Because it's better late than never - I've decided to share my writing resolutions for 2009. I can't make any resolutions along the lines of "I will write this many scripts this year..." or "Sell a script for this much money" because those can vary so much. So, I've decided to focus on improvements to my writing practices. I've got nasty habits that can be improved, so I'll start there.
- No more internet after 10 PM. This means e-mail, Google reader, checking our facebook fan page, or, ahem, blogging here. New /Film posts will still be there in the morning when I have my coffee. If Ken Levine had something funny to blog about, it'll still be funny tomorrow. "Checking my e-mail" usually turns into hours of useless Wikipedia/AllMusic scouring. From now on, I'll be reading or watching movies in bed and hopefully sleeping earlier.
My writing is least productive during the evening hours, which leads me to...
- Wake up earlier to write. Typically, I do my best writing in the 6:00 AM - 8:00 AM hours before I head to my day job. I'll usually write for a while in the evenings, but my word counts are never remotely close. I've always been a morning guy. This year I'll make sure to take better advantage of my mornings: wake up, have my coffee, and then it's writing time. Every morning.
With those morning hours used more productively, it should free up a bit of time in the evenings to...
- See more movies. I watch a good number of films already, but it's still probably not enough for an aspiring screenwriter. I double-majored in cinema studies in college while working as a projectionist in the department... during those three years I was watching seven to ten movies a week. It helped that my job and classes were centered around that, but the number I see now has tragically dwindled to two, maybe three, movies a week, on average. Now that Cake Man and I both have Netflix subscriptions, and I have access to hundreds of movies through their Instawatch program, there's really no excuse not to be seeing more.
Along those lines, I should also...
- Read more books. And no, musicians' biographies don't count. (Resolution: First mention of Gram Parsons, put the book down!) I would guess I read about 30 books last year (King Suckerman is ashamed of me now, I can tell) but the number of fiction books in there was less than five. I like fiction. Why haven't I been reading more of it?
Speaking of fiction...
- Try branching out into a new writing format. Because why not? I haven't really written prose in a few years. Maybe it won't show my strengths? But I don't know that yet. It's worth trying, for sure.
And there we go; I'm interested in seeing how these stick through the year. Bring it, 2009!
On a related note, FilmInFocus asked 22 filmmakers about their resolutions for 2009. Fun read, especially if you recognize a few of the interviewees.
What are your writing resolutions for 2009?
5 comments:
I'm with you 100% on the Read More Books. I didn't know where to find the time before, especially if the writing was coming along well. But now I've sucked it up and started doing the subway reading. I was surprised when I actually started finishing books again.
Reading, in my mind, is almost as important as writing regularly -- it's through experiencing other writers' work that you can decide what kind of voice you want. At least it helps me in my writing. I've been kind of a reading fiend for the last 2-3 years, clocking in at least three or four books a month, sometimes more. My resolution is to expand things a bit -- maybe slow down on the crime fiction and check out some other stuff.
I'm hoping to read more consistantly. Often times two or three books will get finished in a week or so then I'll hit a slump for a month. This probably has more to do with time management than anything else. Other resolutions? Lose that last bit of weight, Eat healthier, Cook more (Order out less), Learn another language, Spend more time doing what I enjoy rather than must do. I think that's enough.
Yeah, 10-14 movies and a book a week makes a huge difference.
I'm doing better thus far... one book and seven movies this week!
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