I Resolve to Buckle Down…and Lighten Up

December 27, 2018 | By Erin Bartels | Reply More

According to the History Channel, the ancient Babylonians were the first to make New Year’s resolutions around 4,000 years ago. The Romans did it too. Back then, it was more about appeasing the gods than self-improvement, but the basic premise is the same: atone for one’s faults and vow to do better.

Lately, resolutions have gotten a bad rep. They’re too big, too vague. We’re encouraged to break things down into small, manageable, actionable goals rather than making sweeping statements about how we’re going to change ourselves. In the spirit of this very sensible advice, let’s forego the standard “I resolve to become a bestselling author” nonsense for some more realistic achievables, shall we?

If you’re not sure where to start, let this handy list be your guide.

In the coming year…

I resolve to protect one hour a day for my own writing time.

I resolve to waste only ten minutes of that hour scrolling through Twitter, getting more coffee, checking my email, letting the dog out, yelling at my kids to get ready for school, and telling my husband that his socks are blue, not black.

I resolve to beat my insufferable internal editor into submission.

No seriously, you rotten old crone, it’s not your turn to talk. I HAVE THE CONCH!

I resolve to support my fellow writers.

I resolve to not be bitter that I’m supporting them way more than they’re supporting me—I mean, would it kill them to buy a dozen more copies of my book to give to their friends, and would it further kill those people to post gushing praise for my book every day on Facebook?

I resolve to eat better, exercise more, and cut out the caffeine.

I resolve to stop lying to myself and others about how I will start eating better, exercising more, and cutting out the caffeine.

I resolve to not call bingeing all eight seasons of my favorite show on Netflix “research” when everyone knows it’s “procrastination.”

I resolve to forgive myself for “procrastination.”

I resolve to spend no more than six hours setting up the perfect #bookporn shot of my book to share on Instagram…this week.

I resolve to reach out to other writers who are struggling.

I resolve to stop pretending I am never one of them.

I resolve to accept critiques from beta readers with more grace.

I resolve to live by the following definition of “more grace”: shorter screaming fit into nearest pillow, only one glass of red wine, and no more vaguebooking about how frustrating it is that “some people” wouldn’t understand true art if it stabbed them in the back.

I resolve to read one book a week in my genre.

Pffffffffffttttt. Who am I kidding? I’m too busy watching videos of panda cubs going down slides.

I resolve to submit short pieces to magazines, journals, and websites regularly, knowing that I cannot have my work accepted somewhere if I don’t risk rejection.

I resolve not to take rejection personally and instead channel all of my rage and self-loathing into something productive, like knitting aggressively cute socks or making dioramas using nothing but the contents of my cat’s litterbox.

I resolve to have a writing partner who will keep me on task and accountable.

I resolve to pretend to be grateful for her frequent texts filled with exclamation points and happy emojis harping on me to “Have a great day, partner!!! ?”

I resolve to watch more movies that feature writers as main characters as inspiration for my own writing life.

I resolve not to forget that Misery, while it features a writer as a main character, is not necessarily “inspiring” in the sense I’m talking about.

I resolve to write like no one will ever read it.

I resolve to revise and edit like everyone will read it. Including my mom.

I resolve to write more diverse characters.

I resolve to actually develop real relationships with people who don’t look or live like me so that I will know what the hell I’m talking about and also because it is good for the human race.

I resolve to get out of my office and into the wide world to lend authenticity to my writing.

I resolve to be less obvious about eavesdropping on people in restaurants and coffeeshops so that they don’t look at me weird and then move to another table where I can’t really hear them anymore.

I resolve to undergird my writing with research.

I resolve to go deeper in my research than Wikipedia and anecdotal evidence on Facebook.

I resolve to stop comparing myself with writers who are further along in their careers.

I resolve to get that restraining order Stephen King took out on me lifted, or at least get that “500 ft” thing bumped down to 300.

I resolve to not buy any more books until I get through my TBR list.

I resolve to start breathing again before I pass out from laughing so hard at that last one.

You see, dear fellow writer? It’s not so hard to make some manageable goals for next year. Do you have a writing resolution for 2019? Share it in the comments! And remember, if you screw up, the gods will be very angry. ?

Erin Bartels has been a publishing professional for nearly 17 years. Her debut novel We Hope for Better Things, releases January 1st and she hopes you resolve to read it! Her weekly podcast, Your Face Is Crooked, drops on Monday mornings. You can find her online at her website, www.erinbartels.com, as well as on Facebook @ErinBartelsAuthor, Twitter @ErinLBartels, and Instagram @erinbartelswrites

We Hope for Better Things

When Detroit Free Press reporter Elizabeth Balsam meets James Rich, his strange request—that she look up a relative she didn’t know she had in order to deliver an old camera and a box of photos—seems like it isn’t worth her time. But when she loses her job after a botched investigation, she suddenly finds herself with nothing but time.

At her great-aunt’s 150-year-old farmhouse, Elizabeth uncovers a series of mysterious items, locked doors, and hidden graves. As she searches for answers to the riddles around her, the remarkable stories of two women who lived in this very house emerge as testaments to love, resilience, and courage in the face of war, racism, and misunderstanding. And as Elizabeth soon discovers, the past is never as past as we might like to think.

Take an emotional journey through time—from the volatile streets of 1960s Detroit to the Underground Railroad during the Civil War—to uncover the past, confront the seeds of hatred, and discover where love goes to hide.

Buy the book HERE

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