Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Mick, 2011 - My New Year Resolutions

THE BEST GRAPHIC NOVELS OF 2011

I want to have a Best Graphic Novels of the Year list in 2011. Even when I've been at my most active with comics blogging, I've never managed to read enough graphic novels in any specific year to feel that I could put together an informed Best Of list. I want 2011 to be the year that changes.

It's a financially challenging proposition. For years, I've allowed my financial situation to cripple my blogging. I think it's about time I stop feeling ashamed for spending money on something I enjoy. I'm not going to jeopardize rent to get the latest Hulk tpb, but I'm not going to be such a stranger at the comic store either.

Of course, there's always the library, but it generally takes a while for GNs to show up there. When they do show up, they're usually in high demand and unfortunately a lot of them don't last long. They turn up as "Missing Inventory" quite often.

Still, I'm excited about the prospect in spite of having very little idea about what's coming out in 2011.


MICK, WRITER

I have novels and short stories in my head. I have for years. I want to get off my ass and write them.

At first I thought relaunching Superheroes, etc. would work against that; that I'd spend too much time blogging about other writers' creative work and not enough making my own. I don't think that has to be true, though. It's difficult working a full-time job and blogging every day, and the idea of working on a novel at the same time seems exhausting, but I think maybe for now it actually should be this way. Maybe? I think blogging is teaching me a work ethic that I'll need to finish a novel.

I need to regain my passion for writing, and for that I need to regain my passion. It's there, but I restrain myself. I worry. I'm not sure what the hell I'm worried about, but I'm worried about something. I end up not caring as much about what I write, or at least convincing myself I don't care as much.


MICK, BLOGGER

One of the reasons I think blogging is important to my writing is that it speaks to how seriously I take my writing, and ultimately how seriously I take myself as a writer.

It's been difficult for me to take my blogging seriously. After all it's, you know, blogging. I don't need anyone's permission to do it, no one's paying me to do it, and if I stop doing it no one can punish me for stopping. And frankly, for now at least, there really aren't that many people reading.

This is why when I relaunched Superheroes, etc. I made a commitment to blog every weekday for six months - to see if I could take this seriously.

I'm starting to remember things with regret. I remember working on comic book reviews for hours and later regretting the time and effort because it was just blogging. I remember feeling ashamed for shirking other responsibilities for the sake of blogging. I remember once talking to a girl I was dating and bitching about how I was having trouble editing a piece. She said something along the lines of "Really? You actually put a lot of work into these things?" I laughed and said something dismissive about how I just copy edited a little.

That pisses me off. I'm proud of a lot of the pieces I've written on Superheroes, etc. and for other websites, and I think it's time I stop pretending it's something I don't care about.

MICK, SMALLER

I want to lose weight. I kind of covered that yesterday.

MICK RESOLUTIONS

In 2011, I will read enough graphic novels to write an informed Best Graphic Novels of 2011 list.

In 2011, I will write a novel.

In 2011, I will blog every weekday at Superheroes, etc. until, at least, Friday July 1st, 2011.

(That isn't to say I will stop blogging on July 1st, just that I may not blog every single weekday after that point - though I might just commit to another 6 months, who knows?)

In 2011, I will lose weight.

Watch.

4 comments:

Susan Capozza said...

I totally get the fear associated with writing a novel since I did write one in 2009. It's a big undertaking and when you haven't written one, it's scary. So you put it off because what if 1)you can't finish it? 2) you finish and nobody likes it, 3) you finish, but no one will publish it, or 4) you finish it and people keep asking when the next one is going to be done... there's a lot of pressure.

I'm about 15k into #2 and I hope to finish it in 2011. You're right about the passion, too. I started reading more again in 2009 and it actually helped fuel the writing fire. It also helps to have a friend who you can trade pages and feedback with. Think back to college, when you were most assuredly writing more. Having to have pages due for a class was always motivating - for me at least.

Mick Martin said...

Yeah, I really think I need to take some steps to reach out and find some other local writers to trade pages with. I think that's the biggest thing that's missing for me.

I've tried doing it online with other people but for whatever reason it just isn't the same. There's less accountability, I think.

C. Margery Kempe said...

I think blogging is teaching me a work ethic that I'll need to finish a novel.

Exactly.

Al it takes to write a novel is persistence. Of course that doesn't mean it will be good, but that's the only way to learn how to write a novel. Just do it.

Besides, finishing a novel puts you ahead of 80% of the wannabes out there.

Novel writing is a lot like Swamp Castle. I wrote my first novel in high school. It was crap, but I learned a lot from that. I wrote another one in college. That was crap, too, but I learned even more. The third one I finished (there were a few begun and abandoned) was decent -- and published.

Unknown said...

I get a time management snippet everyday. This one rang really true with me, it might for you:

Time Management
Tips from
Dr Rob Rawson

"If you are procrastinating something tell yourself "I'll do it for 10 minutes then I can stop". When you get momentum you won't want to stop."