Writing Resolutions for 2019: Hope’s Hacks

This month’s cure: You say you want a resolution (well, you know, we all want to change the world)
What the cure is: Helping your New Year’s Resolutions to work for your writing
Why the cure will help: New Year’s Resolutions. We make ‘em and break ‘em. If you’re anything like me, you’ve made some for writing as well. Whether or not you keep up with them is up to you. But here are some resolutions for writing to adopt if you need something for 2019.

 Make it Count Resolution
Word count goals. Whether you want to write a 25,000-word middle grade or finish that 120K fantasy, word count goals can often stand as a gatekeeper to your dreams. Set a goal for the week, month, or year to get that first draft home.

Erasing Past Failures Resolution 
We often edit as we write. It works for some people. But it can paralyze others. If you find yourself fixing the commas in the past six chapters instead of starting chapter seven, consider refusing to edit until you finished that first draft. Gasp! Horror! I know. Trust me, you’ll have a chance to go back and fix that plot hole. I promise.

*Insert Tim Gunn voice* Designers, make it (net)work Resolution 
Ah, networking. That thing we do during our so-called free time to increase our engagement on all social media platforms. Set a realistic goal on how much time you’ll dedicate to social media. You can also try to set a number goal for platform (for instance, I want to boost mine from 6,500 to 10,000 by June), but this can fluctuate depending on which social networks you use.

New Year, New Me Resolution 
Stuck writing the same formulaic devotionals over and over again? Wanting to try something new? 2019 has crossed the threshold, why not give a new genre a go? Experiment for a flash fiction or for 100 words some genre you’ve never tried before. Not only will this keep your writing fresh, but you might find a new niche you never knew you excelled at.

Have other ideas for resolutions? Send them to hope@cyleyoung.com. She’d love to know what some of your writing goals are for the year.