Already? Really?

Arrgh! Last Sunday was “Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day.”  That’s so sad that we’re willing to give up on resolutions 2 weeks into the New Year.  As I said in the last post, I think it’s because resolution is such a finite word. If you fail a resolution…YOU FAIL.  How dreadful.

Having said that…

Confessional:  Even after just a short amount of time, I’ve started wavering on my “less soda/more tea” initiative. I found myself saying, “screw it, I’ll just have another soda,” but then decided to cut myself some slack and take it a day at a time.  I didn't beat myself up about the extra soda I drank. Just decided today, I'll make sure I have more tea. Seriously, there’s a reason that saying works.

When I looked forward to 2016 and asked myself what I wanted out of the year, it was to take my writing to the next level. I’ve been kind of hovering for the past couple of years and I’d like to improve—sales, recognition, options.

Obviously something has to change.  To paraphrase a popular quote—insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  (Note: from what I can find, this actually goes back to a 1981 Narcotics Anonymous text. It’s also not really a definition of insanity.  If you’re looking for one, here’s an interesting link.)

No, I don’t think I’m insane but certainly doing the same thing isn’t going to change the results. I need to do something different, something better. The same thing, only different.

As part of that initiative, I’ve decided to read a book on the craft of writing each month. It’s a manageable goal. Most craft books are under 300 pages. That’s less than 10 pages a day or about 10 minutes.  I can do that.

My first book is Save the Cat by Blake Snyder (link below).  It’s a well-known screenwriting book. I’ve learned some good things about beats and ways to boost the sagging middle (my own personal challenge). I might not be able to use every element in the book but it’s got my mind spinning with ideas to fix points in my working stories.

And you’ve got to love when new ideas pop up, yes?

Here is a link to Amazon for Save The Cat. It's the paperback copy because I like to be able to write in my "craft" books. Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate, so if you click the link and decide to buy the book (no pressure), I get a bit of a finder's fee.