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Our yearly resolutions are our visit to the Writers Confessional. Here we state our deficiencies and provide a tentative plan to do penance by rectifying our sins.
My killer resolution.
For the last four years, the first resolution I aimed to resolve with great efficacy is: I will write 500 words a day!
Now really, that is not a difficult task. I see bloggers who average that daily week after week. Many are overly prolific and can be seen as ” Writing simply to write.” No matter its value, it is still writing.
New Years’ eve
I wrote four resolutions, beginning with the admonition to write 500 words minimally each day. On January 1st, I wrote the heading and started sketching ideas on how I wanted the post to progress. Toal word output for 1/1/2022: 9 words. Only 491 words short.
Most of you will immediately see all of this as simple procrastination or the manifestation of some fear of writing itself.
Resolving the Resolution
It seems silly to keep failing the same resolution year after year. It didn’t take too much research to realize this is not an uncommon problem. Repeating the same error solves nothing. A possible solution or game plan came to my inbox from Reedsy Learning. They were advertising three FREE writing correspondence classes. The first was on Procrastination and Writers Block. I am taking that class as an adventure, and I have found one lesson to be of great value.
What really may Stop Your Writing
While procrastination is almost always involved in Writer’s Block, it may not be what is dragging your writing to a halt. The real problem might be a need for [perfection.]
I am a strong advocate of editing and rewriting. All of us can write a better version of what we have written. At the very least, your writing should encompass proper grammar. If you can’t spell or write a simple sentence, learn how to do so before calling yourself a writer.
Probably, one or two passes should eliminate your grammatical and syntactical errors. Perhaps one final pass to change a word or two.
A Novel or an Article
When do you stop making changes in your search for perfection? If you are a novelist, you may want to make more than just one pass through your latest draft.
If you are writing an article or a blog, you want a solid persuasive piece of writing. That drive to produce the perfect post can ensure it will never see the light of day.
The strongest argument made in that one lesson is that you have a decision to make. At what point are incremental improvements to your work of little or no value. Any work after this point is of negative importance. STOP IT. Send the article for publishing. Your creative work is done.