Resolution Time and Book list

New Year's tradition requires reflection upon the good intentions of last year's resolutions and the making of new goals. I was a bit leery of revisiting last year's resolutions, especially since I couldn't remember what they were. I had to look them up (shame)... so, here goes:

1) I will write six days a week - no excuses. (No excuses! Hahahahahahahaha! I did manage to write 4-5 days a week.)

2) I will continually seek to improve my writing skills by writing, attending a monthly critique group, attending at least one writer's conference, reading lots of MG and YA literature, and reading books on the craft of writing. (Success! I did all of these, and I attended three writer's conferences - all well worth the cost)

3) I will actively seek agent representation (I did this at the beginning of the year and received some helpful feedback from several agents- no offers though. So I quit submitting and began rewriting. I'm ready to submit again)

4) I will write a synopsis for a sequel to the book I just finished writing. (Nope - but I started on it just before Christmas. It's first on the list this year)

5) I will finish writing the MG novel I began during NaNoWriMo. (No. I'm not even interested in it anymore!)


MY 2010 LIST OF WRITING RESOLUTIONS

1) I will minimize writing distractions.
*I'm thinking about getting a netbook so I can go work in a library cubical or a coffee shop. They're pretty affordable these days. Trying to write at the house is difficult. There are too many interruptions, and I feel guilty writing when I "should" be cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, etc. Funny... I never feel guilty about spending time on facebook or Verlakay.

2) I WILL SUBMIT MY WORK!
It does no good to write and leave it sit on the shelf...

3) I will actively seek agent representation (again).
I suppose this is goal number 2 restated.

4) I will become more organized in the way I approach writing a Novel.
I mean this! I wrote the last novel by the seat of my pants. I had the plot in my head, and I believe it came together the way it should, but I think the process would go so much faster if I made my right brain listen to my left brain and outline first. I'm going to let the left brain file first, and then the right brain can pile it on!

That's it. I'm keeping it simple this year. I wish all of you the best 2010 has to offer! Happy New Year!


BOOKS I'VE READ IN 2009
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening, L.J. Smith
Blue Moon, Alyson Noel
The Demon King, Cinda Williams Chima
Sarah Bishop, Scott O'Dell
Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater
Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
The Demon's Lexicon, Sarah Rees Brennon
Evermore, Alyson Noel
Bewitching Season, Marissa Doyle
The Amulet of Samarkand, Jonathan Stroud
The Lightening Thief, Rick Riorden
Shift, Charlotte Agell
Save the Cat!, Blake Snyder
Austenland, Shannon Hale
The Last Olympian, Rick Riodan
Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, Brandon Mull
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Demigod Files, Rick Riordan
Fragile Eternity, Melissa Marr
What the Dickens, Gregory Maguire
The Edge Chronicles: Beyond the Deep Woods, Stewart/Riddell
The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan
City of Glass, Cassandra Clare
Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices From a Medieval Village, Laura Amy Schlitz
Catherine Called Birdy, Karen Cushman
The Midwife's Apprentice, Karen Cushman
The Book of Time, Guillaume Prevost
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman
City of Ashes, Cassandra Clare
City of Bones, Cassandra Clare
The People of Sparks, Jeanne DuPrau
The City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau
Gregor and the Code of Claw, Suzanne Collins

2008 BOOK LIST

For those of you with an online presence...

For those of you who facebook, twitter and blog, here's an interesting editorial from the New York Times. Definitely food for thought.

Book Give-Away!!!

FYI - Do you like free gifts? Tabitha Olsen has a fabulous book give-away contest happening on her blog. The titles are great. Check it out!

Hopeful...

I've just mailed my scholarship application for the Highlights Foundation Chautauqua Writer's Workshop. I've wanted to go for several years, but it's never been a possibility. I've heard such good things about the experience from my friends who have attended in the past. They report the workshops and mentorships were more than helpful. One full week of emersion in the writer's community sounds fabulous to me. And so today, I'm hopeful...

Procrastinating...

Honestly, other writers should know better than to introduce their writer friends to these type of distractions!

Apple Game

I got 59 apples my first try. How many apples did you get?

Fast Drafting

I'm reading a book called First Draft in 30 Days, by Karen S. Wiesner. It is a method designed to to reduce time-intensive rewrites and avoid writing detours. It also shows you how to create an outline that is detailed and complete enough to double as your first draft.

I've never mastered writing quickly. I write the beginning and the ending, and then I stew and brew over the middle and the details. I have a terrible need to fix and revise as I go. I consider it a bad habit I need to break.

SO... I'm going to give this a try. I like how Wiesner plans out a schedule. Each day has a specific assignment. The required detail is daunting, but if done right, the subsequent drafts should be fairly painless. Should be.

I don't know if I can complete this in 30 days, but I will consider it a successful venture if I can complete a draft in 90 days. That's still fast for me.

Anyone else out there fast draft? Pointers will be appreciated!

Because It Made Me Laugh...