A Few New Year’s Ideas for Writers…
1. Make a list of all the writing projects that are half-done and finish them within the next 12 weeks.2. Get up one hour early every day and write a single page during that hour, for 365 new pages this time next year. - maybe not an hour early everyday. with the very little work load that i have right now, i can do this anytime of the day. but then again, i have to start already.
3. Create a space for yourself in the attic, basement, in one corner of the dining table. A chair, a special one, that you can sit on while pecking at your laptop. Create your own shrine for your daily creation.
4. Research other forms of writing. What if you could make some additional cash on the side by writing user or HR manuals? Or short stories? - oh i miss this big time. having sidelines. be it writing, editing thesis or selling books.
5. Once a month, grab all your writing tools and check into a hotel for one night. The farther the hotel from your home, the better it is. Lock the door. Pull up the curtains. And write without stopping the whole night. In the morning, go some rest before returning home. Have a stiff cup of coffee. - i LOVE this. if only i have enough moolah. maybe after the wedding :)
6. Change the coffee or tea brand you’re consuming. Green tea is good for your system. Read the reports on the benefits of caffeine.
7. Volunteer to write for a house of worship, homeless shelter, charity organization, a sports organization. Accept no money. Donate your one hour to create something meaningful and worthwhile with your God-given talent. You’ll feel warm and better inside.
8. Learn a new word in English or your favorite foreign language every day.
9. Sprinkle perfume or fragrant flower petals on your desk before you sit down to write.
10. Participate in a writer’s group in your library, writer’s center, local college, or bookstore. Share what you write with your fellow writers and try not to take the criticism personally. It’s just work. The more you create, the better it gets.
11. Start a brand new blog and post your struggles, dreams on a daily basis. - oh no not another blog which i can't maintain...
12. Walk at least 1 hour a day to get that blood circulating into those tired brain cells. - will do this once i have more time; that is, after the wedding. haha. or maybe an hour of yoga twice a week will do.
13. Read one hour in a topic that you know nothing about (like orthopedic surgery). Then write a single paragraph about it, summarizing the most important aspects of what you’ve read.
14. Start eating at least one fruit (a strawberry, three blueberries, or a banana) at breakfast. - hmm...must buy more fruits
15. Buy yourself a pair of bright red socks and wear them every time you sit down to write. - again, i LOVE this idea :) to stimulate my eyes and brain and keep me awake.
16. Read one classic novel written by a classical author per month: JANUARY – Dostoevsky. FEBRUARY – John Steinbeck. MARCH – Victor Hugo. APRIL – Charles Dickens. MAY – Norman Mailer. JUNE – Shakespeare. JULY – Tolstoy. AUGUST – Philip Roth. SEPTEMBER – Maya Angelou. OCTOBER – John Updike. NOVEMBER – Isaac Asimov. DECEMBER – Naguib Mahfouz. - maybe not a classic novel, but any novel for that matter. i have to start reading again. kindlle!!!
17. Meditate on “split infinitives” and reflect on why they’re not the evil they’re made to be.
18. Write a paragraph about the time when you called a wrong number and what happened next. - i can't remember when this last happened.
19. Shop for fountain pens. Marvel at their beauty and extraordinary prices.
20. Learn more about Johannes Gutenberg (where we’d be without him?). While you’re at it, also learn who Bi Sheng is.
21. Make a list of 10 movies about writers or the profession of writing.
22. Lose five pounds within the next 90 days by following a reputable diet plan. - ooh ooh ooh i want this! i want this! am gonna try this one.
23. If you’re a non-fiction writer, write 10 poems within the next 30 days.
24. If you’re a creative or a fiction writer, write a user manual for one of the appliances in your house.
25. Lie on your favorite couch or bed. With a blindfold over your eyes, talk into a tape recorder about your ideal novel or film … that is still yet to be written.
26. Send a postcard to someone whom you’ve neglected for a long while (your grandparent? former roommate?) and tell them that you’re still thinking of them.
27. Sign up with a health club and exercise 3 times a week.
28. Learn to identify by name and leaf shape at least 10 different trees.
29. Check out Safari Book Club and see if it’s appropriate for your needs.
30. Get a temporary tattoo of the name of your most favorite writer on your bicep or any other preferred location on your body.
31. Invent a dessert. Give it the name of your most favorite novel. Invite family and friends, and serve with a cup of tea or coffee.
32. Write a flash fiction story of only 500 words or less.
33. Write a reader letter to New York Times.
34. Create a Facebook page for novels that were adapted to film.
35. By using Twitter and Facebook meet with 10 writers from Albania and China. If you already live in China or Albania, try to meet 10 new authors from Finland or Kenya.
36. Learn how to publish a Word file as an Amazon Kindle ebook. Then, publish one Kindle ebook a month.
37. Explore and review various writing software like New Novelist, Scrivener, Contour.
38. Explore and review online writing platforms like Scripped, Google Documents, Ufiction, etc.
39. Read ten obituaries, and by using the life-story details in the obits, cobbled together a character for your next story or screenplay.
40. Construct a life backwards, by starting from the death of your character going all the way back to his or her birth.
41. Call your local high-school and ask if you can substitute for the English, Business Writing, or Creative Writing teacher.
42. Call your police precinct and arrange a ride in a patrol car. Report the experience in an article for your local newspaper or city magazine.
43. Make a map of the cemeteries where your deceased favorite authors are buried. - ok, this is kinda creepy.
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