If ever there was a year that could claim the title \u201cWorse Year Ever!\u201d 2020 is in the running! But as this year slowly crawls to a miserable end with no hopes of Christmas gatherings in sight, now more than ever it\u2019s exciting to look forward to a brand-new year filled with possibilities and, with the very real promise of a vaccine, a chance to resume normal life in the near future. This could also be the year your writing career really takes off. If you\u2019re looking for some realistic writing goals for 2021, here\u2019s a guide to get you started.<\/p>\n
One of the hardest parts of becoming a writer is that when you\u2019re still trying to break into the field, you often don\u2019t feel like a bona fide writer until you\u2019ve been published. But that\u2019s not\u00a0true! Being a writer isn\u2019t defined by having an agent or publisher. It\u2019s defined by when you consider yourself a writer and commit to a professional approach to your writing. One of the best ways to achieve that is highlighted in our next resolution:<\/p>\n
Writers write. Books don\u2019t happen overnight. It takes days, weeks, sometimes months slogging out the words to get a finished manuscript. The key is to not get paralyzed with fear as to whether the writing is good enough, or if anyone will like it when it\u2019s finished. You must keep moving forward and develop as a writer through a lot of trial and error. This only happens when you show up on a regular basis and write. Remember\u2014unless you\u2019re George RR Martin, your novel isn\u2019t going to be 500 pages. Set out with an end-goal in mind, knowing the market you\u2019re writing for and set realistic daily writing goals. It won\u2019t feel so daunting if you know where you\u2019re headed.<\/p>\n
So often I hear of writers who spend years working on the same book. No doubt there are great works of literature that demand that, but if you\u2019re hoping for a more commercial book then consider what\u2019s stopping you from finishing it. Set a deadline. Force yourself to show up at the computer. Put out words even when it\u2019s hard, when it feels like you have no inspiration. Sometimes that\u2019s when the greatest inspiration strikes. And if you\u2019re holding on to a manuscript that you\u2019ve\u00a0 been reworking for years, consider moving on and starting something fresh. The first book might have been your best, it also might have been an exercise in Can I Do This<\/em>? The answer is yes, now send it out to get edited by a professional while you write the next book.. Don\u2019t wait around hoping lightning is going to strike. It probably won\u2019t. But if you start the next book while the first one is in the hopper getting edited, then pretty soon you\u2019ll have two books, and when that happens, your confidence will increase and with proper feedback, your writing will begin to improve.<\/p>\n Writing is an evolving process. Like any sport or profession, you cannot get better at it unless you both practice it and get great coaching. Practice comes in many forms. Writing. Studying other writers. Reading books in your genre. Coaching can be found in the form of the\u00a0many great editors\u00a0who work on\u00a0a fee-for-service basis, or by joining an on-line writing group that can offer feedback by peers. Here are some of my tried and trued tips to polishing my manuscripts:<\/p>\n As scary as it is to face rejection, having a manuscript gathering dust in your drawer won\u2019t advance your dream of being a writer. Better to be rejected and take the lumps and be part of the group of rejected writers than the group that never tried. Don\u2019t waste time wallowing in self-pity if and when your manuscript gets rejected. This business is very subjective. Your manuscript might be great, it might be average. Doesn\u2019t matter. The only way anyone will ever read it is if you make it worth reading. Work harder at learning the craft and develop a thick skin Having a query letter that begins with \u201cAll my friends think this is the best book they ever read!\u201d Or even worse, \u201cThis book is the next (fill in blank) Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Twilight\u201d will only send an agent running for the hills. Tell the agent what is unique about your story. Convince them you have a twist that hasn\u2019t been done yet and they might ask for a few pages. DON\u2019T send your entire manuscript with the query. Be careful to read their submission guidelines and follow them. They write them for a reason and get very annoyed when an author ignores them.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a writer, you know what voice I\u2019m speaking of. The voice that whispers It\u2019s too hard. I\u2019m not good enough. Why bother?<\/em> It is so easy to shoot ourselves down. There are plenty of people out in the world who will do that when you do get published, so resolve to be more supportive of your dream. Think positively when you\u2019re writing. Remember writers have the greatest job in the world. They get to create magic. Transcend reality. Suspend belief. Create anything they can imagine without limits. So be nicer to yourself. You can be a good writer if you work at it. If you’re lucky and have both the talent and the\u00a0craft, you can be great.<\/p>\n As writers develop their voice, they can sometimes get stuck in a rut. Their voice grows stale, repetitive, an echo of every other voice they have heard. Resolve to break out of your rut this year. Write in a fresh voice. Expand your idea of what is possible. Inject some new life into your characters. Challenge them to rise to new heights and they will take you with them.<\/p>\n Some of my best friends are fictional. Writers tend to be loners and the past year has driven most of us even further away from any new networking opportunities. This year resolve to build your network of writer friends. Make time to have coffee with them even if it\u2019s on a Zoom call, and talk shop and writing progress. Keep track of writer\u2019s conferences and plan on attending one when it\u2019s safe. Your resolve as a writer will grow and your connection to writing will be strengthened by your friendships with kindred spirits.<\/p>\n The surest path to being a great writer is to read books by great writers. Read every book you can get your hands on. Don\u2019t be afraid to scribble on them, circle metaphors you like, underline moving passages, highlight a turn of phrase that made you choke up. As you dig into other writer\u2019s secrets, you develop a knowledge that will help you in your own writing.<\/p>\n Developing a career as an author takes time, patience, and resilience. When things don\u2019t happen exactly the way we want, it\u2019s easy to get discouraged. As we set off for 2021 my hope is that your writing dreams will come true. Remember, keep an iron jaw, and always keep writing!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If ever there was a year that could claim the title \u201cWorse Year Ever!\u201d 2020 is in the running! But as this year slowly crawls to a miserable end with no hopes of Christmas gatherings in sight, now more than ever it\u2019s exciting to look forward to a brand-new year filled with possibilities and, with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4117,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-iron-jaw"],"yoast_head":"\n#4 Resolve to learn more about your CRAFT.<\/h5>\n
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#5 Resolve to SUBMIT your work.<\/h5>\n
#6 Resolve to IGNORE that voice in your head.<\/h5>\n
#7 Resolve to try something DIFFERENT.<\/h5>\n
#8 Resolve to EXPAND your network of writer friends.<\/h5>\n
#9 Resolve to READ.<\/h5>\n
#10 Resolve to NEVER give up on your dream.<\/h5>\n