TB here to chat about doing what’s right for you.
I’m not known for being the most organized person on the planet or even in my apartment if you ask my cat Grey for her opinion on the matter.
Every new year I dread the “What are your resolutions?” question because I hate failure. Publicly stating my goals is a surefire way of falling flat on my face for all to see.
Back in 2020, I changed my tune and actually jotted down my writing goals and then I foolishly stated them on my podcast. I think I even told a few people close to me it was going to be “my year.”
You probably knew what happened as soon as you read the year: 2020.
After that, I decided to never ever write down specific writing goals, which I’ve mostly stuck to. I prefer a loose framework of goals without mapping out all the steps to accomplish them because I find that overwhelming.
The funny thing is, 2021 turned out to be one of my most productive years. Same with 2022.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t write down goals if that works for you. It motivates some people, and it helps them stay focused. If you’re like me, though, it does the opposite. Even if 2020 hadn’t turned into such a global shitshow, I still believe I wouldn’t have done very well.
My brain hates being told what to do. I don’t like rigid rules and I’ll find ways to self-sabotage. Every. Damn. Time.
Or I’ll get discouraged by how I “should” do things to be a “real” author. If you spend any time at all in author forums, listen to podcasts, or take courses from “successful” authors, you probably know what I’m talking about.
Way back in the days when I was barely legal to vote, I already had the burning desire to become an author. I attended a talk by an author I admired. When an audience member asked what book was on her nightstand, she said she didn’t read. She feared reading other people’s books would make their stories end up on her blank page. She didn’t outright suggest authors had to give up reading, but it was how I interpreted the advice.
Let me tell you, I was devastated. I knew I could never give up reading. As an impressionable young adult, I thought that meant I would have to forget the dream of being a writer. Fortunately, years later and before I was ever in a position in my own life to take my writing seriously, I found out this author’s viewpoint was in the minority. Even so, I let one person’s advice have a huge impact on me.
This is why the advice I always give to authors, new and seasoned alike, is to take advice with a grain of salt. Even mine. Yes, read all the how-to books, because you’ll probably learn something new. But remember, we’re all different people. No one has a one-size fits all system. If something doesn’t work for you, it’s no more a reflection on your abilities than it is when you pull a particular pair of trousers off a rack and they’re not the right length. Ultimately, you are the only person who knows how your brain works. Don’t be afraid to take a nip here and a tuck there to tailor all that advice out there (and there’s a lot of it) to fit you.
In my opinion, the best resolution you can make is to accept yourself as you are. Don’t try to be anyone else. Come up with strategies that work for you. Change them when you need to. I’m always talking about the ability to pivot. Dropping something that doesn’t work isn’t the same thing as failure. Knowing when to change course is a vital skill in this line of work. Publishing is changing daily. Stay informed, make the changes necessary, and don’t believe the way you do things is wrong just because some super-fancy so-and-so says you shouldn’t do it that way.
