A New Goal

Yes, I knew what I was doing when I posted on Monday's entry that I had a quote I wanted to use for my blog Tuesday. I knew that Marianne would hold me accountable, and I wasn't disappointed.

Here's the quote:

"That was the moment I changed from an amateur to a professional. I assumed the burden of the profession, which is to write even when you don't want to, don't much like what you are writing, and aren't writing particularly well." -Agatha Christie, An Autobiography

I had that quote as my signature for a long time, but over the last several years, I'd about forgotten it. Now, I need to make up my mind whether I'm a hobbyist or a professional writer (whether I make enough to live on or not). As a hobbyist, I'm free to write whenever I want to and to go days if I don't want to write. To write "when the spirit moves me." To write only when I'm not suffering writer's block. To write only when I can find the time to write in an already hectic life.

Or... I can be a professional and do what a writer does: write. I can make the time to write... even if it's fifteen minutes here, or a half hour there. After all, I don't have any trouble killing thirty or forty minutes a day bloghopping! I can make sure I have notecards with me and, when waiting is necessary, use the time to jot ideas or scenes down, rather than reading my time away. If I am "dry" and can't come up with something on my WIPs, I can use prompts to work on short stories or contests.

My biggest enemy when it comes to my writing is myself and my procrastination. I'm setting myself a new goal. I WILL write every day...something. It might be on this blog. It might be an episode of The Green Sister. It might be a short story or a response to a prompt (any suggestions on good sites for daily prompts would be appreciated.) And, I'm setting this goal here, publicly, knowing that my blogfriends will help hold me accountable.

Thanks, my friends.