just when I push myself too hard, or demand too much of myself. But every month. For good.

The biggest habit I want to create is to set aside time for writing and revising routinely. Not just when the mood crosses me. Not just when nothing else is going on. But on a routine basis. It has been a long time since I have been able to create this kind of a regular schedule, but when I did I had the most successful year of my career. As I’ve proven in other areas of my life, keeping consistent, and just working through always breeds results. Eventually. It’s the getting there that can be difficult. Especially when you can’t see the results right away.

While I’d certainly love to duplicate that fantastic year I did stay on schedule, I know expecting that, especially my first year of creating a new habit, is unrealistic. But it would be nice to feel like I was making better progress on my stories. Over the last few years I have struggled with staying connected to one story, and seeing it through to completion. Too often it feels like I work and work and work on a story, and it doesn’t get anywhere. Or takes forever. Intellectually I know if I keep going, if I maintain that consistent schedule, I will eventually see and feel that progress. But being unable to force myself to stick to the schedule, to stay consistent, to often stops me from seeing the results that I want.

For 2024 I’d like to find a few times a week that I will write and stick to those times. I want to focus on not just selecting times when I might want to write, but treating those sessions with the importance they deserve. Like a doctor’s appointments or job interviews, I want to view these times as unchangeable and unavoidable. Not something that can be moved aside or ignored when life gets in the way.

I’d also like to develop a habit of reading more. Not only am I a better writer when I am reading, the constant stream new ideas and beautiful words fuel my creativity, but also reading makes me happy, and doing more of it makes me a happier person. To fit more reading into my life might mean I need to change my reading style. Maybe listen to more audio books or getting a kindle unlimited subscription again (which I loved but was afraid I didn’t use enough, so I cancelled it a few years ago). Whatever the option to bring more writing into my life, I want to focus on it and bring more joy to my life. 

And most of all, I want to find a way to integrate these habits into my life without disrupting any of the other habits I currently maintain. Over the last few years of have done a lot of work to create an exercise habit that has helped me to lose over twenty pounds, as well as bring down my blood pressure and cholesterol. While I love writing, and want to do more of it, I don’t want to forfeit one positive habit for another. Especially not when it comes to my health, which is more important than any story or character I might write.

These are the habits I want to work on implementing this year so far, but I’m sure more will come to me as the year goes on. Maybe when I integrate these habits into my life, other positive habits will arise for me to create. Only time will tell.

Until then, I will work on creating these good habits, anxiously anticipating how they will help me accomplish all the goals I wish for in a healthy consistent way. And maybe bring some more success and peace to my life.