Writer's New Year's Resolutions

We're back after our short holiday hiatus! The beginning of the year is traditionally when people take stock of their lives and figure out what they'd like to change. Although I've made resolutions in the past to improve my health, career, and love life, I've never done a list specifically for writing. So without further ado, here's a list of some writer's resolutions you might want to consider.

1. Write what you love.

This one might sound trite, but it's something I hope to be better about in the coming year. How many of us are guilty of writing what we think might get us an agent or sell rather than the books that we love? If you're passionate about what you're writing, that's going to come across to the reader.

2. Write even when you don't feel like writing.
"There's no such thing as writer's block. That was invented by people in California who couldn't write.” ― Terry Pratchett

I'm not saying there aren't days when you don't feel inspired or excited about writing. Everyone has those. But I've read an innumerable number of blog posts, craft books, and articles saying that the key to being a successful writer is as simple as BICHOK: Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard. If you can't figure out a good direction for the next scene, put down anything. It doesn't matter if it's good.

And that segues nicely into the next one:

3. Don't rush things.

It can be really, really tough to keep editing and rewriting a manuscript when you're sick of it and just want to move on to the next shiny idea. But disciplining yourself to revise until it's as good as you can get it and then waiting to hear from trusted critique partners is the smartest move.

4. Read what you're writing.

That is, other books in the genre you're writing. If the last YA book you read was Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret or books in the Babysitter's Club series, don't even think about sending your manuscript out until you've brushed up on your modern YA reading. Pacing, content, conventions, and a host of other things have changed completely over the past thirty years. Try to choose popular books published no earlier than the past year or two.

Do you have any writerly New Year's re