Happy New Year everybody! Need to mark the occasion because, if not for changing paper calendars, I’d still be writing “2024” on all my journal entries. Work stays the same (minus a few changes), tv shows keep rolling, and dinner needs to get made. But this year, I’m making a shift when it comes to writing.
New year’s resolutions are notorious for getting broken once January ends. And in my case, all habits have a shelf life determined by my fickle headspace. Well, all habits except Bible reading. Whether I feel up to it or not, I rise from my pillow and open my Bible to read a few verses and do a devo. I sneak through the house to grab a pen from my desk and scribble my findings in a journal. Very rarely do I miss a day, and if I do, I don’t skip next time.
This daily decision I make every morning got me thinking that I’ve been handling my writing all wrong. There’s nothing wrong with lofty word count goals and monthly challenges, but stressing over those can suck you dry of creative energy. I also find it’s easier to quit than to continue struggling to hit something I don’t think I can complete. With this in mind, I’m scrapping the resolutions and crafting a list of daily writing decisions to improve my creativity, prevent burnout, and finish my books.
Daily Decision 1: Write 100 Words a Day
Many articles will say to write a thousand words a day. Sounds easy until you work a full day, forget to eat lunch, and glare at your manuscript for what feels like an eternity. And after struggling through the chapter for three hours, you highlight what you wrote and discover you typed 906 words. So close yet so VERY far.
And yes, that was my experience during NaNoWriMo. Sometimes I don’t have a thousand words in me. But I always have more than a hundred. Maybe it’s 20 words more, maybe 500. Whatever the final count, a hundred words is a kick start that gives me room to scribble until my head falls off. And on the days when life is just meh, a hundred is doable. Every little bit counts, so don’t discount everything under a thousand.
Daily Decision 2: Exercise
How can you write while exercising? I mean I could talk into my notes app while running on a treadmill, but that’s not the goal here. Fact is, I used to exercise all the time. High intensity workouts at the gym, horseback riding. Even when I worked retail I was exerting myself. Nowadays, because of the nature of my work, I’m typing away at my computer until the sun goes down. Constantly sitting, no sunlight, little blood flow. It’s exhausting and boring.
None of which helps my brain rest from staring at my screen or imagine a world where technology is nonexistent (which is most of the worlds I build). Hence me… sigh… choosing to wake up before work and taking my lunch hour to work out or go on a walk. Getting away from my computer and into the world brings experiences that benefit my writing and my overall health. All of which makes it easier to write and prevents me from going insane behind my keyboard.
Daily Decision 3: Read a Chapter a Day
As part of my daily devotional, I had decided to read a chapter from a relationship book I had gotten. I’m not a big fan of nonfiction, self-help type stuff, so I was surprised when I actually succeeded in finishing the book. It worked much better than my “binge several chapters at a time” method which only worked when I was in high school and didn’t have a job that demanded my attention.
What does reading have to do with writing? Well, a writer who reads learns techniques for description and character development that they mighht not have gained otherwise. Hence my biweekly dissection of books I enjoy. Fiction with a purpose takes effort, practice, and research. Thankfully the research for fiction is more enjoyable than nonfiction. Therefore, I’m gonna take time to read at least a chapter a day (this should also help my reading goals… hopefully).
Daily Decision 4: Less Youtube and TV
And everyone screams “NO!” But truly, this had to be done. I find myself searching for something to watch more than actually watching a movie or quirky video. In the end, I feel more braindead than when I started and less willing to write or plot my book. There’s another reason for this as well which might trigger some wild comments, but I’m gonna go for it.
Modern scriptwriting sucks. I find Youtube reviews of movies more interesting than the actual multi-million films. Note, I haven’t seen everything coming out of Hollywood lately, but what I have seen is super predictable. Especially for me who watches a lot of tv and writes the story as the scenes play before my eyes. I guess twists, subterfuges, romances, and betrayals within five minutes of watching. The jokes feel forced, the characters too positive, and the token ideals overemphasized. Not to mention everything has this filter that makes real people look like CGI (is that to hide CGI?).
Here’s the gist: watching bad writing influences your writing. In addition, watching funny but negative videos about said bad writing influences your writing. Same can be said about watching good films and shows, but that “research” shouldn’t overtake the time you need to write a few words a day. What you consume influences how you write and how well you write. Be selective and don’t aimlessly search for something to shut down your brain. Resist the urge to binge!
Daily Decision 5: Connect with People
Last year was all about friends for me. I’m not sure I succeeded, but I do know I spent more time around people. Starting conversations, listening to wild stories, interacting and laughing. Writing can be a lonely profession if you don’t make an effort to step away from the computer. Leaning more extrovert, I noticed when I was feeling lonely I despised my computer and the thoughts in my head. That made writing tricky because I felt like I’d wasted another day.
And again you may ask “where’s the writing?” Good fiction utilizes three-dimensional characters. Personalities and dialogue that jump off the page. How does one craft those realistic exchanges? Experience. Meeting people of different backgrounds and thought processes. Interacting with personalities unlike yours. This is the framework for great character building, development, and relationships. And it makes life more interesting.
Daily Decisions Require Action
Few years back, I fell off the wagon when it came to reading my Bible. I didn’t feel like I was gaining anything, so it became a “I’ll do it tomorrow.” That mentality didn’t change until I intentionally chose to pick up my Bible and read. And I had to make the same decision the next day, and the next. What was difficult and foreign slowly became a routine. But it required an initial action.
That’s the difference between a new year’s resolution and an actual change in your life. Rather than saying something that sounds pretty good, you act upon that good thing. Hence daily decisions. I’m choosing daily to put myself out of my comfort zone and push my limits so those actions become routine and I can push myself more. Growth is a constant cycle of discomfort to comfort, but there must be intentional action to kick off the process.
Hopefully my daily decisions inspire you to make a few of your own. Happy new year, and may it be the best yet.