And Now?

My two year blogging anniversary is almost here, so I'm asking... And now? Where am I? What have I learned?

• Give it time. Last spring I queried ROMEO, ROMEO, then let the novel rest for a few months. When I went back, I could see it needed tightening.
• Say only what needs to be said.  
• Have faith. Truth is, I thought I'd be closer to publication. Isn't that what we usually think? What keeps us going?
• Write every morning.
• Get little things out of the way.
• Listen. I started two new websites this year, neither which I'd planned, but which seemed to ask to be cultivated, GOT BETTER and ROBERT GUTHRIE III.
• Love the process. Writing helps me feel alive. 

Now I'm off to write. Planting seeds, nurturing, weeding, pruning, harvesting... the whole deal.

(photo of fields from Lee Mann Photography, king of Pacific Northwest images)

Year of the Water Dragon

I like to think of January as a comfortable build-up between western and Vietnamese new years, which explains why I'm now posting my 2012 Writing Resolutions.

• Finish epilogue short stories of six characters from the ROMEO, ROMEO novel, January
• Write a chapter a week of the novel, JEB KNOWS
• Complete first draft of JEB KNOWS by July 1st
• Return to the resolution table in July

There's more I'd like to plan for: a novel I outlined two summers ago; the third book of the LUCKY trilogy; upcoming films for Our Spirit. So... I acknowledge those projects, but hope for the wisdom to let them germinate without demands from me.

In Vietnamese astrology, a year of the water dragon is often dynamic. Cool. I like high-energy and lots of projects. But it's also known for being balanced, the water not quenching but easing the fire within. 

That seems like wisdom.


(illustration from Hilo Living blog)