It’s not quite 2012 yet, but as the year winds to a close I’m starting to think the usual year-end resolution-type thoughts – you know, deciding where and who I want to be at this time next year, and coming up with concrete things I can do (and, conversely, things I most definitely do NOT want to do!) to help me get there.
One of my goals for the year is to become a better writer. By “better” I’m not necessarily referring to quality (though improving in that area is always a goal!), but rather consistency. To be quite honest, these days I write if and when I feel like it, or inspiration happens to strike, or I can be bothered to get up and turn off the TV or internet distractions. Sadly, that means that my output is pretty sparse, and when the act of writing happens so infrequently, my chances for improvement are narrow. At the end of this year, though, I’d like to be able to look back and see that I’ve changed and grown in terms of discipline in this area – that I don’t just write if and when I “feel” like it, but that writing is a regular part of my day-to-day life.
The first step I’ve taken is to sign up for January’s NaBloPoMo on BlogHer. I’ve done NaBloPoMo in the past, and found that the requirement to post daily blog entries really helped me in the area of discipline. While not every post turned out to be a gem, it definitely helped me to develop my skills as a writer, and to break past the inevitable writer’s block (in my case, also known as the “I can’t be bothereds”).
If you’d like to keep up with my efforts, watch this space! (If you’d like, you can also subscribe to my blog – the sign up form is right below the banner photo on the right-hand side of the page.)
Anyone else want to give NaBloPoMo a shot with me? If you do, please link me to your blog and we can encourage each other!