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Are you a writer? Here’s a list of 10 New Year’s Resolutions to consider and ideas for implementing them. As a bonus, each includes a Hard Core version for you writing beasts.
- Write. You’re a writer, so this one makes sense. Life has many distractions like Netflix, Facebook, Video Games, and our cell phones. Take time away from what consumes your time and move it to writing. Set a minimum goal of finding 30 minutes a day to write, whether journaling, poetry, or a story. Hard Core Goal: Write every day, and find a minimum of 2 hours.
- Read. If you are going to be distracted by anything, it should be reading. Decide on a number of books you intend to read for the year. Utilize Goodreads to keep track of your “want to read” library, and participate in their 2016 Reading Challenge. Hard Core Goal: 100 Books in 2016.
- Word Count. Set a daily or weekly writing goal. If you have to, start with something manageable like 500 words. When you find yourself exceeding your daily goal with regularity, increase again. Continue to challenge yourself. For some perspective, a novel in a month (a 50k NANOWRIMO) requires 1667 words a day. Hard Core Goal: target 5k to 10k a day.
- Become Full Time. Why not write for a living? The challenge here is to make money writing. That means finding markets, a publisher, self-publishing, learning marketing (like Facebook’s ads), and writing more stories. This is a great goal, especially if you like working in sweats. Hard Core Goal: Support your family on this income.
- Book in a Month. Some people like to do this in November, but there’s 11 other months to choose from, and 7 that give a precious extra day. Hard Core Goal: One novel every month.
- Build your Platform. Make a resolution to get yourself known. Be a regular on Social Media and grow your followers. Check out klout.com to measure your influence and expertise in topics as a writer. Hard Core Goal: Achieve over 20k followers across all social media.
- Book Signings. Even if you are an introvert, getting out and meeting people will sell those paperbacks you’ve got in a box in the closet. Find other authors to share expenses with at trade shows and farmer’s markets. Plus you don’t look lonely and ignored at bookstores if traffic sucks. Get to know the bookstore clerks. Hard Core Goal: Set up a signing a month.
- Finish your Work in Progress. Stop going back and editing. Stop ignoring it. Force yourself to dive in and get it done. Hard Core Goal: Move on.
- Get Fit. Everyone seems to make this resolution, right? At minimum, get out and walk. Get a treadmill. Eat better, cut back on sugar and soda, find a program that works for your body type. Hard Core Goal: Get fit! Spend 4 hours a week in the gym. Show the world what a ripped writer looks like.
- Network. Meet other writers, editors, cover designers. Exchange advice. Participate in writer/author groups. Meet in person and have coffee. You’ll learn a lot from others. Hard Core Goal: Be the one who starts a group. Keep it going and growing. Set up book signings for your group.
What are your resolutions for this year? Please share them in the comments below. 😀
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G.S. Wright 
excellent garth! i see a number of your points should be on my list. i’d like to add one item to the above, which i must admit have already missed an important deadline myself–get into those challenges. there are short story challenges, ssstory, flash fiction etc. something; anything to work towards a win–certificate, reward, award, acknowledgement. you, garth, already have an excellent entry in the one i read (Broken Things). go for it.
Thank you, though I admit I rarely pursue challenges. I suppose I should more often. Broken Things one a Sci-fi reader’s choice award in 2013, and made it through the first round of CreateSpace novel contest in 2014, and I haven’t done anything since.
i looked for awards and certificates/merits on your website. didn’t see it. if you won a reader’s choice award–post it prominently–add it to your profile on amazon. blah blah blah. i’m sure i’m preaching to the choir as you taught me–not vice versa. still, i count you among my mentors.
I think I’ve got it on my About page, and maybe with Broken Things on the Library page. I’ll have to think of some way to use it better. It was easier when I only had one book, but with all my titles Broken Things doesn’t get the same amount of attention it once did.
By the way, that’s a huge compliment, thank you. We need to cross paths again if just to talk about books. 🙂
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