Treehouse

compiled by Rachel Bondurant

If you’re like me, then you hate New Year’s resolutions. I never make them. I think declaring a goal to be a New Year’s resolution automatically damns it to failure.

That being said, I (do not) resolve this New Year to write often, rewrite, and write better. It’s not a resolution; it’s just something I want to do. In case your unresolution is writing (or reading) related, here are some things to nudge you in a productive direction.

Let’s start tremendously. Jeffrey Eugenides spoke at the ceremony for the 2012 Whiting Award winners, and The New Yorker graciously printed an adapted-for-print version of the speech for us to read and thus be inspired. To wit, Eugenides says, “Write posthumously.” Actually, Nadine Gordimer said that, but Eugenides explains it well – much better than I could here – so read it.

The Review Review has a whole slew of publishing tips, so check all of them out when you have time. A couple of my favorites: this piece about submission phobia and this one about revising.

Nobody can argue advice from Ray Bradbury, especially when it’s so simply put: make a list of ten things you hate and ten you love, then write about them. Nice and easy.

Book Riot has a pet peeve about people with literary pet peeves.

For those who need straightforward advice, here’s an article that is an actual list of suggestions for writing/reading resolutions…you know, if resolutions happen to be your thing.

And if you need general recommendations and sarcasm to inspire you and get your ass in gear, then by all means: Colin Nissan at McSweeney’s has just the thing for you.