My top 12 desires for 2012 (Julie Chibbaro)
1. Be funny (on paper).
2. Stop being so serious (on paper).
3. Don’t let myself be bullied by adults (I don’t know about you, but I still get bullied by some people in my life, no names. I’m getting pretty tired of doing stuff I don’t want to do.) And acknowledge kindnesses of people who are not bullies.
4. Do more stuff for the world, like help out at that local community garden.
5. Stop going to doctors for fibromyalgia. They don’t know anything.
6. Drive my car less.
7. Teach my 5-year-old to be less sarcastic.
8. Embrace my husband’s wish to grow a goatee, no matter how it itches when I kiss him.
9. Open my mind. To everything I can imagine. And believe I can do it.
10. Learn more about homeopathy. Heal myself, mind and body.
11. Grow herbs, not weeds, in that sunny area beside my house.
12. Survive the NY winter.
I think I could go on and on with this list. I find that my writing goals are intrinsically linked to outside-of-myself goals, and that if I stay true to those outside goals, I will stay true in my writing. When I get crazy and start thinking about what others think of me and my books, then I can’t write so good. I can’t hear myself. And aren’t I supposed to be writing from the very soul of me? Isn’t that the reason we try so hard to communicate with each other? Because we all have something to say?
The biggest thing I look forward to next year is working with Jen Hunt at Dial (Penguin). She bought my novel Aurora Borealis & Amazing that I was talking about back in June (Holding My Ground). http://yaoutsidethelines.blogspot.com/2011/06/holding-my-ground-julie-chibbaro.html
And that was certainly worth waiting for.
Huge congratulations on your book! I agree--life goals and writing goals can't and shouldn't be separated.
ReplyDeleteYes, yay to the book! Every time I hear Jen Hunt speak at a conference, I always think how wonderful she would be to work with! Cheers to that!
ReplyDeleteI've heard her talk too, Joy, and so working with her is a dream come true. I'll post here how it goes!
ReplyDeleteYes! Congrats, Julie!
ReplyDelete"I find that my writing goals are intrinsically linked to outside-of-myself goals, and that if I stay true to those outside goals, I will stay true in my writing." Yes. Yes. Yes. And also #5 (I spent 10 years going to doctors for fibro before I learned the vital importance of self-care).
ReplyDeleteAnd having met and listened to talks by Jennifer Hunt at SCBWI LA in August, I believe you are in for an amazing ride. Congratulations and have a wonderful year!