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January
27, 2008
"The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
Writers: Or how to make 2008
your year to shine!"
Kevin Smokler lit up our first meeting of 2008
with heart, humor, encouragement, and wild celebration of being
a writer. He suggested we greet each day as a blank page full
of limitless possibilities, and implored us to seize the gift
of writing with enthusiasm. We joined him in pledging these Seven
New Year’s Writer Resolutions:
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To set goals both big and small. Write a page
or a chapter until you have a finished novel. Big goals are
achieved using tiny steps. Continually ask yourself what are
you doing next, and why? What does what you are doing mean,
how does it lead to a larger goal?
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To learn from what I do not know. The Internet
gives us access to virtually everything, all knowledge from
all time, so there’s no excuse not to know something.
Every creative person must be knowledgeable about technology.
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To stop believing in fairy tales, stop waiting
to be discovered, and do the hard work it takes to be a professional
writer. Start by sharing writing with people who love us and
build accomplishments.
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To develop an ear and eye for opportunity,
to find for myself who is important to me. I am a self-starter.
Writing is all or nothing. We are blessed and lucky. What we
do is a gift.
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To develop an understanding of what I have
to offer, to contribute to the cultural dialogue, to understand
what my book means to someone besides me, how it affects others’
lives, why it is interesting to culture. Give up tiny self-absorption
for a larger vision. What is the right medium for my message?
Be fair but firm.
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To take constructive criticism constructively,
especially from people more experienced and successful than
me. The object is to get something done, so don’t waste
time and energy in judgement. Clean up your mess and move on.
It’s boring being the smartest person in the room or
being right all the time.
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To stop asking for permission, to see each
step as an opportunity, to seize the blank page and fill it.
It’s up to every one of us.
May this be your best writing year yet!
Kevin Smokler is the editor of Bookmark
Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times (Basic Books) which was
a San Francisco Chronicle Noteable Book of 2005. His writing
has appeared in the LA Times, the San Francisco
Chronicle, Fast Company and on National Public Radio. He
speaks throughout North America on writing, publishing and the
endurance of the arts in the digital 21st century and was the
keynote for this month’s San Francisco Writing Conference.
His "career coaching for writers" practice has included
several national best sellers. He lives in San Francisco.
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