I'm Floundering With My 2023 Goals, But There's Still Time To Get Back On Track

 It's hard to believe that we are almost done with January 2023. Wasn't it just New Year's Day?

Well if you're like me, you had some heartfelt goals for 2023 - especially as it relates to writing. Are you also like me and floundering just a bit in these opening weeks of the new year?

Sure. It's ok to face up to it. It's still early, though. More than enough time to get back on track. One of my goals was to write a first draft of a short story each month - 12 stories by the end of the year.

So.... I still have almost two weeks to flesh out my story for January.

And here is the idea I have been toying with since about mid-December: a middle-aged cook with literary aspirations tries to recreate one of his grandmother's recipes one day at work while trying to make sense of his most-recent failed relationship.

At least that's what I have so far. I'm neurotic to a fault. I have jotted down a good amount of notes, even toyed with a few variations for a first line. But, I've been stuck on a detail: my protagonist's name.

Today was my day off at work. A day off means sleeping in a little, then errands: checking my post office box and visiting the book store. Two of my magazines were in my box: The Writer and Entrepreneur.

I bought eight books at the book store. I can't help it. Today's haul: pigeon feathers and other stories, by John Updike; Independence Day, by Richard Ford; Babbit, by Sinclair Lewis; Saint Maybe, by Anne Tyler; My Heart Laid Bare, by Joyce Carol Oates; The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart, Poems for Men, Robert Bly, James Hillman and Michael Meade, editors; Write Away, One Novelist's Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life, by Elizabeth George; and 140 Characters, a Style Guide for the short Form, by Dom Sagolla.

If you want to be a writer, you must read and read and read some more. Can't say that enough. It helps that I love to read. 

Read 50 Books in 2012

As I've shared here before, I have set a goal for myself: I will read 50 books in 2012. Some will say, "That's a lot!" Others might say, "That's all?!"

Well, it's my goal. I'm happy to report that I've put 9 books to bed so far. And my GoodReads.com profile shows that I'm currently reading seven more books. I'm ready to add two more books to the pile.

One is a work of fiction; the other is nonfiction. What have I learned so far?

I read fiction far slower than I do non-fiction. Doesn't that make sense? It does to me. When I'm reading a work of fiction, I scrutinize every decision the writer has made in telling a story. I don't know... Maybe I'm biased, but reading fiction should go slower. 

OK... back to reading. I'm so excited!!!

Reading, Or Writing?

So, I'm about a month and a half into my reading goal for the year. Read 50 books. Simple. I've digested five so far.

I read slowly, so it consumes a good chunk of my time - time that could be used for writing! There's my dilemma. I've been tossing it around in my head. I hear the voices kind of like the old Looney Tunes cartoons where the angel and devil appear on a character's shoulders.

"Do it!"
"Don't do it!"

I believe that my reading will pay off. I mean, seriously, if you're a writer who doesn't read, what's the point? Still, I have been battling with the nagging voice in my head that says I'm spending too much time on reading and not enough on writing.

Anyone else feel the same pull? Just wondering. OK, back to my Kindle...

NaNoWriMo's Over, Now What?

So I survived another National Novel Writing Month.

Now what?

The past two days I have been afk (away from the keyboard). But, here we go again. Time to get back to the business of writing, blogging, networking, etc., etc. Oh, and since I was feverishly hacking away at the 50,000-word novel draft in November, I did not read much. So, December will be my time to catch up in that department.

I just filled my Kindle with several story collections and books that should keep me busy reading for awhile. More on that later, but let me just say, I love my Kindle. If you don't have one, it's a great addition for book lovers. I do not foresee myself ever getting rid of my hard and softcover books, but digital is a great way of carrying an entire library with you anywhere you go.

You can check out my Amazon Store link to the left of the blog if you're interested in buying a Kindle. I went with the basic $79 version. Speaking of reading, I think I'll do some of that now.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Being a dad is a tough job. Plenty of times one kid will act up and the rest will, too. Classic case of Monkey See, Monkey Do.

Not fun. But sometimes that pattern is wonderful.

Right now, I'm watching my kids reading and writing. I told one of them she could read a book and write a report on it if she wanted. She pulled out a book on soccer, a pencil and paper and plopped down on the living room carpet.

Source: Microsoft Office Images

It caused a chain reaction. It did. It did. The baby marched into the other room, grabbed her magnetic letters and started arranging them in alphabetical order. At this stage, the alphabet song is essential to her recall process.

The boy saw his sisters in action. Here's something to laugh about: He put down his Nerf gun and ran upstairs. After a few minutes he rushed down and sat at the dining room table. He had a First Reader book, paper and a pencil and a question for me: "Dad, what's a report?"

Except for the sound of the baby singing "A-B-C-D-E-F-G..." the house is now eerily quiet. They are all working on their reading and or writing skills.

As a lover of words, you gotta just love that image. It's a beautiful thing. This is my answer to my students when they gasp in shock after I tell them I don't have cable TV. We don't tune into local TV, either.

"What do your kids do all day?!" they ask.

Microsoft Office Images

They play. But often they also read and write... and have fun doing it. You hear that? Shhhh. Listen... Now you hear it? Yes. That's the sound of three young minds - neurons firing - as they explore reading and writing.

It's a beautiful thing.