author: Nicole J. LeBoeuf

Is December over? Yes, along with 2010. Did I finish a new story draft or revise-and-submit an existing story? No. Am I feeling ashamed of myself like a shameful little shame-filled thing? Why yes, I believe I am.

Only that sort of feeling never got a person anywhere without its being scrapped for parts first. Those parts turn out to be "motivation to do better" and "recognition of what it takes to do better."

So. January 2011: The month of doing better. Now with New! New! New Year's Resolutions!

If I weren't so persnickety about "meme" has a definition, effing learn it I'd call it a "meme." But I won't, being persnickety about such things. ("Persnickety." Hah. It is to chortle. How about "vehement and rageful like unto fire"? That's better.) Instead, I'm calling it a list of New Year's Resolutions for Writers. I posted it as an Examiner Hot List today, probably making it a bit more prescriptive than it ought to be. Now, I'm gonna post the personal version here.

I resolve to...

1. Devise a writing schedule with great specificity, and stick to it.
2. Come to each scheduled writing time with work-in-progress intent.
3. Investigate publications local to me.
4. Volunteer some portion of my writing time pro-bono.
5. Decide on a Big Goal and begin working toward it.

Now, if this were Don't Effing Call It A Meme Call It A Quiz Or Something, the assignment for me and for those reading my post would be to fill in the blanks. "I'll write for 5 hours every day, Tuesday through Saturday. My current work-in-progress is... The local publication I'd like to submit a piece to is..." Except I haven't got answers to fill in the blanks with yet. And I just arrived in New Orleans today for a week-anna-bit of family visiting and kicking back, so these resolutions may not kick in all that usefully until I'm back in Boulder and no longer on vacation.

On the other hand, I'm not going to entirely waste writing time this week. This week takes up far too much January for that. Some work will get done. Also some concrete thinking; the above list is great, but only as a vague outline. As a blueprint, it lacks actionable instruction. I'll be working on the blueprint this week. I'll just be working on more of a chaotic schedule until my return to Boulder, is all.

All for now. More later. Happy New Year!