1. Stop pitching
Two years ago I burned out on pitching stories. It’s frustrating to research a piece, craft the pitch, send it out, wait, then dicker with the editor over angle, length, and so forth.
But even though I’m sick of selling the work, I’m not at all tired of doing the work.
So last week I did something I swore I would never do: I wrote a piece on spec. It’s a reported essay about the death of the book business and it’s pretty tasty. Right now it’s with an editor at Mother Jones. If he buys it, then he buys it. If not, then I’ll try somewhere else.
This is the new way.
2. Get on a schedule
For years I’ve made fun of the writer you hear on the radio who claims to get up at the same time every day, and write for the same set amount of hours, and practices their craft even if it’s a weekend or they have the flu or it’s their child’s birthday or a holiday or the Rapture.
This is the year I (sort of) become that writer.
I didn’t pick this line of work because I wanted to punch a clock, but the realities of my overall schedule are pushing me into a less freedom-loving writing schedule.
2009 = less flexibility in favor of more productivity
3. Unleash the fury
I make this resolution every year and every year the teensiest bit more fury is unleashed.
Final thought:
As this site is for you and not for me, I’ll keep updates on my progress to a minimum. That said, if you’re interested in using this site as a forum for resolutionary discussions, then I’m game.
Write more, write often, write with passion. That’s all a writer needs.
I was always skeptical of the writers who say they keep rigid schedules or that they write for eight hours a day like a job. Yes it’s work, but it’s never been the same as a job. And I’ve done those! The rigidity of schedule is always what did me in….
And if I write for more than two hours at a time my head threatens to explode. Having said that, I do spend a lot of time thinking about writing. I wonder if that counts?
I don’t know that a rigid schedule is the ONLY way to make it work, but it has been for me, for over 15 years — and when I’ve paused, and/or screwed around with it for more than a day or two, I pretty much lose the fire. Maybe it’s just a particular personality type who’s easily distracted.
I have to be extremely disciplined with myself to get work done. Lists that I actually check off, etc. The romance may be gone, but marriage is more satisfying anyway.
I’m with JES. I have to write regularly, because it really hurts to get started after a break.
Happy New Year!
didn’t get squat done today.
tomorrow, i swear