Writers aren’t immune to New Year’s resolutions. And neither are we immune to breaking those carefully crafted promises.
Writing Tip for Today: I’ve made some outlandish writing resolutions over the years, and some that actually worked. Here are my top three ways to make 2014 a more productive writing year:

• Just Do It. You and I both know that as writers, we usually have only ourselves to answer to. Aside from deadlines, we must provide our own discipline to see any writing project through. This year, try marking out little time blocks–15-20 minutes is fine–and then SHOW UP. Whether your words are great or terrible doesn’t matter. What matters is the forward progress. Some ask me why they should waste time producing mediocre words. My answer is that the more you write, the better the words will become. Let your story flow out of you quickly, while the genius of it still appeals to you. Trust me, later on you’ll have plenty of time to revise.
• Just Sit on It. You know, the old BIC (buns in chair). More BIC equals more word count equals a draft finished faster equals–you get it. Talking or even researching about writing only counts if you give EQUAL TIME to BIC and get those words written down. It’s tempting to chat about your WIP (work in progress), critique yourself or others or endlessly revise that first sentence. But if you aren’t spending much BIC time, you probably won’t have the words to show for it. Sit down and write!
• Just Learn It. This year, pay attention to learning the writing craft. Number one on my priority list is to read the absolute best books I can find. After that, read writing books, go to conferences, join a critique group. Almost all great writers are also great readers. Just don’t let your reading get in the way of that word count. By the dawn of 2015, you could have that novel finished. Happy New Year, everyone. Now get thy BIC and write!