January 1, 2021

Start Your Engines

It’s the thing they say at the start of a car race.

Using a car race as a metaphor (I hope I got that right) implies a couple of things, maybe even three.

  • A new start. Hey, it is January 1st after all
  • Things will move fast. God willing (yup, I believe in God. Hope you don’t mind. Don’t worry, it’s probably [definitely] not the God of any political party) we will still be around in 2022, which will come a lot faster than we think.
  • There will be a lot of competition for our time/resources/energy so some focus is in order.
  • Winning is the goal, but the good news is we get to decide what “winning” looks like. This is a lot easier if we set goals that are actually attainable. Though it’s probably okay to overreach on one or two just to stretch yourself.

Okay, so that was four things. See, the goal thing works. I set a goal of three things and ended up with four. That’s off to a good start. (Another racing reference.)

So, what are my goals now that I have my engine all started up?

  • Write more stories in screenplay format. Long novels, while not an unattainable goal, might as well be for now. I work full time and have to squeeze the writing in when I can. The quickest way to frustrate and derail myself is to say I am going to write three full novels this year.
  • Use the screenplays as…well, scripts for a new story-time podcast.
  • Package the screenplays into ebook format and market them as the scripts for the movie in your head. Print versions as well.
  • Use the screenplays to enter several choice writing competitions throughout the year.

That’s it for now. I think this process will be at least as rewarding if not more than setting goals that may (will) end in frustration. Also, notice that while focusing on one main writing goal allows me to have ancillary goals without gargantuan effort.

Anyway, hello, 2021. Nice to meet you. I sure hope we’re gonna be friends.

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