The New Year is already a month old. Have you given up on your resolution yet? Did you even make one?
Until today, I hadn’t either. But I had a change of heart when I started thinking about this post. What to write? Too bad I wasn’t doing this a few weeks ago, I said to myself. That would have been perfect timing for a New Year’s article.
Better late than never. So, here’s my pledge for 2023: more reading and more writing.
“Wait a minute,” you might say. “Aren’t those things you enjoy? That’s no resolution.”
In my defense, reading and writing improve my author skills. Like any profession, one has to work at it to succeed. These days, I read to learn what works and what doesn’t in other books. I study the storyline: the pace, the author’s tone and style—everything about the book I can glean. Each new novel holds the promise of something new that will help me improve my craft.
As for writing, it’s as much work as it is enjoyment. The process is best expressed by American poet and satirist Dorothy Parker. She once said, “I hate writing. I love having written.”
Any writer who has faced a blank page (or screen) can relate. Writing is hard work: butt in a chair and push the words out whether or not you feel like it. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.
But the feeling of holding a published book with your name on the cover is euphoric. Months, and in some cases years, of struggling at it eventually pay off. And it’s only possible with dedication and diligent work habits.
So, with the page already turned to 2023, that’s my promise, and I’m sticking to it.
I wish you success in all your resolutions.