Sunday, January 4, 2009

The Resolution Police

But officer, it was so worth it! Okay, I didn't subscribe to the Resolution thing, so I wasn't really worrying about the New Year's Cops coming after me. Now my conscience is bothering me. I thought I was doing okay and didn't need a list of dos and don'ts. But.

Here it is the fourth day of the New Year, and I'm off the wagon.
Between today and yesterday, I said good bye to two of my three kids, and my third asked me for money to go buy ice cream. I handed over a ten, all the while telling myself 'no'  inside my head. But when he returned, I realized we were partners in crime! I couldn't find the icecream scoop fast enough.

I know, I know...I caved so quickly. I can rationalize anything. He bought Reeses! What?! It was plain vanilla, strawberry or chocolate when I grew up. Well, that's a lie. The drug store's soda fountain had chocolate chip mint, peach, strawberry, cherry vanilla too. (Boring!) Nobody ever thought of mixing candy into the ice cream. Us kids did that on our own. At any rate, once again, I digress.

Back to the writing and resolutions. 

Here's my plan for '09:

1. Say no to everything that has nothing to do with a) family and b)writing.

2. Market myself more. (I put this above writing this year, because I'm pretty clueless about it and I need to get public about that.)

3. Just write. Last year, I wrote a middle grade fiction novel between the months of October '07 and April '08. I began a young adult novel in July and finished it in November. I've never felt more satisfied. 

4. Meet with my new group more often, perhaps visiting new ways of accomplishing that.

5. Read more.

6. Have fun! (This is really numero uno...thus the ice cream.) 

See y'all at the SCBWI Convention in New York at the end of the month. I'm hoping for some inspiration to get that funky feeling out of the world of children's publishing. It's going to rebound...kids keep reading, so we've gotta keep writing. What else would we do, anyway? Like the ice cream, wild horses couldn't drag me away, that's for sure.

2 comments:

Penny said...

I want to read new novel. Where is new novel? Is it in a shopping basket on its way to market(ing)?

What can I do to help?

Would eating ice cream be helpful to you? You know I love you and would do anything for you. Especially if it involves Reece's.

Word verification: fightend
Does this mean it's the end of the fight and now everything will be easier? I hope so!

Anonymous said...

I read somewhere that it's better to make very specific resolutions - easier to keep. How about: "No eating ice cream on a moving train." Or, "No eating ice cream in front of a cow." You get the idea. (smile)

Your writing resolutions are tops! Congatulations on 2 new books.

Marcia Calhoun Forecki
Better Than Magic
www.eloquentbooks.com/BetterThanMagic.html