Writers' Resolutions for 2022

[ScrappyPaperDoodler]

So, this may be a little premature, but it’s about that time of the year that people start thinking about their goals for the next. So, simple question: what are your writing resolutions for 2022?

Mine are quite simple:

1. Stop using Hemingway (it’s a tool that identifies adverbs and complex sentences, and while it’s definitely helpful, it forces me to write in a certain way).
2. Care less about what readers want and more about what I want to write.

 

[TadOverdon]

So, this may be a little premature, but it’s about that time of the year that people start thinking about their goals for the next. So, simple question: what are your writing resolutions for 2022?

Mine are quite simple:

1. Stop using Hemingway (it’s a tool that identifies adverbs and complex sentences, and while it’s definitely helpful, it forces me to write in a certain way).
2. Care less about what readers want and more about what I want to write.

Well, let's see:

1. Look up Hemingway* (and then probably bitch about it if I use it, the same way I do Grammarly). LOL. Curiosity, if nothing else; I hadn't heard of it until just now.
2. Get my daily word count up closer to where it was during the work-at-home phase of the pandemic response. It's taking me twice as long to get something done now as it did in 2020.
3. Not unconnected with item (2), simplify plotting. The current book has a plot that in all honesty doesn't work. That's not new for ol "Tad," but the plot's been pushed so much to front and center this time that I fear it's more likely to annoy readers than in the past.
4. Find a happy medium where some of the "rules" I've been learning this year are concerned. I went all-in on Adverb-Free Prose, and in revision I'm adding some back. I'm unsure that every best practice is appropriate to what I do; I notice that some of the writers who appear to be well-liked and who (more importantly, to me) I enjoy reading are more relaxed and less formal than I tried to be for some months. Dialogue tags, on the other hand, continue to be Of Satan.
5. Writing first. Most days, if I'm not traveling, I still have some freedom in blocking out the schedule on which I do the day job. If I write before I "go to the office," I get more writing done both before and after my paid hours. If OTOH I hover around killing time early in the day I lack the focus to write in the evenings. Have to get the engine turning over early.

 

[Emirus]

More than 2021

I have only one resolution for 2022 and that is to improve on my output for 2021 which was zero! In fact my last story to be published was 15 months ago. Lots of unfinished ones for which I haven’t run out of words (there’s plenty in my head) just run out of motivation. I’m actually thinking of doing some editing for writers who send me interesting stories. Anything to get out of this rut because I’m so p***** off with myself.

 

[SimonDoom]

1. Publish at least one Literotica story per month, and be more consistent about writing every day so I stay on track.

2. I won't name them here, but there are specific stories I have started that I want to finish, once and for all, in 2022, including a BDSM-theme Valentine's Day story, two unfinished exhibitionist series, a cosplay-themed mom-son story, my long-stewing erotic horror story, an incubus story, and a few others.

3. Publish in at least two new categories.

4. Finish my damn movie screenplay (has nothing to do with Lit).

5. Make substantial progress on a (non-Lit) novel I've been noodling over for a while.

6. Read novels on a "to read" list I'm creating for 2022. It's a mish-mash of classics, Sci-Fi, detective/noir novels, and Pulitzer Prize winners.

7. Last but probably most importantly, I want to finish 2022 believing, regardless of any scores or numbers, that I have improved as a writer over the course of the year.

 

[rescatooor]

6. Read novels on a "to read" list I'm creating for 2022. It's a mish-mash of classics, Sci-Fi, detective/noir novels, and Pulitzer Prize winners.

Love such lists. I want to see it. I may pitch a good addition for it, and maybe talk you out of reading something on it.

 

[oggbashan]

For me? Try to stay alive for the whole year.

As well as that? If I survive, reach a total of 500 stories as oggbashan.

 

[SimonDoom]

Love such lists. I want to see it. I may pitch a good addition for it, and maybe talk you out of reading something on it.

A few things on the list, so far:

1. Finish Stephenson, Anathem
2. Read Joyce, Ulysses, once and for all
3. Henry James, The Aspern Papers
4. Jim Thompson, The Killer In Me
5. Doris Lessing, The Golden Notebook
6. Re-read As You Like It and The Tempest by Shakespeare, and re-read some sonnets
7. Maltese Falcon
8. Clockwork Orange
9. White Teeth, Zadie Smith
10. Achebe, Things Fall Apart
11. Madame Bovary (somehow I never read this)
12. Wise Blood, Flannery O'Connor
13. Re-read 2 books from the Old Testament, King James version
14. Money, Martin Amis
17. Neuromancer, Gibson
18. Something I haven't read by one of the Bronte sisters
19. Eugenides, Middlesex
20. Beloved, Toni Morrison
21. A good erotic novel. These are hard to find.

It changes all the time. I'm sure I will cross some things off of this list, and add more. I like to mix old stuff with newer stuff, different genres, heavy stuff with lighter stuff, different prose styles, different subject matters.

I'm happy to take suggestions! Especially novels of this millennium. I'm trying to resist aging literary Boomer syndrome.

I also want to get through Ch. 5 "Grammar and Usage" in the Chicago Manual of Style. I want to tighten up my style by the end of 2022. I'm still too sloppy.

 

[TadOverdon]

Middlesex is a fine book. Neuromancer is what they call "seminal" in the sense of the word that doesn't involve body fluids. Madame Bovary is the novel that Vonnegut said that all novelists are supposed to aspire to but that none read.

 

[MelissaBaby]

When I started writing, the only plan I had was to write the story of my own life experiences. When I finished that, I decided I wanted to keep writing, and I came up with three major projects; a long series that would be "the biography" of a life long relationship from beginning to end (Mary and Alvin), A novella about strippers (The Gold Dollar Girls) and, because the first thing I ever wrote as a child was a series of adventures about a girl who became a forest ranger, the adult version of that (The Adventures of Ranger Ramona).

So, those are all checked off the list and I'm at a crossroads. I do plan some follow ups on Ramona and the Gold Dollar Girls, because I really love writing those characters, but those are side projects.

My goal for 2022 is to write in more categories that I have not explored before. My next submission will be in Lesbian, although that may be out before the end of the year if I don't procrastinate.

One other thing, I bailed out on the Mickey Spillane challenge, because the story I started went to a place that was much too dark. I will likely take another run at it from a different direction.

 

[MelissaBaby]

21. A good erotic novel. These are hard to find.

I guess you better write one then.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Middlesex is a fine book. Neuromancer is what they call "seminal" in the sense of the word that doesn't involve body fluids. Madame Bovary is the novel that Vonnegut said that all novelists are supposed to aspire to but that none read.

When I knew I was going to be moving to Detroit, I sought out books that took place there. Middlesex was first on the list. Then, a lot of Elmore Leonard.

Wonderful book, I can't recommend it strongly enough.

 

[rescatooor]

A few things on the list, so far:

1. Finish Stephenson, Anathem
2. Read Joyce, Ulysses, once and for all
3. Henry James, The Aspern Papers
4. Jim Thompson, The Killer In Me
5. Doris Lessing, The Golden Notebook
6. Re-read As You Like It and The Tempest by Shakespeare, and re-read some sonnets
7. Maltese Falcon
8. Clockwork Orange
9. White Teeth, Zadie Smith
10. Achebe, Things Fall Apart
11. Madame Bovary (somehow I never read this)
12. Wise Blood, Flannery O'Connor
13. Re-read 2 books from the Old Testament, King James version
14. Money, Martin Amis
17. Neuromancer, Gibson
18. Something I haven't read by one of the Bronte sisters
19. Eugenides, Middlesex
20. Beloved, Toni Morrison
21. A good erotic novel. These are hard to find.

It changes all the time. I'm sure I will cross some things off of this list, and add more. I like to mix old stuff with newer stuff, different genres, heavy stuff with lighter stuff, different prose styles, different subject matters.

I'm happy to take suggestions! Especially novels of this millennium. I'm trying to resist aging literary Boomer syndrome.

I also want to get through Ch. 5 "Grammar and Usage" in the Chicago Manual of Style. I want to tighten up my style by the end of 2022. I'm still too sloppy.

Lots of good books on this list. Read Achebe, Burgess and some other books by the authors mentioned.

Ever read anything by Angela Carter? She is my go-to "erotic" author. Pretty much own almost all her books. Since you are reading Shakespeare you might like her Wise Children.

 

[KeithD]

I resolve to just keep on writing.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

* Get something written for the Pink Orchid event, but only if it’s worthwhile and does justice to the theme. I’m not going to throw in something that panders, just to say, “Hey, I’m an old non-sub straight guy who’s okay with female empowerment.”

* See if I can make something from what I churned out for NaNoWriMo. I got 51,100 words done, all within November, so the arbitrary goal was met. Now to determine what the story ought to be, and whether some of the really out-there sex scenes ought to stay or go. (There’s nothing about the premise that demands explicit sex. The scenes kept me going through times of no other ideas.)

* Related to the point just above, if the explicit sex has to go, see if the scenes can be used in stories specifically for Lit. Conserve, recycle! Sex scenes should not be dumped into landfills or allowed to flow to Garbage Island. Maybe sex scenes could happen in landfills or Garbage Island, but they don’t immediately appeal to me.

https://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=5116173&page=submissions

 

[stickygirl]

Pretend I'm still in total lockdown, don't have a boyfriend, have my own place then maybe my lazyass subconscious would roll out of bed and give me some great ideas for me to goof around with. I can only manage scribbles and flowers in the margin right now, but Christmas is coming, so maybe I'll get so bored SC will wake up because I'd love to do something for Pink Orchid.

 

[lovecraft68]

I’m not going to throw in something that panders, just to say, “Hey, I’m an old non-sub straight guy who’s okay with female empowerment.”

Why not? That's all you're going to see from the 'men' on this forum, anyway.

That's why I'm not bothering, I've been writing that material for years, I don't need there to be a challenge to write it, because I actually believe in it.

 

[lovecraft68]

TBH, nothing goal wise for Lit. I may enter a contest or two like I did this year, but that's it.

Writing in general, I need 12 more e-books to hit #200 so that should happen neext year.

After struggling with it for a year, I shelved my fourth novel in the Abigail series around March this year and focused on writing just simple erotica, so next year the goal is to get back into it and finish it.

 

[yukonnights]

My goal is unchanged. Write some when I feel like. Try to play around with the Close POV style, hoping to one day really master it. And most importantly; hopefully be able to get out of the house more … travel and explore the mountains and woods — all with a promise to myself to "think about" new erotic stories so I can safely include all of 2022 into this resolution. I think all of that should secure my place as a serious author, and that I've covered my ass on this question

 

[SimonDoom]

Ever read anything by Angela Carter? She is my go-to "erotic" author. Pretty much own almost all her books. Since you are reading Shakespeare you might like her Wise Children.

I didn't know anything about Angela Carter, so I will look into her works. Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[HeyAll]

Same as always; edit old stories, keep writing new stories, keep trying to improve my writing skills, make stories that are hopefully new to people.

 

[MajorRewrite]

[*]Writing first. Most days, if I'm not traveling, I still have some freedom in blocking out the schedule on which I do the day job. If I write before I "go to the office," I get more writing done both before and after my paid hours. If OTOH I hover around killing time early in the day I lack the focus to write in the evenings. Have to get the engine turning over early.
[/LIST]

That’s an excellent idea. I think I’ll borrow it. Years ago I started my business by getting up at the crack of dawn and working on it before going to my job. Mornings were very productive then, so it ought to work for writing too. Thanks for sharing.

 

[PeytonMirabelle]

Goals!

1) 2021 was my first full year on Lit and I only published seven stories (six done and one pending), so I'll try to top that number.

2) Put up the four-part fan-fiction that I wrote for the hell of it.

3) Try to write in at least one category I haven't tried yet.

4) Get better about voting and commenting on fellow Lit-sters works (going to leave that one nebulous and just try to be more mindful).

5) Get the five interconnected romance novels I have whipped into shape (ie, edited and checked for continuity) and get at least the first two published.

That ought to do it.

 

[TadOverdon]

Sure.