A New Writing Resolution

What a year. We NaNoWriMo'd, retreated, workshopped, grouped and wrote our way through another 365 days.

Did you meet your writing goals from last year?

If the answer is yes, take a minute to ask yourself a few questions.

• How did it feel to reach my goals?
• What was the biggest motivator?
• How can I do that more this year?

If the answer is no, take a minute to ask yourself a few more questions.

• Were my expectations realistic?
• What was the biggest obstacle?
• What can I do differently this year?

Even if you think you know the answers, take your time thinking about what really happened and write down your responses. That will help you to objectively address the challenges and opportunities for the next year.

As always, we applaud you for the advances you made and thank you for joining us on this writing journey.

Yours in Writing,

Promptmasters

Jennifer Sander

JT Long

NaNoWriMo Up

How did your National Novel Writing go? 50,000? 30,000? Notes for next year? Whatever you did, you were a winner if you wrote more than you would have on your own? This global initiative is proof that together writers can push each other to be more productive.

NaNoWriMo has all the elements of a good writing community - measurable goals, an enthusiastic group of supporters cheering each other on, and T-shirts to mark the occasion. According to the official site, more than 28,000 people recorded 50,000+ words each for a total of 2.6 billion words. That is something to celebrate.

I was lucky enough to spend the evening last night with a class of 29 very diverse authors who spent five Monday nights together fueled by cookies, agent visits and a shared sense of purpose. For three hours straight the type, type, typing built until half a dozen announced they had made the 50,000 word goal. Others beat their own personal goals and all came away with a sense of having done something they had only considered in a vague way before.

If you participated, take a moment to congratulate yourself and take a deep breath. You can always go back and edit and fine tune later. The important thing is that you captured your dream.

If you missed this year, now is the time to start collecting folders of ideas about scenes, characters, plot twists and titles so you will be ready come 11.1.11. It will be here before you know it.

Writing Goal Check-Up

It has been six months since you made your 2010 writing resolutions. Have you allowed your MasterMind Writer's Group to hold you accountable? Have you written those proposals? Consistently blogged? Finished that Great American Novel? Have you celebrated appropriately?

I know life can get in the way. Kids, dogs, editors can be very demanding. But you have to make your self-imposed deadlines a priority if you are going to reach your publishing dreams.

Let's take this summer break as an opportunity to renew your commitment to writing like you have never written before. Answer the following questions honestly and publicly so you will be more inclined to make the answers stick.

• Was my 2010 goal practical?
• What adjustments do I need to make to ensure that I will be successful?
• Am I using all of my network's resources to meet my goal?
• Am I scheduling time in my week to pursue my dreams?
• How will I celebrate when I cross the publishing line?

The good news is that there is still another six months left to reach all of your goals and more. But you will only be successful if you commit to yourself and your support network.

Master Writing Resolutions

New Year's Eve is an obvious time for making resolutions. We can pledge to be thinner, nicer, more productive - and mean it. But what is the secret to keeping those vows long after the smoke has cleared? Your band of fellow writers, of course. 

A resolution is simply the public statement of your heart's desire in an attempt to add motivation to your will power. A MasterMind Writer's Group is a formal way to announce, hold accountable, secure resources and celebrate success.

January is a great time to hold a special meeting dedicated to rejoicing all the great things your members accomplished last year, setting realistic goals for next year and putting in writing plans for achieving those goals. 

I will start. 

I am celebrating the fact that I found some exciting, consistent publishing outlets in 2009 who allowed me to explore new subjects, new ways of telling stories and new audiences. 

This year, I hope to enter the national consumer market with some expanded trend pieces. 

I will start by sending out at least one query letter a week to publications I have not worked with before. I will attend at least two national conferences to meet national publishers. And with the help of my wonderful writer community, I will position myself as a resource for editors looking to educate and entertain their readers.

Resolutions are not right or wrong. They are great exercises. Check out this one from the very funny Nanny Goats in Panties. The key is to really mean it and call on your friends to hold you to your word.

Your turn. What goals did you reach in 2009? How will you expand on that in 2010?

Yours in Writing,

Promptmaster

JT Long