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A brand new year, a brand new YOU?!?! If you're serious about making 2020 your best year of writing ever then I suggest you

read through the Author-rised February 2020 newsletter. We look at goal setting, as well as Jeff Goins' 17 tips for a great year of

writing. We had a fabulous night with some great writing being read out (see Share If You Dare section). So, get into the newsletter,

then get into your writing - there's no time like the write time!

Learning Circle The saying goes that Failing to plan is planning to fail! I don’t want any Author-rite feeling disappointed with the

writing come December. So, can I encourage you to read through the next few pages of the newsletter and make some time to come

up with some realistic and achievable goals that will still require a challenge! In other words - get a balance. You don't want to make

your goals too hard (write ten novels) or too easy (just write one page). I highly recommend Jeff Goins' 17 tips for writers, even if

some of them may seem strange - attempt them. And if you want to explore them further, ask me and they may appear in future

Learning Circle sessions

Stephen King AND Jeff Goins agree - you need to be reading to improve as a writer! Well done, Author-rites who read

voraciously over the Christmas break! If you didn't, make it a priority this year - your writing will benefit from it.

A Different Collection by Paul Jennings The Smuggler's Den by Jeff Townsend The Land Girls by Victoria Purman Trash by Andy Mulligan The Shack by William P. Young Choices of One: A Star Wars Novel by Timothy Zahn The Weekend by Charlotte Wood Damascus by Christos Tsiolkas Need to Know by Karen Cleveland The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff

Crappy to Happy: Love What You Do by Cassandra Dunn The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus The Guardians by John Grisham The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman Cosmic Codes by Dr Chuck Missler Scrublands by Chris Hammer The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Lucky Galah by Tracy Sorensen The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood

NOTE All titles/ authors that appear in purple can be found on the shelves of Parkes library (YOUR library!)

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TIPS TO HELP ACHIEVE YOUR WRITING GOALS

1. Measure activity, not results. As a writer, your job is to share your truth, not worry

about the outcome of your work. The first goal of a writer is to sit down and do the work, no

matter how scary or hard it may be. When you do this, you almost always create something

better and more honest than worrying about “what will people think?” So, write what moves you

and leave the results to the readers.

2. Tell the truth. No matter what, regardless of what is at stake, we must create something

that is true, both to us and to the world. That means not only to be honest but to true to oneself.

If something feels wrong, don’t do it. Your gut is the only thing that separates you from a robot.

Try to trust it and be wary of the quick and easy route that leads to success (it doesn’t).

3. Write what scares you. There is something powerful about leaning into fear and doing

the thing that petrifies you. Nothing stirs the emotions of a reader like writing “from the heart,”

as they say. Don’t hold back now. This is the year where you show all your scars, and maybe

people will thank you for it. Regardless, you will be sharing your truth and that is enough.

4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. I am guilty of this myself, but the truth is some of

the best writing in history has a sense of humour. There’s nothing wrong with making the reader

laugh. If all you’re writing is the facts, then you’re a reporter, not a writer. Which is fine, unless

you want to create something that tests the boundaries of the status quo, something that goes

beyond “just the facts.” In which case, you had better be funny.

5. Try a new genre. Are you a business advice writer? Try memoir. A novelist? Consider

journalism. Whatever you are comfortable with will ultimately cause what you create to

stagnate, unless you infuse it with some novelty. Honour your calling as a creative and test the

boundaries a little. Push yourself and see how you grow. As for me, I’m trying my hand at fiction.

6. Write when you don’t feel like it. Professional writers don’t just write when

inspiration strikes them. They offer themselves no excuses and do the work, no matter what. You

need to do the same. Show up every day, without fail, as often as you can. When you don’t feel

like it, do it anyway. This is how you will develop the discipline that turns you from an amateur

into a pro. If you do this, you’ll do what so few are able to do. You will turn your passion into a

habit.

7. Do your research. It’s not enough to just “write what you know.” You must expand what

you know. Read a book or two, for crying out loud. Don’t merely pontificate. Tell us something we

haven’t heard before, something we won’t hear unless you take some time to ask important

questions like “why?” and “how?”

8. Rewrite until it hurts. Let’s face it. Nobody is brilliant on the first draft. And the

second one after that usually sucks, too. This is okay — it’s normal, even — because this is a

marathon, not a sprint. Don’t consider yourself done until you’ve put in at least several hours and

a few drafts into whatever piece you’re working on. Remember: all good writing is rewriting.

Everything else is just prologue.

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9. Shut up. Take some time and listen — to what people are saying, to what you’re reading,

and to what you’re writing. It’s all trying to teach you something. Pay attention, shut that big

mouth of yours, and open your ears occasionally. Learn from your surroundings, then use it all to

make your writing better.

10. Read widely. This isn’t just research, it’s practice — honing your craft by studying the

masters who came before you. Pick a book that didn’t just pop up on your Amazon list; read a

classic or something that has nothing to do with your field. We base our careers on words, so the

best thing you can do is absorb as many of them as possible from as many different sources as

you can.

11. Fast from social media. Get off Twitter or Instagram and spend a few hours a week

writing. Not your platform or your growing contingent of Internet followers, but the thing that

really matters: the writing. No one will thank you for this, which is precisely why it’s important.

You will feel better, and the work will improve (promise). So, take a brief break — at least a week

— from the noise and focus just on the work.

12. Break a rule. Write in an unusual voice or depart from a norm. Stop using commas. Get

rid of all adverbs. Do something that causes others, maybe even yourself, to feel uncomfortable.

Don’t worry; this isn’t a new style — it’s just an experiment. In the discomfort, we grow. So, mess

with the status quo, and see what happens. It could be good, really good. Or maybe not.

Regardless, you’ll learn something.

13. Publish something. An eBook, a manifesto, a full-length book. If you’ve never put your

work out into the world in the form of a publish book, it’s time. Nothing grows a writer like

shipping. Yes, it’s hard and scary and you probably aren’t ready. But do it anyway. Enough with

the works in progress and plans to publish “someday.” It’s time. You’ve got this.

14. Make money. You heard me. Set a goal to actually earn some income from your writing

this year. I remember the first year I set this goal — it changed my life. Our son was born, and

seven months later, I was making plans to quit my job and become a full-time writer. Amazing

things happen when you set a goal, chart a course, and stick to it.

15. Start a blog. Blogging is an essential craft for the modern writer. It helps you practice in

public, get discovered, and build your fanbase. It’s fun, too. For a step-by-step tutorial on how to

get a blog started, read my “how to launch a blog” page.

16. Meet other writers. You can’t succeed alone. We all need the help of others who are in

the trenches with us. Set a goal to grab coffee with another writer at least once a month. If there

are no other writers in your town, then hop on Skype and talk online. Don’t try to go this alone;

the writing journey is a long and lonely one unless you have friends to share it with. For more on

this, you can read my post on networking.

17.Quit stalling and get writing! Quit reading this post or re-checking your email for

the fifth time today. Turn your phone to silent and unplug from the world for an hour. Just write.

It’s the simplest, hardest, scariest thing for a writer to do. Not to think about writing or talk

about writing, but to actually write.

Source: Jeff Goins https://goinswriter.com/resolutions-for-writers/

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"You can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page." Jodi Picoult

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Share If You Dare It's amazing what a writing prompt or story starter can lead to! Debbie has continued her writings of ten-year

old Miranda to her great-aunt Maude along with Maude's reply. Had us all in stitches! Sounds like she's reading from a published

book - awesome effort, Debbie! Matt has been rewriting (Jeff Goins Tip #8 ) and he's getting happier with it. Some great

suggestions of reading it aloud and even recording it and listening to it back - useful for anyone aiming to improve their writing.

Kerrie read a first chapter that was full of intrigue and mystery. We all were guessing how old the main character was and why she

needed a walking stick! Hoping to hear chapter two next month (no pressure ). Laura added to the intrigue with her writing and

another blossoming relationship in her writing - again, she nails the dialogue! Great work, everyone.

Author-rised "Challenge Word"

This is a fun, optional activity that commenced in October 2019 after Kerrie shared two poems, she wrote seven

years ago using the word 'authorised'. Last month's challenge word was 'yuletide' so if you wrote a piece using

that word, I would love to hear from you. Remember that your piece of writing can be fiction or poetry, humorous

or serious, short, medium or long! You can take the dictionary meaning or use the word creatively - it's up to you!

Just use the challenge word somewhere in your writing. If it helps you to get writing, please utilise it. Suggestions

for future Challenge Words are welcome too. The Challenge Word this month is:

reserved

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17 New Year's Resolutions for Writers https://goinswriter.com/resolutions-for-writers/

Starting a Writing Tradition https://writingthroughlife.com/a-new-years-writing-tradition/

Stephen King' Top 20 Rules for Writers http://www.openculture.com/2014/03/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers.html

The Secret to Developing a Writing Habit https://www.writing-world.com/basics/goals.shtml

Setting Effective Writing Goals https://www.writing-world.com/basics/goals.shtml

How Do You Find The Time to Write? https://www.thecreativepenn.com/how-do-you-find-the-time-to-write/

Setting Writing Goals the SMART Way https://www.scriptmag.com/setting-writing-goals-the-smart-way

How To Set Effective Writing Goals https://youtu.be/irWA-bnc1wU

Remember…..There's No Time Like The Write Time!

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AUTHOR-RISED WRITING GOALS FOR 2020

THIS YEAR I AIM TO:

Finish my book/screenplay Finish a chapter Write __ poems

Enter a writing competition Develop my plot Edit my work

Send my work for publishing Share my work Do a writing course

Find a publisher/agent Start a writing challenge Add to my toolbox

This month I aim to:

______________________________________________

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This week I aim to:

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FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, ADVICE AND ENCOURAGEMENT SEND THIS LIST TO DAN (dan.fredericks@parkes.nsw.gov.au)

OR SOMEONE ELSE IN AUTHOR-RISED

My check in buddies are:

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