New Year's Resolutions For Writers

Comic: New Year's Resolution

Give yourself permission to believe that ANYTHING is possible in 2018.

Thanks to @fabtic_ltd for inspiring this post via their Twitter comment about this image.

Happy New Year! And a doodle challenge for you all (even non-artists)

Happy New Year! Here's a fun doodle challenge for artists (and non-artists) of all ages: download and print my blank "2018" page and decorate however you'd like (art, inspiration quotes, random doodling) with what whatever media (crayons, pens, pencils, paints) you'd like.

2018 will be the year I climb a mountain. EB. #2018doodle #IamDSISD #rsewhy pic.twitter.com/MOvltxC2jN

— Thinkers and Tinkers (@TandT3rdGrade) January 4, 2018

Maybe draw what you're hoping to see or do in 2018, or write some goals, draw characters from your most recent or upcoming book....or WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE.

We read Big Plans by Bob Shea and then made 2018 Goal Pictures using Debi Ridpath Ohi’s art to start with. Now let’s get to achieving these! #3rdGradeMD pic.twitter.com/pfG8Vbtsgq

— Janelle Stigall 📚 (@JanelleStigall) January 5, 2018

If you choose to share in social media, feel free to post the link in the comments below or tag me on social media so I can see. If posting on social media, I encourage you to use the hashtag #2018doodle for others to see.

Also, don't despair if 2017 wasn't what you hoped for. Take a deep breath, focus ahead. 

2018 will be YOUR year.

And congrats to Anika Denise, whose RT was randomly picked (via Tweetdraw on the Competition Agency website) to win the hand-drawn doodle above!

Comic: New Year's Resolutions For Writers

Comic: On Not Making New Year's Resolutions

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm always torn between making and not making New Year's Resolutions because it's so easy to make them but then disappointing and demoralizing when you realize early in the year that there's no way you'll ever be able to make them happen.

Next year, though, I think I AM going to make some New Year's Resolutions. Will be posting about these and why I'm making them soon.

New Year's Comic For Writers

New Year's Resolutions For Writers

Comic: New Year's Resolutions (or not)

I have actually broken my resolution not to make resolutions and am going to make a resolution! See my blog post on KidLitArtists.com: New Year's Resolutions and Realistic Goal-Setting For Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Happy New Year's, everyone!

Comic: New Year's Resolution Block

Comic: Not A Good Way To Start The Year...

Work goals for 2013: MiG Writers

I mentioned earlier that the members of my MiG Writers critique group have all posted their work goals for the coming year: here's the post. Thanks to Christy Farley (whose YA novel GILDED debuts this November) for putting this post together!

One of the reasons I'm so looking forward to the SCBWI Winter Conference in NYC later this month is because it'll be the first time that all the members of MiG Writers will be meeting in person!

You can find out more about us on our blog: http://migwriters.blogspot.com.

Happy New Year's, everyone!

Virtual Housekeeping and Resolutions

Today was the first day in my new work schedule, where I try to stay offline for most of the morning. As I mentioned before, I resigned as Writersmarket.com publishing industry columnist as of Dec. 31st, 2011. After 10 years, it's hard to break the habit of going online first thing in the morning to check publishing industry news sites, blogs and Twitter feeds.

I did check e-mail once for anything urgent but resisted answering or posting. I got a ton of work finished this morning in one uninterrupted block of time.

I spent part of last week doing email housekeeping. Instead of just deleting mailing list emails and newsletter that I never read, I took the time to unsubscribe from as many of them as possible. I revamped my email filter system. I got my email inbox down to ZERO emails.

I feel virtuous, productive.

But I'm also aware that's only the FIRST DAY.