Status update…
Half way through the year is the perfect time to reassess your goals, achievements and resolutions, says Lynne Hackles
Lynne Hackles
Remember those New Year writing resolutions you made? How are they shaping up? Half way through the year is a good time to check up on their health.
© Keith Morris/Writer Pictures
Paul Magrs: ‘Don’t waste time comparing your own career with anyone else’s. Writing isn’t a competitive sport. Keep a journal. Everything goes back to your journals. Look after them. Also, draw – to give you a break from words.’
Which ones have gone wrong? Have some fallen by the wayside or any reached fruition? Which do you hope to complete before the end of this year and are they on target to do so? I asked several writers what their experiences have been.
Write more
Now this one’s easy, isn’t it? We probably all decide on the final night of each year that we’ll produce more work in the coming twelve months. But how many of us do?
Novelist Paul Magrs resolved to do four work sessions every day – 9am, 11am, 2pm, 4pm – and work on at least two ongoing projects. And he’s managed this for the past six months.
Susan Blackburn hasn’t. She says: ‘The amount I write suits my lifestyle balance so that fell by the wayside.’
• You’ll need discipline and a plan if you want to write more during this second half of the year. Decide when you are going to write and how you can fit in those extra words. Or, like Sue, be content with what you have achieved. A balance between writing and living needs to be achieved.