new year, new stories to tell

Good morning! I've been out of school and offline for two weeks and boy is it good to be back! The break was much needed;last term was tough. This term proves to be interesting as I start my last (read: LAST EVER) math class along with my first linguistics course. Happy about one, happy to be rid of the other (guess which is which ;)). How was your holiday? I hope Christmas was happy and the New Year rang in with the promise of a great 2012. And I'll be willing to bet that there were some writing resolutions made after that fifth glass of champagne. Here's the thing: despite the name (resolution from the word resolve which means "to come to a definite, earnest decision about"), resolutions tend to get spoken with pomp and left to shrivel after the first week or two of the New Year. I prefer to set goals, give myself a step by step list to accomplish; a road map to follow throughout the next 365 days. While you're vowing to run 16 miles a day, eat fewer chocolate cakes for breakfast and watch less than 10 hours of reality TV a week, think about your writing goals. What are they and why? What prompted you to choose your specific goals for this year? Do you need to write more and worry less? Do you need to finally submit that collection of short stories to you carefully refined list of "super agents"? I love big goals and huge dreams. I'm a dreamer by nature so the bigger the ideal, the more passionate and excited I'm going to be about it. But here's something to think about while you're crafting your magnum opus: it's all about the story. Not YOUR story; THE story. The story that came to you, fair and trembling, nervous to whisper into your ear, afraid you may shoo it away. Yes. THAT one. Be gentle with it but firm. You are going to tell it this year. You and I both are going to get THAT story told. Perhaps even another will fall dutifully behind and we'll pound out several novels and shorts this 2012. But for right now, focus on that one story. The one you've been dying to tell. The one that's been dying to be told. After all, without the story, our goals (or resolutions) are nothing but pipe dreams. Write fearless my friends, Jen