Resolutions vs. Goals

[Writers Plot]

Posted by Lorraine (L.L.) Bartlett

In 2008, I resolve not to lose my Writers Plot posts. That's how I started my day, logging into typepad to find my post for today had disappeared. Poof! Gone! (I shall try to reconstruct--but as most people know, the results are seldom the same/as good.)

Everybody on the Internet seems to be talking about their goals and/or resolutions. I no longer make resolutions. What for? I never kept them. But when January 1st rolls around it does make sense to take inventory and figure out what you'd like to accomplish in the coming year.

I haven't made any "personal" goals. I don't have control over way too much in my life, so why put added stress on myself?

Instead, I'm concentrating on my writing goals, which are, for me, pretty ambitious. Not only MUST I finish my Work In Progress and deliver it in the next 30 days, but I have to finish another book within nine months. Yikes! Was I crazy when I signed that contract? (Of course, I didn't realize how complicated other portions of my life would become when I signed that 11-page document.)

Still, I have hopes I can also write a short story for my website, and I'd like to rewrite one of my unsold projects, in hopes my agent will take it on. (I have to do that between now and starting the new book. Yeah, like that's going to happen.)

With two books coming out this spring/summer, I have to plan my promotional campaign. That's going to take a HUGE chunk of time, time probably better spent writing. But if I don't plug it, who will? (Let's not even talk about publisher-sponsored PR.) I'll also be updating my Lorna website myself (so far, so good!).

As you can tell, I'm a bit apprehensive about meeting these goals. Still, there's just way to make it happen. Place butt in chair, fingers on keyboard and...

WRITE!