I’ve decided to try my hand at writing a novel. (Or maybe a short story or two. We’ll see how it shakes out in the end.)

This is an idea I’ve attempted over the years, starting a few pages here or there, but eventually abandoning my efforts. I was never pleased with what I wrote, often questioning how good my ideas or writing were. Sometimes I simply became too busy, or misplaced my budding manuscript.

But 2015 just feels like the year to give writing another go. I’ve been incredibly inspired by the movie review blog my husband and I have been writing since December 2013. Forcing myself to write and edit nearly everyday is not only good practice, it’s helped spark my imagination. After watching 400+ films (and counting), you inevitably start to think about how you’d write some stories differently.

I’m also working on not being so hard on myself. So what if my first draft is crap? That’s what first drafts are for. Hell, that’s what second, third, and tenth drafts are for. This is probably the biggest hurdle to writing, one I plan to finally overcome this time. Worst case scenario is that I discover I’m not good at writing fiction. No worries, I have other hobbies I can focus on.

As for being busy… well, that’s life. When is it ever not busy. Taking time off to just write is the dream, but it isn’t realistic right now. I’ll definitely be setting some deadlines for myself, but ones that I can actually meet. Again, I won’t beat myself up if I miss a date by a day or even a week. I’ll only start to worry if I reach June and haven’t even started. (Actually, let’s move that up to April.)

(The only foil I can confidently say I won’t be succumbing to this time is losing my notes or story. I’m much more organized these days. It also helps that I don’t plan on moving in the foreseeable future. That’s a surefire way for things to go missing.)

So I’m now armed with a notebook of story ideas, Stephen King’s On Writing, my library card, and The Elements of Style. I’m seeking inspiration wherever I can: reading, watching the news, visiting art galleries, meeting new people. And most importantly, I’ll continue writing whenever possible.

Let’s just see how this goes…