January did not go as planned, and I let myself get sidetracked. But it was a conscious decision to let things slide. As Fiona Robyn wrote earlier this week, real life sometimes interferes with your plans. And you can’t always force your mind or heart to carry those plans out. And as Kelli Russell Agodon wrote at some point recently, even if you don’t complete a goal, trying and getting something done is better than doing nothing at all.
But here is what I did manage to accomplish, in spite of everything:
- Wrote 49 poems, 30 of which were small stones for the River of Stones challenge
- Submitted 18 poems
- Submitted my chapbook to 2 competitions
- Went out on a limb and applied for a creative writing fellowship (not part of my initial goals, but I decided to follow my heart when the opportunity came up)
- Submitted a short story
- Completed Kelli Russel Agodon’s Poetry Resolution Party
- Attended one of the Wingbeats writing workshops
But, I let a few things slide:
- While I did write a lot of poems, I did not sit down to write every day
- I did not actually write 31 small stones for the River of Stones challenge
- I did not complete any drafts of prose pieces
- I did not complete the revisions of my epic poem
Ultimately, though, taking a pass on January was the best thing I could have done for myself. I’m ready to start February anew. Here is what I plan to accomplish:
- Continue my regular writing, revising, and submitting practice
- Finish a ghostwriting project I have under contract. No, I can’t say anything else about it. I’m Casper-ing it up!
- Complete a draft of a prose piece
- Complete the first round of revisions of my epic poem
- Attend at least one of the February Wingbeats workshops
- Go through all the neglected prose drafts on my hard drive and decide which ones are worth finishing and which should be trunked indefinitely
- Make progress on at least one of the prose drafts that I have decided to keep
Wow! Your poetry productivity shows no signs of an unintended break. Seems like you listened to your heart and let it guide your writing routine — and it worked!
Sending hope for a bright new month.
Thanks, Drew! It was a good experience to make this list. I actually accomplished a lot, even though I didn’t feel like I was doing much. It’s always interesting how our perceptions of the present aren’t always accurate.
But I am still glad January is over. I’m considering opening a bottle of sparkling wine tonight and restarting 2012.
That’s a fairly rigorous schedule by anyone’s standards. That you have been able to accomplish so much on a regular basis for so long is a testament to your passion and fortitude.
Think of the January “down” time as part of the creative rejuvination process and let it go at that.