The blogosphere has been awash with helpful posts this week on getting started with goals, plans, intentions and new ways of doing things in 2010.

Here are ten that I enjoyed and might help with the starts you’re looking for or working on for your own writing projects:

1. Don’t Forget to Write!

The idea is simply to give you a reminder of your writing commitment each Monday morning together with a little new inspiration so that this really does become the year when you produce your best work ever.

A new weekly writing prompt from writing coach Jacqui Lofthouse: Don’t forget to write – a Monday morning writing prompt

2.  Ask: What are you taking with you?

So today I’d like you to join me for a little decision making. It’s time to choose what we put on the pages of our year.

Intention: Without intention, the winds of change and strife can toss us around and blow us completely off course. What do you intend to do with this year?

Karen Wallace at the Calm Space asks you to think about what you’re going to bring with you into 2010.

3. Take small steps and enjoy the process

I have decided this year that one of the most wonderful gifts we can give ourselves is to enjoy the work WHILE we are doing it.

Some epiphanies from Janice Cartier: Epiphany, Small Steps

4.Start as You Mean to Go On

Live with intention, Walk to the edge…

Mary Anne Radmacher uote shared by Hilda Carroll, Living Out Loud

5. Smash Through Your Creative Blocks

One of our goals of this series is to take the lid off the creative process, examine the challenges together, and for everyone involved to realise that being blocked or stuck doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you personally – this kind of thing is just an occupational hazard for those of us who live to create remarkable things.

A new series at Lateral Action to identify and break through common blocks to creativity: Tell Us Your Creative Blocks and We’ll Help You Smash Through Them!

6. Identify Your Most Important Writing Goal

Will it be the year you finally write that short story you’ve been thinking about? The year you get around to submitting those magazine articles you’ve been working on? The year you get stuck into the novel you’ve been intending to write for the last decade?

Suzannah at Write It Sideways asks if identifying one shimmering goal will help you realise it: The Most Important Thing You’ll Write This Year

7. Try a Zen Approach to Writing

It’s uncomfortable, because when we don’t know, there is nothing to hold on to. There is no knowledge to support us, and no known outcome of our work. It’s like a mute having a dream – but not able to express it.  Isadora Duncan said, “If I could say it I wouldn’t have to dance it.” It’s uncomfortable. But it’s also pure adventure. It’s a path into the Unknown. As medieval mapmakers said about terra incognita, unexplored areas: ‘There be dragons here’.

Mary Jaksch at Write to Done: How to Touch Your Creative Soul: A Zen View

8. Let Go of What Holds You Back

Let go of attachments to what you’ve been doing for the past year, or years. Let go of failures. Let go of fears you’ve built up. Let go of reluctance. Let go of your ideas about what your life has to be like, because that’s the way it’s evolved so far. Let go of long-held beliefs and habits.

You have a fresh start. Let go of last year, and start anew.

Leo Babauta at Zen Habits: How to Make the Most of the Fresh Start of a New Year

9. Enjoy Clearing Up

apres le marche by Bob Leckridge

A photo challenge to help you see the decluttering and chucking out process in a new light: Bob Leckridge at Heroes Not Zombies, Clearing Up

10. Write every day

There is a simple formula for writing every day. It goes like this:

1. Put ass (A) in chair (B).
2. Write.
3. Do not separate A and B for at least 60 minutes. 90 is better. I try for at least 120 if not more.

Jamie Grove at How Not to Write: How to Write Every Day

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What have you been reading this week that’s helping you get started?  Or are you too busy getting started to have noticed?!

Stop settling for what’s good enough and start creating art that matters. Stop asking what’s in it for you and start giving gifts that change people. Then, and only then, will you have achieved your potential. ~ Seth Godin, Linchpin

What does that mean for the writing you want to start in 2010?

A secret ingredient to making fine art. Is knowing when to stop and when to start. ~ Janice Cartier

Getting started... by (: Petra

The Confident Writing theme for January is Start!

(Well yes, it did seem kind of appropriate for the beginning of a new year )

During the course of the month I’ll be looking at:

• What writing you’re starting this month (or year)

• What you might need to stop in order to start

• Tips and tricks for starting a writing project, big or small

• How writing things down (in a journal, a doodle, a line of a poem, in one word or three words or a series of posts) can help us to get started with new projects, dreams and ambitions

I’m also going to (try and) start blogging in a slightly different way, with a slightly slower posting schedule, more short posts, and an increased focus on supporting and encouraging you to write with confidence and take your writing where you want it to go.

Starting now

Firework Display - Hogmanay Street Party, Dornoch, Scotland by foxypar4

Happy New Year everyone! May 2010 bring you everything you wish for

(Sorry it’s a bit late – bad wordpress )

What were your essential lines from 2009?

• What were the posts from 2009 that matter: that mattered to you when you wrote them, that mattered to your readers, that still matter to you now?

• What were the posts that captured what your blogs are all about?

• What were the posts that reflected what 2009 has been about, for you or for others?

• What were the posts that modelled essential writing?

Here are the answers from the Confident Writing community.

I hope you enjoy reading them as much I did.  Thanks to everyone who took part.

Editor’s Note:

I’ve included a link to the post explaining your choice (if you wrote one), the reasons why (if you gave them), and the essential post you selected.  Some of you didn’t manage to boil it down to just one post… in which case I selected the one that resonated most with me.  Editor’s choice is final!

~~~

1. Deb, Punctuality Rules, Back to Essentials

Essential Post

Writing Makes Everything Possible

A Line from the Post

Writing–just the mere act of putting words on paper–shapes the possibilities of our lives. Things we’ve learned. Things we want to share. Things we want to pass on to other people and other generations. Ideas. Philosophies. Poems. Emotions. Stories. Drama. Comedy. History.

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2. Brad Shorr, Word Sell, My Essential Blog Post of 2009

Essential Post

The First Online Marketing Question Is, What Are My Keywords?

Why?

Amongst other things it…

# Put forth a sensible and somewhat different strategic approach to and process for content development
# Explained the connection between blogging and SEO

Line from the Post

“You can do SEO after the fact, but it’ll be a clunky vehicle: you can’t change a tractor into a Corvette just by swapping out a few dozen parts.”

~~~

3. Naoko: Geminian Eyes/Reach Into  your Soul

Essential Post

Open Up Your Mind

Why?

It was a reminder to myself to keep on living, no matter what happened. It’s essential to me because it tells me to keep my eyes up to the sky, to keep on hoping.

A line from the post:

Reach into your soul, even if you cannot see tomorrow
Yes, if you have the strength to live

~~~

4. Terry Heath, Coffeeblogger, What’s It All About? [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE]

Essential Post

Beautiful Statues, Clever Horses and Letting the Crap Fly

Why?

This post gave birth to a style of blogging I continually try to revisit. It was where I realized the power of blogging in a transparent style.

Line from the Post

There are so many subtle ways we can censor and censure ourselves. We don’t need to be afraid to let the occasional “crap” fly when it needs to.

~~~

5. Joanne Hillhouse: Essential Post 2009

Essential Post

Visit to Antigua Girls School

Why?

It captured the vibe of a lively and fun interaction with students at the Antigua Girls High School. We discussed everything about my book Dancing Nude with the Moonlight and, notwithstanding the book’s still uncertain future, it felt like the fulfillment of all the things you hope for as a writer (short of huge sales, of course) when I realized how much they’d come to care about these characters.

Line from the Post

one demanded to know “why’d you kill Uncle Wellie?” clearly put out by the character’s passing, I knew they’d come to care about these characters; and that made me feel…well, that’s what you want as a writer isn’t it…for your characters to matter, for your story to resonate with the people who read it.

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6. Alina Popescu, Words of a Broken Mirror, WoBM’s Essential Lines from 2009

Essential Post

5 Social Media Lessons You Can Learn from Bikers

Why?

Both posts describing important skills and lessons that have to do with marketing and promoting your business. Both showing how I learned about them in what seemed a completely unrelated situation.

(She chose two, I picked one, she knows why )

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7. Geoffrey Philip: Essential Lines from 2009

Essential Post

Big Wheels Keep on Turning

Why?

it was a turning point for me in my writing career. It was the first time that I’d read to so large an audience in Jamaica, and as everyone knows, Jamaicans can be a tough audience. Especially with our own.

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8. Madame Le Consul, from a blog that no longer exists

Extract of the essential post can be found here (scroll down to Respect for MLC)

Essential Post

Yuck

Why?

It’s a post that its readers loved and found extremely helpful, and it was widely copied and re-posted in other fora both before and after its demise

Line from the post:

They’re not creepy or horrible or disgusting or nasty or scary. They’re just dead.

~~~

9. Susan Lipson:

Essential Post

All Litter Rationalized: A Little Alliterative Commentary on Idiotic Idioms

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10. Lillie Ammann, A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye: A Post that Matters to Me

Essential Post

Adversity? What Adversity?

Why?

It reminds me—and I hope you—that I—and you—have been blessed beyond belief with salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Line from the Post

Nothing I have ever experienced or ever will experience can compare to our Lord and Savior being beaten, mocked, tortured, and murdered in the most vicious way.

~~~

11. Robert Hruzek, Middle Zone Musings, Essential Lines 2009

Essential Post

The Day I Went Flying

Why?

It’s because it perfectly epitomizes how I do things here in the Middle Zone, which are, to wit:

* Get your attention and keep it (story-telling is a proven method)
* Make you laugh (or at the very least generate an ingrown chuckle or two)
* Teach you something (the benefit of bein’ here in the first place)

Line from the Post

These days, folks all over are facing things they’ve never had to face before. It’s like they’re tearing along in one direction, then – maybe even through no plan or fault of their own – they suddenly changed direction and found themselves launched headlong into space!

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12. Jan Scott Nelson

Essential Post

Change, a Risky Business

Why?

This year has brought essential change and the very essence of this is encapsulated in yesterday’s post which, as you know, I’ve been working on since the process started.

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13. Dianne, Words and Pictures

Essential Post

Just One Small Stone

Why?

being my first step back into blogging and also because it highlights the fact that problems can often be the source of possibility.

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14. Joanna Young, Confident Writing, My Essential Lines from 2009

Essential Post

9 Possible Ways that Writing Changes Things

Why?

It seems to get to the heart of what I’m about, what I want to learn more of so I can teach it, write it, pass it on.

Lines from the Post…

…and my final bit of reflection for you from 2009

Writing can shift things for us, inside: opening up a sense of creativity, playfulness, the freedom to dream dreams and explore what’s possible.

Use it well.

Book Birds by photojenni

A very happy Christmas to all my readers.

Thank you for everything you’ve gifted me this year x

I don’t know if it’s just me, but the blogosphere seems to be awash with self-improvement zeal as the year draws to an end.  Okay, I do love some of these challenges and know how much power they can have.  And I realise I’m guilty of some myself with all that encouragement to find your essential lines…

But sometimes that zeal can be a bit much.

If you’re feeling a little weary, a little jaded, or a little inadequate at the reviews not done, wishes not cast, inspiring posts not read, planning for 2010 not undertaken, one words not chosen, challenges not completed, time not made the most of… this is for you.

Oh the bloggers in blogland are blogging
With predictions, lists and ventures,
But we’re out of bright plans for o10
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Oh the purposeful dreamers are dreaming,
With goals, and boards and visions,
But one word a year’s beyond us
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Oh the creative souls are creating,
With photos, art and poems,
But daily creation’s exhausting
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Oh the writers online are still writing
With prompts, reviews and round ups
But the deadlines are slipping past us
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Oh the cool cats are all reviewing
With snapshots, highlights and best ofs,
But we ran out of good things to mention
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Oh the tweeters are still a tweeting
With lists, and quotes and retweets
But follower love is waning
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Oh the RSS feeds are still bulging
With words, ideas and bright things
But we’re marking them all as read now
Let it snow, let it snow let it snow.

~~~

Let it snow

Art consists of limitation. The most beautiful part of every picture is the frame. ~ G K Chesterton

I mentioned the concept of frames a while back in a post on how blogging helps us get to the heart of things.

I started to write through the medium of a blog, and from there, I started looking for frames – the hooks, the opening lines, the prism, the frame through which I could invite you in and look.

Some people said it would be interesting to hear more on frames and I thought I’d finish the serious bit of the essential writing series with some thought on how framing works, and how you can get it to work for you.

10 Ways to Frame Your Words

1. A frame increases impact.  You can heighten the effect of your words by adding a strong frame, like an attention grabbing headline.  Think about what happens when you put some photographs or pictures on a frame – they suddenly stand out more.

2. You are always framing.  You don’t just add a frame at the end, you’re doing it all the time.  When you’re taking a photo you use the frame of the lens, the view-finder, to capture your shot.  You’re making a choice about what to put in, and what to leave out.  The same in writing.

3.A blog post is a frame.  So’s a haiku.  So’s a 140 character message.  It provides the structure for your words to go into.

4.  Think about the size of the container you’re pouring your words into.  Think about the amount of time and mental energy your readers have, and construct the container, the frame, accordingly.

5. Framing means making choices about what goes in and what stays out.  Work to make those choices more conscious and more deliberate.

6. Try cutting more than you’re used to.  And cut again.  What can you see now?

7. Approach your subject from a different angle.  What do you see?  What can you show your reader now?

8. The frame is like a doorway. As you narrow the opening you invite your readers in: to see something different, to shift their perspective, to catch a glimpse of something new.  Open and close with effect.

9. Be curious.  The more you look consciously, through the frame of your writing eyes, the more you will notice.  The more different angles and perspectives you will find.  The more things you will want to share.

10. Get clear on your point.  What is that you’re framing? What is that you want us to see, hear, feel, think, imagine?

Your point of view is unique.  It’s valuable. It’s fascinating. Show us what you can see.

I’m still feeling my way through how this works so please do chip in with thoughts.  Do you know how you use framing in words, in photography, in painting?

Can you think of ways to apply those skills and techniques to the writing process?

Digging back through my blog archives for the Essential Lines piece, I came across a post setting out my writing goals for 2009.

Gulp.

Seeing as I do believe in the value of accountability, I thought I’d review them here, with you.  Ahead of setting some new ones for 2010 (you too?)

Here are mine, and how I got on:

1. Publish book number 1 by the late spring, and sell lots of copies.

Well, it took a bit longer than the late spring, but the book, 199 Ways to Write with Confidence is now out on the shelves (and hopefully disappearing fast off them).

Publishing and launching a physical product (ie a real book) is much more scary and challenging, much more out-of-your-comfort-zone than sharing digital words.  (For me, anyway).  Perhaps something to think more on and talk about in a post of its own.

2. Finish book number 2 before the year is out

Hmm. This is the book on writing with rapport.  I’ve decided to develop it via a website (writing with rapport) and an ebook rather than creating another book for publication.

3. Blog to a good enough standard that Confident Writing is listed again in the top 10 blogs for writers

Achieved

Thank you all for your continued support in making that goal possible.

4. Learn how to teach memoir writing (which will include writing some of my own memoirs too)

I found this one challenging. I have learned a lot about teaching memoir writing this year, and will incorporate that into future teaching that I do.  But.  But I find some of the memoir writing approach too structured and too prescriptive.  My muse / inner rebel certainly kept on reacting against it, which made it very difficult for me to write something that would count as part of my own memoirs.

I am leaning much more to teaching a freer style of writing that allows memories and captured moments to unfold in whatever form suits them, whether that’s a caption for a photograph, an essay, a story, a poem, a prose poem, or fragments of sweet, magical words. It’s more a form of journaling than formal memoir writing, hence the new site on Journaling for Life, and my new learning / teaching focus (Journal to the Self workshops).

Besides, I can’t teach something that I can’t write myself.

Once I find an approach that works for me, then I know I can gleefully pass it on.

This was a hard one to grapple with, especially since my inner critic had a field day in the process, but I feel much more positive and creative now I’m focusing on the journal writing and have left more structured memoir writing to one side, and perhaps another (older) day.

Writing without goals

Lots of other writing emerged without or despite of goals.

I’ve written quite a few poems this year – they’re not brilliant, but I have had fun writing them, and sharing them, especially in spoken form.  (There’s a key somewhere there, I know).

I’ve written a lot of personal pieces inspired by walks that I go on.  (You can read some of them here: writing walks)

I’ve created more space for myself with several new blogs and a tumblr site – I don’t know the wisdom of this, but I do know I feel more expansive and creative as a result, and also happier about what I’m blogging here (and why).

I’ve also written a lot of captured moments, mainly about my mother, trying to find words to capture her grace and humour despite of / emerging through her dementia, remembered moments between mother and daughter, moments from childhood, moments that are keeping me in the present and focused on what is present rather than what is fading or gone.

That practice – some kind of mindful writing maybe – is definitely helping me (Joanna) as well as producing some words I’m proud of.  They’re still private for now, but maybe some day I’ll work them into something I can share more widely.

Whichever way, I’ll keep you posted.

Nothing I like better than writing about writing

So, that’s my round up of my writing goals from 2009.  Although at first I felt a bit bad about the things I haven’t done, writing this has helped me see why I haven’t, and what I’ve done instead. It’s also got me clearer about what I want to write, learn and teach next.

2010 here we come!

How about you?  Have you looked back at your writing goals for 2009?  If so, what did you find?

I mentioned in my piece on the Rosetta Stone that there was one more project I was working on that was still to be revealed.

One more bit of space that I was creating: for me, and, more importantly, for you.

I’m now ready to lift over the covers and show you:

The Writing Space

It’s a space for me to promote and develop a new programme of writing retreats in Scotland.

I’ve just launched the programme of retreats for 2010.

There’s a mixture of weekend and longer retreats in the calendar, and some mouth-wateringly lovely venues that I’ve found that will help to create the space to write.

It’s already inspiring me to pen some numbered lists

Here are some of the 7 reasons you’d enjoy a writing retreat in Scotland:

4. There’s plenty of space.  It’s easy to get away from the madding crowd.

5. There are rich seams of history wherever you go, reflecting the time lines and layers of your life

6. The light is constantly changing, creating the space for every shade of light and dark to emerge through your words

Follow the link to the post to find the other reasons… and maybe add some of your own.

I do hope intend to develop the ’space’ in the future with other products and services – perhaps some tangible products that I can create by making use of my photographs, perhaps some virtual classes and retreats too.

Perhaps one day I’ll find a way to bring all the things I’m doing and writing under that umbrella (one of the reasons I love the notion of ’space’… and thanks to those of you who’ve inspired me to borrow, adapt and use it.)

But for now the main focus will be on the writing retreats in Scotland.

It’s set up using blog software and I will be posting on it to promote what I’m doing and draw in new customers, but don’t worry – especially for those of you with over-full feed readers – it’s not another writing blog you ‘need’ to follow (my writing and blogging base will remain firmly here.)

I don’t want to say too much more here – you’ll find the explanations, introductions and underpinning philosophy set at the site.

5 Things You Can Do To Help

1. Tell someone who might be interested

This is the most important one… if you know someone who might be interested in a writing retreat in Scotland in 2010 (or beyond…) please do let them know.

(There’s a referral scheme – £20 Amazon voucher for you if someone you tell signs up for a weekend or retreat)

2. Pop over and have a look at the site

Comments, feedback, as ever, welcome

3. Give a little link love

If you can spot ways to spread the word through your own blog / site, some link love would be gratefully received (anchor text ‘writing retreats in Scotland’ even more so )

4. Become a fan on Facebook

I’ve created a fan page – if you’re on Facebook please do ‘fan’ it (and if you’ve any tips on how to make fan pages work, please do let me know. I still find FB less than totally intuitive to use.)

The Writing Space

Promote Your Page Too

5. Share your best PR & marketing tips with me

Whether that’s making use of social media or otherwise, if you’ve got ideas and suggestions to help spread the word, please let me know!

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Last but not least:

Thank you all for listening, supporting, encouraging, and inspiring me to do this.