I will check in with myself once a month about my writing goals and progress. (Thus, the “sort of” in the title — my one resolution leads to twelve check ins.) I will do this on (or near) the fifth of each month. I’m thinking of it as Facing Facts on the Fifth — an accountability check-in, if you will.

So, in preparing for this post, I had emailed many of the authors who had graciously appeared on this blog over the course of 2011. Now, in keeping with a creative personality, I didn’t think of this post until we were getting close to Christmas, Channukah, etc. so I was worried about my emails getting lost in the collective business of the season. I was waiting for responses from a few more people and then one came in from an author who has multiple novels out, including a new one in 2011. He shall remain nameless, but here’s what he said:

“To tell you the truth, I don’t really understand the “checking in” concept.  I’m writing daily, often on more than one project, and simply trying to move forward on all of them.  That forward movement, which can mean a number of things, is something I check on more or less continually as part of the process.  I don’t doubt that there are a number of goals I should probably set, and check various things to see if I’m making progress.  But I don’t.  And I probably won’t start at this late date.  Sorry I can’t make a positive contribution on this.”

Little did he know, he did make a positive contribution. He has moved beyond the need to formally check in with himself. Bravo! So, for all of you who have already achieved the discipline and drive of this author, kudos to you. I will try to avoid a sexist rant, but I find it interesting that three of the authors I never heard from are men – with wives – and I do wonder if that fact helps them achieve a degree of dedication that some women find challenging to achieve. No excuses, just wondering. I KNOW that even though my children are no longer in need of me on a constant basis, I STILL allow myself to slip into not carving time for writing, but being quite generous with family fretting time.

That being said, when I emailed asking my author friends what they would check in on with themselves, if they were to on a monthly basis, here are their responses in no particular order — and, as you will read, some interpreted the question more in terms of a single New Year’s Resolution, rather than a monthly check-in:

Kim Suhr – on Pam Writes – “Submit. Submit. Submit! Somehow, this one always slips to the bottom of the list.”

Joanne Nelson – “Well, at this time I’ve been working towards writing a certain number of hours a day (or writerly activities anyway!), so my check in would # 1 be about making sure I was carving out the time I promised to myself!”

Judy Bridges – on Pam Writes -  “All I need to set my writing life on fire is one coffee date a month with a particular woman who can intimidate the hell out of me. She won’t let me change the date, she won’t take any excuses, and she won’t accept anything but first class work. I’m not telling her name because if she reads this, she’ll know how powerful she is and whip me into shape. I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”

Tony Press – on Pam Writes – “….once a month, take a peek at the random scraps of paper I’ve deposited on various surfaces, that boast a variety of phrases and sentences I’ve conjured, individual words I’ve bumped into and want to use, snippets of overheard conversations, and specific reminders to myself … and A.)
organize the notes & scribbles into a single piece of paper (or Word document), with appropriate discards B.  use/do one or two of these brilliant ideas.”

Lisa Rivero – on Pam Writes – “I plan to write one new short story each month and to submit one short story each month in 2012.”

Christi Craig – on Pam Writes – “In this past year, I’ve learned the importance of setting realistic goals for myself. At first, I said things like, “This month I will finish that novel draft.” When that goal fell through, I extended my time to finishing in three months. When three months proved too short, I thought about quitting. Lofty goals sometimes discourage me more than they encourage me to accomplish my bigger dreams. This year, I am setting smaller goals that are more easily achieved. My new year’s resolution? Put together a collection of flash fiction stories, which means editing and critiquing old stories and writing, editing and critiquing new stories. For now, I write better when I write short. I have no idea where that collection will end up, but I have some old favorite flash fiction stories that deserve more attention, and finishing out that collection with fresh stories will satisfy my desire to create something new.”

So, ponder the resolutions of these authors, see if any resonate for you, and tomorrow I will post about my monthly check-in. Because tomorrow is my fateful day — the Fifth day, when I will Face Facts about my Writing.

Happy #writing. Would LOVE to hear any of your ideas for checking in/accountability for yourselves with your writing.

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