Stop smoking? Lose weight? Find your soul mate? Pfft. If you want a real challenge, check out my Top 5 Resolutions for Writers in 2016.
1. Write a book. I don't mean start writing a book. Anyone can start. Write a full book from start to finish. NaNoWriMo is a great place to start. Don't wait for November. They have camps in both April and July that can help you kick off your next novel.
2. Join a writing group. This will help a lot with the first resolution in this list. My writing group not only helps me stay on track with my writing goals, but they also challenge me to write outside my comfort zone which improves my writing. Check on sites like Meetup, or if all else fails start your own.
3. Attend a conference. If possible, attend with members of your writing group. You will learn a lot and it will give you something to bond over at future meetings. You will also get the opportunity to network with other people (both authors and readers) in the writing industry. Two of my favorites are the MAFWI conference and Bouchercon, which is geared toward the mystery genre.
4. Build your social networking platform. If you're not ready to go public with a Facebook author page, then consider building up your Twitter followers. Develop a routine of following 10 new authors or publishers per day. If 10% of the these people follow you back, then by this time next year you'll have over 350 new followers! And when you are ready to develop your Facebook account, then you can link it so your posts also show up on Twitter.
5. Hire an editor. It's the best thing I ever could have done and my first book, a collection of short stories titled HAUNTED WOMEN OF THE APPALACHIANS is so much better for it. What you pay an editor is an investment. Learn more about my editor, Sheila Haab, on her website.
Here's to a New Year filled with lots of literary progress!
What are your writing resolutions for 2016? I'd love to hear about them in the comments section!
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