by Debbie Burke
Welcome back to another year in The Kill Zone!
Yesterday, Kay compiled a great collection of various new year’s resolutions.
Today, I’d like to share a different slant on resolutions, courtesy of bestselling author Eric Barker. For years, I’ve followed Eric’s “Barking Up the Wrong Tree” blog because of his witty, ironic take on human foibles.
Here’s Eric’s humorous perspective about New Year’s resolutions:
Cynically, you could see these resolutions as a yearly exercise in self-delusion. The tradition where we all collectively decide to lie to ourselves in a more structured format. Often, they’re like annual subscriptions we buy for a better version of ourselves… only to realize we’re more into the free trial.
Photo credit: Jon Tyson, Unsplash
Eric suggests we tackle this new year differently: Make ONLY ONE RESOLUTION.
That’s right. ONE RESOLUTION.
Eric kindly granted permission to share reasons why a single resolution can be effective and methods to keep that single resolution.
How can writers apply his advice?
Photo credit: RDNE Stock Project, Pexels
Stop fantasizing: Year after year, we writers let our imaginations overload us with unrealistic fantasies. We waste energy dreaming about what we can’t possibly achieve.
I’m going to turn out as many books as James Patterson.
I’m going to score interviews on NPR, Good Morning America, and Drew’s TV book club.
Lofty goals but, for most of us, not likely.
Better to make one writing resolution that can you have a realistic chance of achieving.
My resolution: Publish the ninth book in my Tawny Lindholm Thriller series.
For some writers, a goal like this is not ambitious enough; for others, it’s too much.
Before you decide on your resolution, examine your individual circumstances. Be honest.
Do you work long hours at a stressful job? Do you have children and/or aging parents to care for?
Do you have limited physical or mental energy? Do you struggle to concentrate? Are you easily distracted?
Are you a procrastinator? Do you love the idea of writing more than you love actual writing?
After a realistic self-assessment, choose a resolution that’s not a fantasy.
Make a plan: Right now, I’m 170 pages into the above-mentioned ninth book. My goal is to release it for sale by March or April. Based on that timeline, here’s the plan:
- Complete the draft;
- Think of a title;
- Send the manuscript to beta readers then incorporate their suggestions;
- Edit;
- Have cover art designed;
- Format, upload, and proof;
- Do pre-release publicity.
Following a step-by-step plan means there’s a good chance I’ll achieve my resolution.
Whether your plan is three steps or 300, if you take one step at a time, you’ll eventually arrive at your destination.
Do the minimum: Eric says, “When we’re too ambitious we’re much more likely to give up altogether.”
After assessing your individual circumstances, set the bar so low, you can’t help but trip over it.
Say you’re a writer who works full-time, cares for family, and lives with long Covid. What is a realistic resolution? Write one paragraph a day.
RDNE Stock Project, Pexels
Doesn’t sound like much until you add it up.
If a paragraph is 50 words, that’s 18,000+ words in a year. Not bad!
Most important, it’s a resolution that can be kept despite an overwhelmingly busy life.
That doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to one paragraph. If the words are flowing, keep going. Write a page, a scene, a chapter.
At one page a day, by the end of 2024, that’s 365 pages.
Make bad habits hard: Eric suggests erecting roadblocks to discourage bad habits. For instance, if you waste too much time on social media, delete distracting apps and shortcuts from your devices. You can still enjoy Instagram or goat yoga sites, but you’ll probably do it less often if you must first enter tedious login credentials every time.
Exception: Keep The Kill Zone readily accessible.
Make good habits easy: When Eric resolved to play his guitar more, he took it out of the closet and set it on a stand in the living room. Cutting time and effort made it easier to strum.
Make the habit of writing easy by keeping your tools accessible.
My laptop is on the dining table where I can’t possibly avoid it. If an idea occurs to me while cooking dinner, the computer is only steps away. HGTV decorators would shudder and our home won’t be featured in House Beautiful. But I get more work done than if it were in the office upstairs.
Leverage friends: Eric says, “Peer pressure can be a good thing.”
Hang out with people who encourage your resolution. Surround yourself with friends and family who will cheer you toward your goal. They pump you up when you doubt your ability or when your resolve falters. They help you over roadblocks.
Real life also includes negative peer pressure from snarky in-laws or jealous coworkers. But strive to spend less time with detractors and more time with positive influencers.
Commitment Devices: Eric’s suggestion below makes me smile because it sums up human nature so well.
Give $100 to a trusted friend. If you stick to your resolution, you get your money back. Fail, and that money gets donated to the opposing political party’s reelection fund.
Photo credit: Jonathan Borba, Pexels
Instead of kicking off the new year with unrealistic fantasies that are doomed to fail, choose ONLY ONE RESOLUTION that you know you can keep.
Then keep it.
It’s that simple. Really.
Here’s a link to Eric’s full article.
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TKZers: What is your SINGLE RESOLUTION for 2024?
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Holiday gift cards burning a hole in your pocket? Please check out Deep Fake Double Down, Finalist for the BookLife Prize. Sales link.
What it boils down to for me is simply “write something.” Not a SMART goal but that’s the essence of it. I’ve been fascinated with writing since I learned how to form a sentence in 2nd grade or so. I’ve spent who knows how many thousands of hours over the decades invested in the art and craft of writing. So to not write something is to disrespect my own time, my own life.
“…to not write something is to disrespect my own time, my own life.”
Brenda, you eloquently express the underlying reason for many of us. We have to write as much as we have to breathe. We could resolve to breathe more deeply and write more deeply but we’re gonna write no matter what.
Wishing you a Happy New Year of writing!
I’m glad you showed the other side of resolutions, Debbie. No two writers are alike. If we combine your and Kay’s advice, everyone should find an easily attainable goal for 2024. Well done!
I have more than one goal (hate the word resolution), but they are all achievable because I know how to get from point A to B without killing myself. Work hard, yes, but t can realistically complete each goal.
1. Hold audio auditions on ACX by the end of February (I already have two narrators interested, and I haven’t formally announced it yet).
2. Re-format the entire Mayhem Series in Atticus and publish in large print & hardcover through Ingram (I’ve allowed all year to complete the backlist, picking away at one book at a time in the afternoons after I write). This will work two-fold, as it allows me to add details to the series bible.
3: Write & publish books 9, 10, and 11 Three novels may sound like a lot, but I wrote three last year, so it’s achievable for 2024. Plus, I’m already past the halfway mark for book 9, so it’s really 2 1/2. If I break it down farther, it’s only one novel every 4-5 months. Totally doable.
4. Learn to say “No” more. I’m maxed out on blogging opportunities (just joined another group writing blog, which makes three plus my site).
Though I agree with the psychology behind your & Eric’s advice, if I don’t set goals, I achieve very little.
Thanks, Sue. I talk with many writers who beat themselves up b/c they don’t write more. Setting a realistic, achievable goal may help them not to feel as guilty, while encouraging them to write more.
I admire your amazing productivity. You epitomize the old saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” But you’re also smart enough to recognize when it’s time to say no.
Happy New Year, my accomplished friend!
Best wishes on your next book. My goal this year is to write when I can and give myself grace when I can’t (and maybe meet up with you sometime. 🙂 )
Michelle, giving yourself grace is important. And, yes, meeting up would be a treat! Maybe at an Authors of the Flathead meeting or the conference?
My one writing goal is to finish a novel connected to my trip to Prague and the Danube. Motivation: With a published book, the money I spent on travel is a tax deduction.
Breaking that down, I need to set a word count goal, which works best to keep me writing.
Other “goals” are more like tasks as I get Deadly Adversaries ready for release. The creative part–writing–is done, but there’s the dreaded marketing that has to be attended to.
Terry, with your travels and photos, you’ll come up with a great new story. And a tax deduction! Doesn’t get any better than that.
I see tasks as ongoing chores, like laundry, washing dishes, mowing the lawn…and marketing. That dreaded task is definitely at the bottom of my list 😉
I’ve not firmed up my Resolution, yet. I’ve decided that I should implement it no later than St. Alice’s Day. But if I miss that deadline, there is also another St. Alice, who has a Day that can be my fall-back deadline.
A few years ago, I spoke to 5th graders at a nearby school. I gave a short talk about my book and a few other things.
One lively boy asked, “Is it hard to write a book?” I said, “Yes.” After a few other questions, a girl asked again, rather tentatively, whether it was hard to write a book. “No,” I said, without hesitation. “It’s like anything else in life. You divide it up into small pieces and do those one at a time.”
I wondered if any of the children noticed I’d given a different answer the second time and whether any really took it in.
St. Alice’s Day is June 15th. She’s AKA “Adelaide of Guelders.” There would still be time to make a resolution and say I kept it for most of the year.
The fall-back St. Alice was Holy Roman Empress. Her Day is December 16th.
What a fun story about fifth-graders, J. Plus you gave them the best advice ever about how to accomplish a daunting task: eat the elephant one bite at a time.
Thanks also for this history tidbits. With two deadlines–June and December–you have two chances to keep your resolution.
Thanks, Debbie. Whereas the boy was clearly only seeking information, the girl seemed daunted by the idea of writing a book, possibly by life in general. I didn’t have to consider what to say for even a second. I knew she needed a different answer, and I phrased it for broad application. I hope it helped her and others who were listening to consume their personal pachyderms.
J, that was perceptive of you to recognize they had the same question but different reasons to ask it. At that age, sometimes it’s surprising what sticks with them.
Wonderful advice, Debbie. Great list of methods to keep that single resolution. Wow, that “commitment device” of putting your money where your resolution is would be powerful for us tight wads. How about a 5 dollar bill? Hmm.
Seriously, my one resolution would be to write daily. It is so easy to get distracted with other creative explorations and chores. For me it boils down to setting a time that is sacred, for writing only. The challenge will be protecting the time from other “emergencies.”
Good luck with your plan for completing your 9th Tawny Lindholm book in March or April. I would be willing to hold that 100 dollar bill for you.
Have a great new year!
I’ll send you that $100 bill right away, Steve!
Carving out a specific chunk of time to write is a great way to avoid distractions. Make an appointment to write and keep it, same way you’d keep a doctor’s appointment.
Happy New Year, Debbie! This is a wonderful follow-up to Kay’s post yesterday.
I mentioned in my comments to that post that my number one goal for this year deals with my writing mindset. (Like Sue, I prefer goal to resolution 🙂
Another, related goal, is to not be in a rush with my writing all the time. Having a constant sense of hurrying doesn’t help me embrace the fun in the process, nor does it really help me embrace the “struggle” inherent in the creative process. The first few years I was an indie author I was constantly in a hurry and feeling like I was never working fast enough. That feeling has persisted, though not as strongly. Being able to embrace my process and use my time effectively, for the amount of time a book takes, I believe is a better approach for me.
A third goal is my latest book, which is currently in rewrites. The draft needs a lot of work. Last April, shortly before publishing A Shush Before Dying I gave myself a preorder deadline of December. However, I spent May-July producing my prequel reader magnet, “Farewell, My Cookie,” publishing that on July 31 at BookFunnel. I ended up extending the deadline to the end of next month, but that’s as far as Amazon will allow.
So, my current situation is at odds with the goal of not rushing. I’ve resolved to take the time the book needs, and will decide in the next week or two whether or not to unpublish the preorder (on Amazon — the other retailers don’t restrict the length of an extension). Quality comes first, period, so I will do what’s necessary to insure the book is as good as I can make it, which means making sure my betas read and give me feedback on it, and that takes time.
This novel’s “locked room” mystery has proven challenging (to say the least) to set up. My ducks are all in a row now, but time is short. In general, mysteries take more time for me than my urban fantasies, though a writer’s group pal reminded me that I also had challenges writing several (honestly, *all*) of my Empowered novels 🙂
Happy writing!
Dale, I’m totally with you on quality. Take the time to write the best book possible and readers will be much happier than if you rushed it to meet an arbitrary deadline. One benefit of self-pubbing is you set your own deadlines and can adjust as needed.
You have another productive writing year ahead for you, Dale! Way to go.
Good morning, Debbie, and thanks for another way to look at making resolutions for the new year.
On yesterday’s post, a couple of folks mentioned the fact that many people make resolutions but fail to keep them. I love Eric’s statement “Often, they’re like annual subscriptions we buy for a better version of ourselves… only to realize we’re more into the free trial.” Perfect metaphor and a good reminder that people need to find out what works best for them and do it.
Congratulations on your great success with Deep Fake Double Down in 2023. I’m looking forward to that next book.
Happy New Year, Kay!
The quote by Eric made me laugh too. In fact, that’s what gave me the idea for this post.
We all work differently and have to find the best method for ourselves.
You have another busy writing year ahead and your excellent organizational skills mean you’ll meet your goals.
Give $100 to a trusted friend. If you stick to your resolution, you get your money back. Fail, and that money gets donated to the opposing political party’s reelection fund.
Gulp! That might work . . .
Thanks, Debbie! I’m going to tune in to “Barking Up The Wrong Tree”. What a fantastic moniker for a blog!
My goal this year is to write every day. I do have some life issues going on, like supervising my elderly father’s care, and I am easily distracted. But, having said that, breaking down my other “goal” of publishing another book this year, one next year, and another one in 2026 into “write every day” seems very attainable to me.
Happy Step 2 to everyone!
Deb, I really enjoy Eric’s humor and hope you do, too.
Family caregiving has to come first but you’ll find ways to work in a little writing, even if it’s only a paragraph or two.
Great post, Debbie. And I was struck by Eric’s “Make a Plan” where he lists: (1) Complete the draft; (2) Think of a title; . . . “
I surely mentioned this before, but I do the exact opposite. I don’t even start to write until I have a Concept and/or Premise, and then have a cover mock-up printed out and stuck on the wall next to me. These things change as I move along the book’s writing path, but it’s the only way I can start. Otherwise, I don’t know what I’m writing about.
A single one for me for 2024: stay physically active.
Onward!
Harald, it’s always interesting to hear how different writers go about their work. I’m the opposite: write first and organize later.
Physical activity is huge for me also. It counterbalances the cerebral work of writing. Planning another swim around Manhattan in 2024?
One swim around Manhattan is enough! 😉
https://longswims.com/events/manhattan-island-marathon-swim/1983/
I enjoyed this post, Debbie. My one: draft a literary Christian novel.
A good resolution and you’ll meet it, Priscilla.