My special guest today is fellow Romance Diva Jennifer Colgan. She writes for Amber Quill and Amber Heat and has a new release called Strange New World coming in Feb 2009 from Samhain Publishing. Jennifer also writes under the name of Bernadette Gardner for Ellora’s Cave. Today Jennifer is talking about the measuring up and taking stock we all do at the start of a new year. Over to Jennifer…
First off, I’d like to thank Shelley for inviting me to be her guest. I’ve been reading all the wonderful posts by her previous guests and wondering how I can measure up.
The question of measuring up – of taking stock of who and what we are, is one that usually plagues me during this time of year. Though I strive to see the year as a circle with no real beginning and I subscribe to the idea that it’s never too late to start something, when the end of December rolls around, I invariably find myself contemplating how the year that’s coming to a close measures up to the one before, and how it will impact the one after.
This past year was a whirlwind for me. It seemed to fly by in a blur while I tried to keep all my plates spinning at once. In addition to writing for three publishers and editing for two, I still hold a part time job outside of writing and of course care for my home and family, which includes a husband, two children and an ever-expanding collection of pets. While I wish I could say this was a year of unprecedented accomplishment, to be honest, it was more a year of unflagging dedication to getting the job done. I measured each day in how many pages I wrote [and usually how many loads of laundry I washed]. I became quota girl so to speak, stuck on the DO MORE treadmill. “Get it done” was my motto.
While that might seem like it worked fairly well from the standpoint of an outside observer – I wrote five stories, sold seven, and edited twenty – not to mention finding time to read forty other books, most for my own enjoyment, I did lose track of something I’m hoping to regain in 2009. While striving to accomplish, to GET IT DONE, I began to lose some of the wonder of my craft and that’s where I’ve decided to concentrate my efforts to see that 2009 measures beyond 2008.
I don’t plan to exceed my word count this year, or to read 41 books instead of 40. My goal for 2009 is a bit more elusive. I want to love what I’m doing again. I want to get back to the way it was when I started out, writing for the joy of seeing a story unfold before me on the page, letting my characters surprise me by doing something I hadn’t planned for them, rather than vex me by stalling my progress for the day.
It may seem like a small detail in the overall scheme of things, but to me it’s huge and will mark for me whether or not 2009 is a success. If I can fall in love with writing all over again, I will be able to say the New Year not only measured up but surpassed the old one.
Happy Holidays everyone and may you not only meet but exceed all your goals in the coming months!
Question from Shelley: How do you approach the new year? Do you take stock like Jennifer? Decide to do things differently?
Don’t forget to check out Jennifer’s story, Fresh Blood, available on her website for free! Here’s the link.
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Hi, Jennifer! Thanks for the thoughtful and thought-provoking post! I haven’t done as much taking stock in recent years as I used to, but I think it may be time to do a bit more of a sit down this year :) It’s good to reflect on what’s working well and the blessings one has and then think about goals to shoot toward for the foreseeable future–got to know where you’re aiming, right? ;) Best wishes with rediscovering the joy in the writing!
by Fedora December 28th, 2008 at 12:22 amApproaching this new year was a little different for me. I’ve been teaching Sunday School for the adult class at church this month and so I’ve been taking a different look at What I do for others and how I approach my life. So this year’s resolution is different form year’s past as it’s not really about me but about helping others.
by Amy W. December 28th, 2008 at 11:55 amHi Jennifer,
I always start fretting about how unorganized my life seems at the end of the year and draw up plans to get it in order and thus make it more productive. In that respect, I am a quota girl because I’m taking stock of what I’ve done and what I want to do.
It seems to me if you lose the joy in what you are doing, though, you actually become less productive in the long run. So measuring success on a quota level may be satisfactory for a limited time. Quantity may be good; quality may suffer.
I hope you find your joie de vive in writing again, though if Blood Moon is any indication, I don’t think you’ve lost any of it.
Thanks Shelley for having Jennifer to get us on track and reassess our goals.
Julie
by Julie Robinson December 28th, 2008 at 12:06 pmGreat post, Jennifer. It really spoke to me.
2008 was a year of head down and writing hard. I’ve taken it easier during December but I’m ready to start work again. I’d like to strike a happy balance where I can write for the joy of it without stressing about all the other pressures that come with wanting success. We’ll see how I go…
by Shelley Munro December 28th, 2008 at 12:31 pmIt does seem that maybe you had “too many irons in the fire” this year (as my Grandma would say). There is such a thing as doing too much, because it can take the joy out of what we’re doing.
by Lucinda December 28th, 2008 at 12:36 pmI’m not one for taking stock. I live one day at a time. Right now, that’s the only way I can stay sane. Happy New Year!!
I’ve been exactly where Jennifer and probably most published authors get to at some point in their careers, where pressure to produce (be it complete projects or simply high daily word counts) eradicates the joy of writing and seems to consume the day.
I agree with Julie, when authors get to that place and stay there, quality of work suffers. There are any number of prolific authors I no longer read for just this reason. The fear of becoming one of them made it easy for me to take a step back, cut my daily word counts, and return to a place where I enjoy writing and have time for other things as well, including reading and riding my horses.
Like Lucinda, I don’t take stock at year-end or make resolutions, but I am very aware of the value of living each day to the fullest.
by Jory Strong December 28th, 2008 at 1:10 pmHi Fedora! Thanks for stopping by and good luck with your goals in the New Year.
Amy, That’s a great way to look at the New Year. I’m also thinking more about what I can do for others. I think it can actually relieve stress to put our minds on helping others more so than helping ourselves.
Thanks for stopping by, Julie! I agree that productivity can go down the more you try to reach a quota. When doing what you love becomes a chore it’s time to reassess what you want and how to go about getting it. I hope I’m able to do that this year.
Hi Lucinda! Your Grandma would be right. Too many irons in the fire in exactly how I felt. Sometimes I have enough trouble handling one iron. LOL. I’d like to concentrate this year on doing one or two things well, instead of ten things just adequately.
Hi Jory! I definitely know I’m not alone in my fear of burning out. I know a number of authors who have expressed the same feelings…and I suppose it’s something we all deal with at one point or another. I’m hoping it will be easier for me to step back now and get myself back on track, than later when I might be in the middle of several contracts.
Thanks again to Shelley for inviting me to her blog and thank you all for dropping by and commenting!
by Jennifer Colgan December 28th, 2008 at 1:28 pmExcellent 2009 goal, Jennifer.
by Sandra Cox December 28th, 2008 at 2:31 pmHey, Shel:)
Hi Sandra
Happy New Year!
by Shelley Munro December 28th, 2008 at 2:51 pmGreat post! I think a lot of people can relate to having “lost the joy”. Here’s hoping you find it again soon!
by Jen December 29th, 2008 at 6:47 amI’m approaching the new year with trepidation but also with new hope. I would like to see a lot of change in my life, budget and financial wise, but also on the health front. The future is a scary place.
Deidre
by Deidre December 30th, 2008 at 12:39 pmJennifer, I really like your approach for the next year in just exceeding this year by rediscovering the enjoyment of what you do.
Basically, the approach of the new year is a time for me to look ahead and recognize that the new year presents a number of possibilities for me. I like to think that it will be better than the last but, like Jennifer, not better in a necessarily quantitative but more a qualititative way.
by Karin December 30th, 2008 at 5:07 pm