A resolution?

It is a new year and I have realized I have fallen prey to one of the biggest killers of a writer's creativity ... not writing.

Things started out well.  I got this blog, I joined a few forums, I embarked on a blog fiction serial, I wrote a short story for a magazine competition and I planned (and started) two novels.  And then, I stopped.  What happened?  I worked, I played, I got side tracked (read a plethora of novels, got addicted to 'Dragon Age'), Christmas happened with inevitable family and friend  reunions ... life got in the way.

Two nights ago we stayed with some good friends, one of whom, Joy, asked me about my writing.  She has a brother who is a fairly successful artist.  I began with excuses, of course.  My work is busy and very consuming (which it is) I enjoy other things aside from writing, like cycling, socializing and gardening, which are also very time consuming.  She listened to me, nodding her head in silent agreement.  Then she uttered one sentence, "you have to be disciplined."

The effect of this one statement has been transforming.  I have ruminated on that one word since I returned home yesterday.  I think I have always dismissed 'discipline' as belonging to the athletes or soldiers - never to the artists who I have always thought (in the back of my mind at least) need to work when they are inspired.  Now I have changed my view on this.

I have been meaning to get back into writing many times over the past days, weeks and months.  But my friend's clear message seemed to encapsulate, succinctly, what I need to do.  And so, with great enthusiasm I have returned to my blog.  If we want to be successful as writers we need to be disciplined and persistent.  Is this a new year's resolution?  Perhaps it is ;)  Well, let's see if I'm back again this time next week.

Happy New Year!