I've already covered my Wednesday commitment to submit. Doing so feels good. Doing so also leaves me wondering what else I can do to make 2010 a better writing year. The first question is what improvements need to be made in my writing career.

1. Write faster.
   Run through the first draft. Make changes to subsequent drafts more efficiently.
2. Improve my writing-related organization.
   Set aside a time for writing. Presently, I write a good bit but the time is scattered throughout the day.
3. Submit more.
   I basically don't submit so the bar is low. My goal is to improve on the amount of submission I was supposed to be doing. I suppose, in large part, that goes back to #2: organization.
4. Read more quality fiction that will improve my own work.
   To be clear, I'm not talking about reading something and ripping it off substantively or stylistically. I'm talking about allowing the influence of well-crafted words to change my writing for the better.
5. Read more about the craft of writing and the writing lifestyle.
   One can never hear the same good advice too many times. And in the course of reading that same advice, one regularly stumbles onto one of three things:
   1. The same advice is phrased in such a way you haven't heard before, allowing it to hit home
   2. The same advice finally hits you at the right time in your writing evolution
   3. You might actually pick up something new, unlikely as that may seem to more seasoned writers.
6. Attend more writing-related events.
   There are appearances, conferences, seminars, etc., all of which reinvigorate a writer's occasionally-flagging flame. There are handshakes to be shared and opportunities to be jumped on. There are new lessons to be learned. I have done little of this in my career so far and that must be improved upon.
7. Improve my writing space.
   I nearly wrote a posting on this one alone, but decided to include all the above items because my current inefficiency doesn't come down to my work space alone. That said, this could be my biggest obstacle. I need comfort and quiet without distraction. I am committed to read more about how to make that happen then...make that happen.

So here is my plan. Do all those things.

Okay, it's not a plan, but there is something to be said for getting it all out there in black and white. Admitting we have a problem is the first step to making change, right?

So, do the same! Make a list of all the ways you can improve upon your writing in 2010. Even if you improve in one category (and don't fall back in another) that's an improvement.

Ring image courtesy of CrazyAboutCrafting