Writing In 2015 - Don't Look Back

This year's about up now and I'm not going to look backwards now when it's far more important to look forward. Half-finished projects will either be completed or shelved as I strive for momentum in my writing life as the new year dawns. I'm wearied with making pronouncements that don't pan out, but I still want to challenge myself. I could do that in a number of ways.

I set out to write twenty short stories this year, but only managed a fraction of that number. I'm not going to beat myself up about not hitting the goal. I did get some stories written. I didn't completely fail.  I could set another challenge like that. I could also set one for writing books too. In the end, it doesn't matter what shape the challenges take but only that I attempt them. The attempt matters.

There's a lot to learn from failures -- provided that it leads to successes rather than paralysis.

I have hopes for 2015. It's good to be hopeful about one's prospects rather than caught up in a cycle of disappointment, doubt, and frustration. Like most writers, I've been dealt with those sorts of issues. I've been too critical and being critical has sapped my creativity. It kept me from the page more times than I'd like to admit.

Though I'm still thoughtful about how these patterns might play out in the new year, I'm more interested in how I can bolster my personal creativity and let that voice out to play again. Fiction writing should be a fun activity and not a reason to get stressed out. At least that's the philosophy I prefer.

There is promise in a new year, but it takes work to make that promise bear any sort of fruit. This blog will remain a place where I share something of that writerly journey with those who read. I'll tell you when I have new work coming out and update you on the progress of any challenges I set. I'll probably note interesting articles and blogs about writing and publishing as I cross them.

Here's to a great 2015!