Looking Back, Looking Forward

“Writers are either developing an idea or they are questing, even if unconsciously, for the germ of an idea.” - Patricia Highsmith

Well, 2020 turned out to be quite the year. I started this blog two years ago in an effort to write more. I wrote twenty-four posts in 2019 but only ten in 2020. Oh well. Time to reflect and plan for the future. 

I did write a couple of articles at the end of the year. My good friend Patrick Ijima-Washburn has taken over as editor for a zine called Mangaverse and he asked me to contribute. Mangaverse covers manga, anime, U.S. comics, film and Japanese culture. It's part of The National Fantasy Fan Federation aka N3F. I wrote a manga review and an article about my experiences buying American comics from when I lived in Japan. I’ll be writing more articles this year. 

My main goal last year was to finish things. Finish the writing course I had started and finish short stories. That didn’t happen. 2020 got in the way in more ways than one.

Towards the end of 2020 I was hoping to finish a short story but I hit a barrier and stepped away for a while. I've just had a breakthrough though and have a good idea where the story is going now. This story is important to me as it’s based on the first real short story that I ever wrote in high school. That story is lost but I still remember the title and the basic premise. The new version is turning out to be the same in spirit but more detailed. Finishing it is one of my first goals for 2021.

Books Read and Things Learned 

I got a lot of reading done in 2021, both fiction and non-fiction. Here are the books on writing that I read and what I got out of them. 

How to Write Action Adventure Novels by Michael Newton.

Solid advice on how to craft action stories. He gives both good and bad examples of passages that I found useful. 

Writing for Your Life by Lawrence Block.

The chapter on “automatic writing” or “fast writing” was useful. Sometimes all it takes to overcome hesitation is setting a timer and keeping the pen moving without overthinking things. 

Don’t Live for Your Obituary: Advice, Commentary and Personal Observations on Writing, 2008-2017 by John Scalzi.

This is a collection of the author’s blog posts and covers a wide variety of topics. I didn’t take notes but I remember finding the chapters on what it’s like being a writer pretty motivating. 

Stein on Writing by Sol Stein.

This book covers both fiction and non-fiction. I found almost everything from the fiction section very useful. In particular, the chapter on hooking the reader with an interesting first sentence and an interesting first paragraph was very helpful. 

Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction by Patricia Highsmith.

I liked how the author talked about how story ideas can develop. Sometimes an idea needs a second idea to get the story going. Then flesh out the idea with characters, setting, and atmosphere. 

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Ann Lamott.

I got a lot out of this one. The author stresses the importance of giving yourself short assignments and finishing first drafts. Having a first draft gives you something to work with. She also explains that you may not get to the good stuff until you’ve written three or four pages. 

The Successful Novelist by David Morell.

Sometimes I’m hesitant when trying to write fiction because I’m not sure where the story is going. The author explains that although he has an idea of where a story is going, the specifics don’t emerge until he starts writing and that the first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. His advice about description is also good. He points out that beginning writers often only provide visual description and that it’s important to also include sound, touch or smell descriptions sometimes. Stein talks about that in his book as well. 

Zen and the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury.

I found the most helpful ideas from the first half of this book. Write quickly. “In quickness is truth.” Make a list of things you love and things you hate. Play with words and make lists of titles. Feed your muse by reading a lot. Read novels, short stories, essays, and poems. 

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

In this book the author defines resistance and the various ways that it can get in the way of getting your writing done. This was really eye opening for me. 

Most Popular Posts

Although I started this blog for myself, a few people have dropped in now and then. Here are my five most popular posts. 

The fifth most popular post is Childish Things. I wrote about how reading comics in my childhood turned into a love of storytelling. Jim Reddy's We Learn By Writing: Childish Things

Fourth is Incident at an Airport. This was an assignment for the writing course that I’ve been taking. Jim Reddy's We Learn By Writing: Incident at an Airport: Setting Exercise Part 2

Third is Man, Lying on a Hill, Looking Through a Rifle Scope. This was also an assignment for the writing course. Jim Reddy's We Learn By Writing: A Man Lying on a Hill, Looking Through a Rifle Scope: Setting Exercise Part 1

The second most popular at 115 views is Education of a Wandering Man, a review of the book by Louis L’Amour. Jim Reddy's We Learn By Writing: Education of a Wandering Man

My most popular post, at just over 300 views, is A Time When I Was Deeply Embarrassed. Another assignment for the writing course. Three hundred views may not be a lot for most blogs but it's a big jump from most of my posts.  Jim Reddy's We Learn By Writing: A Time When I Was Deeply Embarrassed

Looking Ahead 

Last year I came up with goals but I didn’t plan out how I was going to accomplish those goals and I didn’t keep track of them. 

This year I’ve started keeping track of how much writing I do. I make a note of how much I’ve written at the end of every day. I'm also making better use of my project and story list. First keeping better track of it and second re-prioritizing things as needed.

In the end though I know that I need to plant myself in my chair and just write.

Here’s to a better new year.