The Worst Thing You Can Think As A Writer: I'm A Pretender...

Can you relate to this?:

You have always thought you have the talent, ideas, ability to write fiction. You have read something and said, "I could do that... And better!"

Maybe you have actually started writing something: a short story, novel, etc.

But then something happened. And that something was life. You got married. You got a new job. You lost a job. You learned you were about to be a father/mother.... 

Your writing took a back seat to what was facing you two inches from your nose.

A year later.... five years later.... a decade later.... two decades later, during you're next move forced by a divorce, you come across a single piece of paper with your words on it. Those words expressed so enthusiastically how you were going to write, and every word  was filled with naive optimism about your obvious literary future success.

I was a college junior in 1992. This was where I was. Now... I'm looking back at my collegiate writings and wondering what went wrong.

But what if I'm looking at it the wrong way?

In the time between 1992 and the present day, 2017, a lot has happened.

I served in the Army.

I earned a Bachelor's Degree... a Master's Degree.

I would marry... and divorce... and marry again... be a father to five children... but divorce, unfortunately, again.

I wrote thousands of articles as a newspaper journalist.

In short, I experienced life. 

Now at 47, I'm encountered with the musings of my 22-year-old self. As tempted as I am to be angry or disappointed with myself for not following through with my aspirations from nearly two decades ago, I realized something.

MORE TOMORROW ON MY REVELATIONS THAT HELPED ME START WRITING AGAIN

Mall Demons Journal In The Works

How would you react if an angel appeared to you in the middle of the night telling you that the fate of the world depended on you?

That is what my protagonist must face in the Mall Demons Urban Fantasy Series I'm currently writing. Daniel is his name. He's a Mexican-American Teen living in the Washington DC area. Now he is all that stands in the way of a Hell on Earth.

Can you say STRESS!

Fortunately, Daniel is a journaling type of guy. So, all those thoughts, all those fears are what he puts down in his personal journal. That journal will soon be available online. Daniel needs to write down what he goes through as it's happening. It helps him think through situations. Soon, you'll be able to read his thoughts as he fights the demons determined to create a Hell on Earth.

Plan Writing Goals in Three Time Categories: Part Two in the Series

Certain songs remind me of my childhood. These songs, like Jim Croce's "Time In A Bottle," recall visions of my parents when they were young (That's another story).

Listening to that song recently, I thought of this second step to Setting Successful Writing Goals: Plan Writing Goals in Three Time Categories. Croce repeats the following lyrics:

"But there never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them..."

H-e-l-l-o! That's exactly how I felt this past week. Deadlines fast approaching. Responsibilities at work (for those who have day jobs outside of writing, you know what I mean). Then there's the pull at home. It's summer. Each of the kids wants time with daddy. And my wife needs my attention, too. I'm glad we don't have a dog that needs walking!

Can anyone relate? If you can, keep reading. The bottom line is that all the things I listed above that we need to do must get done. But as aspiring writers, we also must make time to do the things we want to do to finish our writing projects.

We can do this by Setting Successful Writing Goals. The second step to doing just that is to Plan Writing Goals in Three Time Categories. Before I explain, let's recap from last week when we learned the first step to Setting Successful Writing Goals. That first step begins with writing specific goals which include details that force you to take action (And that means making a deadline and/or word count, or other quantifiable result, and sticking to it).

Example: I want to write a novel. (vague) OR  I want to write a novel in 30 days (specific).
Miss the first article in the series? Read how to Make Specific Writing Goals here.

OK... still reading? Good. You're serious about your writing. You can make time in your busy schedule for writing projects by planning goals in three time categories. These categories should be familiar. They are Long-term goals, Mid-term goals, and Short-term goals.

I am borrowing again from my experience teaching at the college level with the book, "From Master Student to Master Employee."

This three-pronged approach is especially useful for aspiring writers who must fit their writing into already busy schedules. Here's a breakdown of the three time categories:

Long-term - means just that. Think of these goals as ones that could take five years or longer to achieve. For example, one of these goals might include wanting to write a series of novels based on a particular character. Think Harry Potter.

Mid-term - these can fall in the one- to five-year range. It is important that mid-term goals support your long-term goals. So, if your goal is to write a series of novels based on the same character, your mid-term goal might be to write a new installment every year or every two years.

Short-term - this is where the metal meets the meat. You should see these goals as ones to accomplish in less than a year. These are the goals that require immediate action. Write 2,000 words a day. Create a character sketch for your protagonist this weekend. Create a character sketch for your antagonist next weekend.

The important thing is to plan short-, mid- and long-term goals so they support one another. If you make the effort to plan out goals in three time categories, share them with your family. Your loved ones will see that you are serious. This could get you the support you crave at home. And support means the kids might give you that hour on Sundays to work on that character sketch (especially if the character is a super hero or something cool like that).

Questions? I'm sure. Share your thoughts by e-mail or comment below. I will continue outlining the four parts to Setting Successful Writing Goals through August. The next two parts are as follows:

• Include goals in areas of your life (outside of writing)
• Reflect often on your goals

NEXT ARTICLE IN THE SERIES

AUGUST 15th, 2011: PART 3 IN THE SERIES - INCLUDE GOALS IN AREAS OF YOUR LIFE (OUTSIDE OF WRITING)

Poetry Fest!

As I continue editing my novel, hammer out short stories, and read, read, read, I am also finding myself drawn back to poetry. I look back at my first attempts at writing - all poetry - and shudder. But, I can still see more than 20 years later the energy with which I wrote.

Now as a father, I am helping my daughter with a poetry writing project for school. She has to write several poems and illustrate them. In college, I had a similar project.

Then the other day a student stopped me in the halls to tell me he'd read one of his poems recently during an open mike session. It was his first public reading, and I could tell he was excited about it. I still remember my excitement from my first public readings. It's a great feeling. He sent me a link to his YouTube video. So, here it is...