Another year past, another opportunity is NOW HERE to crank up the writing.
And that’s exactly what I intend to do this year!
I don’t want to beat around the bush here. So, let’s dive right into a few simple, straightforward writing goals I have this year.
Edit
I have plenty (plenty!) of finished first draft pieces now. (Maybe too many?). So, now it’s time to turn to editing, editing, editing.
To be honest, this is a phase I struggle with. I love the pre-writing, ideation, sketching out ideas. I also love writing first drafts: They’re a great adventure into the unknown. You never know exactly where you’re going to end up!
But editing, that’s something different. I feel it clips my wings a little. It’s more rational and analytical, less a roving adventure. But it’s very, very needed. A piece isn’t done until you really refine and polish it.
And now, that’s what I’ve got to do. So, I need to buckle down and edit these “first draft” pieces and make them sing. It’s as simple as that!
Submit
Once these drafts get to a good point, it’s time to submit.
I will take the shorter pieces and send them to magazines. Then, resell them to Podcasts and others looking for reprints. The longer pieces I will send to those imprints (publishing houses) announcing open calls for manuscripts. And in a few cases, agents doing the same.
Again, it’s as simple as that. As a writer, you must submit!
Keep Pursuing and Refining My Voice
If you joined us for the last post, you know I have been thinking about (obsessing over) “voice.”
I am in the midst of pursuing it now. So a big thing for me this year is thinking about embodying voice every time I sit down to write. Taking where I was born, where I live now, all my life experiences (good and bad), everything Darius is… And bringing it to the page.
Simple as that…right? Nothing could be easier (Ha! Ha!).
Edit and Submit Some More
When I’m done with steps 1-3 above. I need to return to editing and submitting more. Repeat.
Do it, Darius! Do it! …No!! No!!! Stop it!!!
No thinking about anything else. Do it!
Resist the Temptation to Write First Drafts
You know, there is a little voice inside my head saying:
“I do have some ideas for some great NEW stories, Podcasts, books!”
…But this year, I’m going to try to resist that Siren call. (Except for writing down some outlines). And focus on, you guessed it, more editing and submitting.
All for now! Will let you know how it all went in December! Take Care, Friends. Until next time.
Keep reading, keep writing,
Darius
Inside the Writer's Mind 
I hear ya like I hear that siren calling me to write something new before I’ve edited the last story. I advocate for letting a piece sit for a time after the first draft. What I need to do better is then set a firm start date to pick up editing it.
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Yes! This can be tough. I tend to let things “rest” for a bit (like a fine steak!) before picking them up again. It can be tough to know which first draft to tackle next!
Sometimes, I feel like Andre the Giant in ‘The Princess Bride’ talking about how to fight multiple adversaries at once. The writer’s (and wrestler’s) dilemma! … And here’s Andre:
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