Guest Post

Happy New Year! You know what this means, don’t you? It’s time to make promises to yourself, set goals, resolve to do better. Beginnings, my friend, it’s all about beginnings. Nobody really likes endings. No, seriously, if they tell you they do, they’re either lying to you, or themselves.

Writers are no different. We don’t like endings. Sure, it’s all we work toward. Constantly. All for one brief moment of accomplishment. The day you type “The End.” Except, that’s not really the end, is it? Next comes an uphill battle through revisions, edits, rewrites, more edits, formatting, design— what do you mean I have to edit again?! — and marketing. Do you know the only thing worse than never finishing the book you’re writing? Finishing.

Two things happen when you finish your book. First, you have to say goodbye to your characters. Your beloved villain, your hero that’s just made this incredible journey, your wonderful side characters that made it such a joy to write. You’re going to miss them so much, and what are they going to do without you? Without someone to laugh at guide them? This leads me to the second thing that happens when you finish: You can never, ever, read it again. Trust me, don’t do it. It’s a trap. I guarantee you’ll find a typo..or two (God forbid, maybe even three.) And you’ll definitely think of five ways you could have written that scene better. You know the one I mean. Just don’t. Don’t read it. Resist the temptation.

Nope, stick to beginnings. New books, new chapters, new scenes, first lines. Ignore the inevitable The End. Pretend it isn’t there. Plug your ears and close your eyes.

Because it’s January, my friends. The first week of a new year, full of unknown opportunities around every bend. Time to make some resolutions. Writerly Resolutions. None of this, “I’m going to get into shape” or “I’ll watch less TV” (who are we kidding? Did you see what’s new on Netflix this month?).

This year…

• I Will Not Fall In Love With My Antag

I don’t care how charming he is, and how great his sense of humor is; He. Is. Evil. There is no redeeming him! This can only end in tears! I know that relatable, likable antagonists are a great way to hook readers, and I know that these features round him out and make him whole, but dang it all I will not fall in love with this character and start rooting for him. I will not go down with this ship! (Who am I kidding? I don’t even believe me.)

• I Will Not Throw My Protag In Another Dungeon

How many books can I believably fit this trope into? No more! What is this strange obsession I have with dungeons, prisons, and lock up cells? Perhaps I shouldn’t be asking myself this in a public forum…Awkward! That fact aside, enough really is enough. I need a new trope. Hmm, what about towers? It’s totally different if I lock my character up in a tower, right? Height makes all the difference. And windows. With bars. Wait a minute…

• I Won’t Give Every Side Character Their Own Book

You can only fit so many stories in a series. I think. Is there a set number? I’m at 10 and some change at the moment. Am I still in the clear? Better to be safe, I think. So I should call it good. Well, aside from the spinoff paranormal detective trilogy. And the random tie-ins. And a handful of novellas. Oh, and that secret 11th novel…This is not going to work, is it?

• I Will Make Sacrifices For The Greater Good

Some characters just have to die. The story needs their sacrifice, needs their blood, to give weight. Am I attached to them? Of course. Will my readers hate me? Assuredly. Will I still do it? You’re darned skippy I will. Proudly. Crying like a winner. On the inside. Bitterly. For weeks. But I will only allow one tear to slip down my cheek. Just one swift tear to splot the keyboard and short out the space bar. Because nothing will ever be the same after this. But someone has to die.

• I Will Write

I will copy the words from the walls of my heart and let them fall where they will. I will write the hard stuff. I will write the truth. I will write to know myself better, to make sense of the world. I will write what I want to read. I will write without concern for what is popular or accepted. I will write to entertain and to reach imaginations and hearts alike. I will write for the crowd and for the void. I will write for the characters, chattering away deep within me, because without me they will never be heard. I will write, because not to, is impossible.

So maybe I won’t exercise every day, and I’ll probably eat an entire cheesecake by myself at some point. But you know what? That’s okay. Because I’m going to type “The End” a few times this year, and I’ll need the above beginnings to get me through those ends.

How about you, what are your Writerly Resolutions for this year?

Now, I am sure you are all waiting for that surprise. Well…here it is!

Shannon is running a limited time promotion for a free ebook of her novella, The Eleventh Light. If you want to get a look at what her books are like, click the link HERE and use this coupon code (JA67Z ). There you have it. What are you waiting for! Go grab your free copy today.