2020 The Best Writing Year Ever?

Another year, another opportunity to get things done. Sometimes it is hard to find the motivation, others hard to find the time. Many days it is both. I've certainly been in the doldrums for a few years, drifting aimless, questioning what is worth my time as it flies by increasingly faster.

In the past it came down to:

1. Finding the project that made me excited to sit down and do it.

2. Learning things and adding skills when I hit snags I couldn't unravel.

3. Carving out time without distractions.

4. Oddly enough: finding the motivation when I felt I had it down pat. Once I feel I've got the hang of something I tend to want a new challenge.

So in terms of 2020 and making it the best writing year ever, I suggest first examining your motives. What drives you to write? Find something that excites you. Doesn't matter what you were working on, unless you have a publisher waiting for it. Do the thing that makes you eager to get back to it.

What do you struggle with? Maybe it is time to take classes, read helpful blog posts (cough, cough). There are plenty here and at Game On. You don't need to spend a dime, just your time.

Sometimes getting out of your house and communing with other writers will recharge your battery. There are plenty of opportunities. Look for local writer's groups or book expos.

I most often see questions about finding time. A single parent with two jobs or someone caring for a sick family member on top of work and raising a family are going to find it difficult to spare time to shower much less self care.

Most of us have demands on our time be it work, family, social commitments, etc. But I will say this: if you have leisure time for gaming, hobbies, television, social media surfing, you should be able to find at least fifteen minutes to an hour each day. You just have to decide you want to do it then make it a habit. You may only finish a half scene. That's okay. Perhaps you only have time to jot down ideas for a scene. Do it. It will give you something to draw on when you find a spare moment.

I wish you happy writing, whatever your goals for 2020.

Diana Hurwitz is the author of Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict, Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict, Story Building Blocks III: The Revision Layers, and the YA adventure series Mythikas Island. Her weekly blog, Game On: Crafting Believable Conflict explores how characters behave and misbehave. Visit DianaHurwitz.com for more information and free writing tools. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter.