After the Thanksgiving holiday, I’ve had my mind filled with plans for Christmas and the holidays, like getting presents from stonefoot.de.
I’ve already got my house decorated. 2014 was a rough year for me, but 2015 feels like a rebirth – a time to enjoy the many blessings in my life. It’s a time to reflect on this year while keeping my eye on 2016 and the goals or resolutions that can move my writer career forward, but I’d like your help to open my mind to the notion of resolutions.
I’ve never been one to commit to New Year resolution(s) and make a big deal about stating them aloud. I secretly set goals throughout the year and push to make them happen – things like setting daily writing goals, visualizing my completed novels for the new year, and how many prepared proposals I’d like to get out. I consider this career planning, but what about you? Does it help to make a resolution and let it be known so you’re committed? What writer goals have you set in the past? What’s worked for you? I could really use your positive vibes and I’d like to hear your success stories.
I thought it would also be fun to look at gifts for the writers in your life. custom phone cases are always useful because you can tailor them to whoever you’re buying for. Online shopping is a great way to find the gifts you want and with so many discounts available from places such as PromoCodeWatch there’s bound to be something that will be perfect, and for a cheaper price too! Last year I treated myself to a severed arm that I keep in my freezer. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Here are a few that appealed to my weird humor:
Mr Write T-shirt at Amazon – For Mr Obvious
Cafe Press Mug – 12 Days of Christmas for Writers – Some of these gifts would be very appreciated.
Shower Writing Pad – I seriously need to get one of these, but It’s kinda freaky.
Writers Clock – from Cafe Press – What? Only one PANIC!
Cafe Press – Books Shower Curtain – Again with the shower theme.
From Writer Store – Magnetic Movie Lines – for your fridge or white boards
The Writers Store: Literary Action Figures – They have Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, and Sherlock Holmes (Okay, why is Holmes in this group of authors?)
The Writers Store: The Storymatic – Story Ideas and Writers Prompts in a Box
Discussion Questions:
1.) What gifts would you like to receive (as a writer)? Or what will you give your writer friends this year?
2.) What resolution(s) will you make for 2016?
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Well I was ALMOST tempted by the bookshelf shower curtain, but then I’d have to lose my current shower curtain where the clear shower pockets face out and contain a one line blurb for all the novels I want to write. I like having that for inspiration.
The movie line box is also tempting, but since you don’t know what movies they’re quoting, that’s iffy. For example, if it isn’t filled with the many great lines from Star Trek II especially, well, it’s a no go.
If I could dream about best Christmas writers gifts without reality attached, I’d like to have a sudden windfall of wealth so that I can actually spend more than 15 minutes on a nice average day for the entire book writing process. You can certainly write word count in little 15 minute snatches, but it does nothing for the research and brainstorming. This would also give me a book budget to obtain all the history-related books I’d love to have in my library for research.
I’m good technology wise overall–have my home ASUS laptop which really serves as my desktop pc, and my much more portable 10″ laptop/notebook.
The slightly more realistic Christmas writers gift I would like is NOT to be invited to upgrade to Windows 10 every time I turn on my stinkin’ computer! UGH! (I say slightly more realistic cuz in this case, I suppose I could cave in and get the torture over with, but I’m resisting).
May all everyone’s writers Christmas wishes come true!
Sounds like you could use that shower writing pad to fill your shower curtain pockets, BK. And your comment reminds me that the best gift a writer can receive is MORE TIME to write. It doesn’t cost a thing yet means so much.
Fun gifts! I want that shower curtain.
As for resolutions, I will dive into the alt history novel that’s been kicking around in my head the past few years. It’ll be challenging and fun.
Sounds like a good resolution, Mike. I like the idea of pushing yourself into a challenge. Good luck with that.
When you resolve some huge, life changing thing – lose a lot of weight, quit smoking, read “War and Peace” or run a marathon (but I repeat myself) – you’re setting yourself up to fail. So a few years ago I decided to make more reasonable resolutions. One year I resolved to not wear a tie all year. That went so well that I’ve hardly ever worn a tie since. (At the time, my wife told me, “You need better problems.”) Another year I resolved to never leave a shopping cart by my car, but always push it all the way back to the store entrance. It makes me a little more conscientious and gets me a few more steps in every shopping trip. A two-fer!
Good advice on the accomplishable resolutions, John. Your shopping cart resolution also serves as “exercise more.” I like it.
“Baby steps”; that’s my resolution this year (wasn’t there a Bill Murray movie based on that theme as an actual therapy? In which case, I’ll also need to bring along Fred, my koi aka goldfish, as my transitional object). Small, positive improvements on a daily basis. Thanks for today’s inspiration, Jordan!
I definitely like the baby steps approach, Kathryn, especially when you feel so good ticking off the boxes as you get things done. Say HI to Fred for me.
My writerly resolution for next year is to finish the ms I started at NaNoWriMo this year. Last night (in the shower, of course), I changed a few plot things around, which gave me a number of new conflicts to work through and made the story come together.
The other resolutions are just to kaizen my home- and work-life- small changes over time. My mentor told me that kaizen is like eating a whale: take one bite at a time and make sure you like whale.
I would love to receive those shower notes- my ideas always happen in the shower, as well as those literary action figures to go with all the action figures on my desk at work. I can only imagine the epic wars I could wage with my desktop figurines.
What is it about authors and showers? We must be the cleanest group of people on the planet. Good luck on getting that MS finished, Mollie. You’ll feel so good when you do.
The Storymatic looks like fun. Something similar some authors had been using were tarot cards. Most of them were using the same deck, it was ok, and great for picking out some character flaws and strengths and such. However, tarot decks vary ALOT and they can be so much more interesting. I found a steampunk one that offers hours of fun, inspiration, and ideas, that I like for jumpstarting story questions, natures, or paths and ideas.
The shower notes look like great fun… I found something similar and cheap – dry-erase wall clings of various shapes and sizes. The boards can get heavy and obnoxious, but the clings go on a wall anywhere, even by your head on the bedroom wall – and you can jot things on there. I’ll often take a photo on my iPad and then erase them and have them ready for next crazy-cool idea, problem, or solutions that strikes.
I love my glow-in-the-dark skull can cooler my friend grabbed me from the big forensics conference in California (we were starving college students and only one of us could afford to go – my friend went that year – and I kept us up on classwork). The body outline, body towel is pretty neat also. 😀
A really neat pen… I can’t read my own handwriting so well the next day, so I pretty much stick to my computer now, but the feel of a good pen is intoxicating. I have a feather-quill pen with nibs that I dip into an ink well – really old school. This year I’m treating myself to a handmade pen from a cousin – he has some handmade from resin or wood, with actual shell casings and spurs, plus rifle clips! Too much fun to resist (http://www.scooterspens.com/gallery/pens/)
Oh and let us not forget – the ultimate gift, never to be overlooked….. a bookstore gift card – mana from heaven!
About the New Year’s resolutions – I really don’t like them myself – just another thing to bomb out on and make yourself wrong about…. I am trying to have some patience, honor the process and enjoy the ride as new ways – my way- unfolds.
Wow. Great gift suggestions, Penny. Thanks for the ideas. Have a great writing year in 2016!
I loved the writer clock and mug. Thoughts sometimes come to me in the shower, but I WAIT until I’m out to write them down:) Frances
There’s something to be said for being dry and clothed when you grab a pen to jot a note.
I like the shower curtain, except I’d worry about all those wet books.
Fun ideas. Happy holidays.
Great idea, Elaine. Shower books!! I love it. No sense wasting time doing only one thing.
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