Hello, friends.
As we all know, it’s just about time for the new year, which means it’s also time to get our hopes and dreams up and watch them perish slowly over the next 365 days. I’m talking about New Years’ Resolutions.
In my discussion of the subject, I’m going to mention something that I don’t intend on resolving to do. My junior year of high school, I started writing a novel as my passion project for my AP Lang class. In a surprise twist, I actually finished it. I spent the next couple of years working on polishing it, via a series of rereads and edits I consider one collective second draft. This past summer, I decided to crack down and make some big changes in a third draft. I went through and altered entire chapters, added new characters and subplots, all in red pen with a printed version in a binder on my lap. Editing made me feel powerful. The rewrites, however, made me feel unsure.
As I rewrote, I couldn’t help but feel like something was wrong. I did my best to write my instinct, a topic I’ve described in another blog post. I added unexpected twists when I felt bored, and did my best to write the right story. But no matter what I did, I knew it wasn’t working.
I was changing too much, but still not enough. It was like trying to patch up the holes in a sinking ship; even if I succeeded, it would look like a mess, and it could still sink from all the water in it. With extreme reluctance, I concluded I needed a new ship. I had to rewrite the story. From scratch.
Now this is not a task I plan on undertaking anytime soon. In fact, one of my major problems was that I felt I hadn’t researched enough. With any luck, I’ll be able to take some classes or at least have access to more research. I’ve abandoned my third draft, and I’m not going to start the fourth until I’m ready. I’m not ready now, and that’s okay.
I have a point or two hidden somewhere in this scattered anecdote.
First of all, the new year brings a sense of newness with it, no matter how corny the notion seems. A new year is the perfect time to start something new. Or it’s the perfect time to pursue old goals with renewed interest. If you’ve been wanting to write a book, now could be the time to start. If you want to join a book club or attend a workshop, make this your year. If you want to read more, set a goal, track the books you read, and read more.
My other point is that you don’t have to do everything. I know my limits and I know I’m not going to rewrite that novel until I’m good and ready. And that’s okay. I have other goals. You don’t have to resolve to fulfill every whim in your brain. Save some for next year, and the year after! And just because you might not uphold your resolutions this year doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make them. Having something to work toward means you’re motivated and inspired, two qualities you should strive to keep alive within yourself, even in the face of adversity or even failure.
One resolution I am making is the resolution to blog more. I’m going to do my best to blog every week, or at least every other week. So you’ll catch me here, hopefully more often and more consistently, in the new year.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. And happy New Year!
If a story is in you it has to come out.
– William Faulkner
Jayda Louise 