I Just Want To Write More

I have a confession to make. When skimming over the brainstorming ideas for this new challenge, my answer to most of the questions was "I don't know."

With a whole year ahead of me, making initial goals, intentions, or resolutions that are supposed to last me through the entire year is a daunting task. After all, what if I go through all this planning, only to hop off the train by the end of January? What if I make promises to myself, or to others, that I can't keep?

Then, after I calmed my swirling thoughts, I came to two conclusions:

1) Setting goals doesn't have to be stressful

2) Not being able to meet a goal is not a reflection of my worth

I have this nasty habit of setting lofty goals for myself and then beating myself up mercilessly when I can't meet my own unachievable standards. First of all, that needs to stop. It's done a number on my self worth over the years, and has caused me to not write as much as I should, for fear of producing something not worth reading. But, the thing I'm coming to terms with is that if I don't practice, my craft won't improve. If I wait, I will never create.

So, in 2024, my goals are to push past any sort of hesitation, and just write.

However, I'd like to set some tangible goals too.

1. Write more short stories.

Whether it's creative nonfiction, to snippets of fiction, to fanfiction fluff, this is the top skill I'd like to hone this year. I want to work on making my pieces more concise and be able to guide my readers on a bit of a shorter journey. I get overwhelmed by writing longer pieces and ultimately stop writing them, but I think if I can tackle several shorter works, I can practice different types of writing and get more of it out into the world. That being said, I'd also like to...

2. Finish the first draft of my NaNoWriMo piece from November.

Yep. This is the one long piece I'd like to work on this year. I started it, life happened, then the story train came to a screeching halt miles before the station. I'm not very far into this story from National Novel Writing Month, but I'd like to at least finish the first draft. I'm very proud of this story and I want to see it complete.

3. Read every day and log onto Vocal at least once a week to read from other creators.

I firmly believe that to be a better writer, I need to read every day, and that includes enjoying the work by my fellow creators here on Vocal! Not only would I like to read stories from different communities, I'd like to comment on those stories and engage with their authors by commenting on their stories. This is an attempt to help me get out of my own comfort zone as I'm a shy little goblin with social anxiety.

Will life ultimately get in the way? Absolutely. Will I be able to meet my goals? Who knows. But that shouldn't stop me from trying anyways. Even if I can only write a few minutes a day, that's a few minutes of practice, and I know that those minutes will add up. Goal-making doesn't have to be a terrifying task, and even though I feel like I'm constantly behind, slow and steady wins the race. And the only competition here is myself.

The year is new, my cousins got me a cute new keyboard for Christmas, and my brain is raring to go. I'd say "let's get this bread," but I don't know if people still say that anymore.

Bread or not, let's continue to create and make this year a great one.