Saturday, January 1, 2011

reading, writing and resolutions

well, hello there, 2011!

you know why 2011 is awesome for me? because as of today, when people ask me "hey, when does your book come out?" i can say, "next year!" which sounds a lot sooner than "2012." :D

so i've never been much for resolutions. they're hard to keep, and they usually end up making me feel like i failed in some way. i tend to think of the new year as more of a fresh start in general. it's a good time to look at your life and consider what you might want to change. i, for one, like to start a new year with a clean house and something healthy on the plate for dinner. (not exactly resolutions to stay on top of my chores or go on a diet, but to just be more mindful of those things.)

however, i see no harm in making some writing and reading resolutions! so here they are:

Reading:

*i will read more adult books this year.
with maybe 2 exceptions, adult books got put on hold in 2010. i didn't know how behind i was on my YA reading list until i joined the blogosphere, so i had to do some catching up this past year. i still plan to read plenty of YA, but i will break it up with some good adult reads too.

*i will read outside my favorite genres.
i love me some dystopian YA, but i should really see what's so great about all the contemporary teen romances everyone's excited about right now.

*i will read more ...period.
i always thought i was a voracious reader, but when i look at other bloggers counting up their 2010 reads, i'm stunned. i don't think i can read 100 books in a year, but i can sure read a lot more than i did last year!

Writing:

*i will try writing something outside of my comfort zone.
i sometimes get elaborate ideas for fantasies or post-apocalyptic stories, but i never write them past a few chapters, because i get overwhelmed or distracted. this year, i will stretch those creative muscles, even if it's just for my own reading amusement.

*i will write something without curse words...
...maybe. i'd like to try writing middle grade, and i know the biggest challenge might be removing all the F-bombs from my arsenal of words.

*i will edit edit edit! ...without sacrificing writing.
with my editorial letter for Butter incoming and my beta notes for Billy D likely to follow soon after, i know the next few months will be all about revisions. i will try very hard to find time for fresh writing in there, to keep my creative wheels spinning.

i hope 2011 is full of fabulous ideas, beautiful stories and lots of writing for all of you.
happy new year!

5 comments:

LM Preston said...

Wow! All those possibilities! Can't wait to see what the New Year Brings.

Michelle said...

Oh my gosh, I love 'writing something outside my comfort zone'. It's something we should ALL put on our resolution lists.

So excited for 2012, awesome books coming out. I'm getting Butter for sure. ;)

amber colleen said...

I'm not making resolutions this year, but I definitely second your reading goals. I have sooooo many books I want to read, and I read hardly anything last year due to college. Bring on the reading! :)

Bidisha said...

LOLing at 'I will write something without curse words'..I should try that too.

Sajidah said...

Happy new year!
:)