Thursday, December 27, 2012

Five OLD habits to bid farewell in 2012

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Dear Bloggie Friends:
After a well-deserved break, I’m back to the blogosphere!

I hope you are enjoying the holiday season and recharging your writing batteries to welcome 2013.
I’ve been reflecting on some bad writing habits –I must confess– that have impeded me from writing in the last quarter of the year.
1)      Procrastinating (I’ll do it tomorrow)
2)      Making time (I’m too busy this week)
3)      Lying to myself (It’s not as important as…)
So, before the year is officially over, I’d like to share some bad habits that writers, especially aspiring writers are guilty of. Yes, old habits are oftentimes hard to break but not impossible to overcome.

1)      I don’t need to follow any rules:

Think again my fellow writer! We ALL need to pay heed to the rules. For instance, when entering a contest you have to follow their instructions, otherwise you’ll ruin your chances at participating. This also applies when submitting your manuscript. Not following instructions can give the impression you are careless.

2)      Don’t play the blame game:

If your manuscript is not accepted, don’t blame yourself or the publisher. Use this opportunity to edit it or submit it to a different publisher.

3)      Leave your ego at the door:

We’ve all been there! We think our work is better than anyone else’s. It may be so, but being egocentric can discourage a potential publisher, agent, and/or fellow writers (especially if you’re not published yet).

4)      My publisher can do the marketing:

Wrong! Nowadays most writers do their own marketing through social media, word of mouth, networking, and community events. The good old days where even small authors had an agent or publisher to do the leg work are gone. The modern writer/author is also a multi-tasking entrepreneur.

5)      Don’t leave for tomorrow what you can do today:

Procrastinating is a writer’s worst nemesis. As I said before, this is my biggest problem. So this year I plan to write at least one page per day. I’ll remind myself by setting a reminder on my smart-phone, another one on my laptop calendar, and post-it notes on my fridge.

So as we put our old habits to sleep, a new dawn awaits.
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND KEEP ON WRITING!!!

10 comments:

  1. HI Claudia!
    Welcome back!! Was excited to see your post today!

    I am quite guilty of procrastinating! Especially this year. I did not do hardly any writing. And I keep reminding myself that the book is not going to get written unless I get to writing!!

    Thanks for sharing that list!

    Wishing you a Happy New Year!

    :)

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  2. Welcome back, Claudia! You have been much missed. I will definitely commit to your rules especially the one about writing a page a day.....! Happy New Year and all the best for 2013.

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  3. Hi Cathy,
    Thank you for your wishes! Glad you find this list helpful.
    Hope we can get back on track in 2013 ;)
    Have a wonderful and healthy new year!

    Hi Ingrid,
    Awww! Thanks for your kind words. Believe me, these rules apply to me, too. ;) The new year should motivate me to follow them.
    Happy New Year to and your loved ones!

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  4. Great advice... just wish I was at that level to even be considered by an agent, let alone a publisher. But one can dream ;)

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  5. Hi Mark,
    You don't need to be at this level to apply these rules. Whether you're an established writer or an aspiring one, these rules will take you a long way ;)

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  6. Welcome back, Claudia! You were missed! Your post is definitely applicable to me right now-- particularly with the "making time". I hope you've had a happy new year celebration and hope 2013 brings you much success and happiness!

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    1. Hi Raquel,
      Thanks for your wishes. It's taken me a while but slowly, I'm getting back on track ;)

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  7. How very true, Claudia, guilty as charged - a happy and successful year with your writing.

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    1. Hi Carole Anne,
      I think this happens to a lot of us ;)
      I wish you a healthy, safe, and successful year as well!

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  8. Loving the picture and your inspiration, Claudia! Thank you for the reminder to just write. May your creativity flow this year!

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