Goal 1: Write Every Day

I'm procrastinating by making illustrations!

Before 2011, I wrote maybe 5,000 words a year. Pretty pathetic. I have folders full of stories and poems I began but never finished. They all mock and taunt me every time I see the files.

But I'm leaving those habits behind. This year, I'm pleased to say that I've written over 100,000 words-- and that's just since May. I actually finished rough drafts and whole stories. I believe I'm well on my way to becoming a writer.

However, I can't stop now. It's time to kick this into high gear. If I'm going to be a writer (and not just any old one, but a good one), I need lots of practice and the habits of a good writer. Where I'm at now, I could easily fall back into writing a few hundred words every other month. I don't want that. Writing feels so good for me to let go of it now.

So what good habit do I want to develop? Well, lots of them. But I'll start with writing (almost) every day, or 5,000 words a week. I need a couple days a week to develop ideas and then I'm off. I'm only going to count poems and stories; brainstorming, revising/editing, or commenting (or blogging) won't be added to my goal. That will keep me from bs-ing myself.

I figure I have to get better if I write more, right? Right?