I've given up on resolutions for years now. I like to do a one-word focus for every new year instead. This time around the sun, I'm aiming to RESTART. To me, this means having a fresh perspective on things and concentrating a lot on forgiveness. For others. But maybe even more so, for myself. One tiny example of this: On New Year's Eve, I didn't have the planned fun festive celebration I had anticipated. Our family get-together got derailed by sickness (colds--though I, thankfully, … [Read more...]
New Year (Writing) Resolutions
January 3, 2022 6 Comments
Hope everyone had a safe and relaxing holiday season! I wish every day of my life was filled with tinsel and lights, like so: Alas! It's on to the New Year. Which brings to mind resolutions, especially of the writing variety. As an author, I actually don't start fresh on January 1st. Instead, I use a system of constant goals. For example, I have a standalone mystery that I've been tinkering around with since last year. Except I didn't quite make my personal cutoff date for constructing a … [Read more...]
The Pantser Resolution
December 29, 2014 4 Comments
"Life brings you a bold and dashing adventure." You know, I thought of myself as a plotter and not a pantser when writing stories. After completing a number of manuscripts now, I realize that I'm more unstructured than I thought. Sure, I still do research and have a general idea of where the story's going. Nonetheless, my characters always surprise me and act in ways that I never thought they would. Endings also tend to shift around for me, based on the protagonist's unforeseen … [Read more...]
Laughing into next year
January 6, 2014 9 Comments
"Better to make a net than to yearn for fish at the edge of a pond." -Chinese proverb New Year resolutions are about being pro-active. Oftentimes in life (and particularly in writing), you're on the receiving end; the only thing you can change is your attitude. This year, my one word resolution is: laugh. Here are some funny things that have improved my mood over this past year: "Imagine You're a Chinese Immigrant" assignment "9 Wack Things White Guy Say To Deny Their Asian Fetish" … [Read more...]
