Belated Literary Resolutions 2011 and Charles II

appy Easter!





I just found out, through Theresa Milstein, that I've missed out on some Literary Resolutions for 2011! I might have seen this in January and thought I couldn't do it at the time - now it looks like I'm actually on track! Len Lambert has also signed up.

The original rules, as featured on The Loft's Writer's Block, are (shortened a little by me):

January: Read a classic that has always been on your list.

February: Write for at least 15 minutes every day.

March: Go to at least two author readings at your local book store, library, or literary center. If your community does not have authors passing through, you can watch a reading online. After hearing from the author, read the book.

April: Celebrate the foolish. Find some of the best humour writing and see what makes you laugh out loud. "Right ho!" You can never go wrong with P.G. Wodehouse. Then, give yourself a humour writing assignment. After you make someone laugh from a quip or joke, try to write it down. Can you capture spoken humour in the written form?

May: Spend the month rereading your old work.

June: Get an anthology of poetry and read the same poem twice every day—once in the morning, and once at night. Does coming back to it in the evening change it? Take June to think about language—what draws you in, what bores you?

July: Spend two hours a week working on one long piece. This could be a rescued piece discovered in May or something new.

August: Reread your favourite book from childhood. Why did that book make such an impression on you?

September: Submit. Submit to your dream of being a writer. Submit your work to a contest, a local newspaper, a literary journal.

October: Read a best-selling mystery. What can you learn from a well-paced page turner?

November: Jump on the NaNoWriMo bandwagon and try to write a novel in a month. NaNoWriMo offers plenty of online resources and many communities have meet-ups. The Loft offers a weekend novel writing conference to offer inspiration in early November.

December: Buy books, give books, talk about books, and spread your love of literature throughout the holidays.

It's not January, but I actually started reading Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre a few days ago. For the first time ever.

As for February, I definitely did that!

March... Hmm, I missed out on that. I went to a great author event last October with local Montreal authors, and I'm attending the Yes Oui CANSCAIP Imagine a Story Conference next month. And the Blue Metropolis Literary Festival is on, and TD Book Week is coming up...

April - hey wait, I just finished reading a collection of P. G. Wodehouse short stories! Now to see if I can inject humour into my own writing.

Speaking of April, tomorrow is a very big day. Not only is it Children's Day in Turkey, it's St George's Day in England and it also happens to be...

The 350th anniversary of the coronation of Charles II. Princes William and Harry, through Princess Diana, can trace their lineage back to Charles II. I, of course, have a more personal connection with him - or my characters do - as they've spent time with him at various Writers' Houseparties (thank you, Adderbury!). (They've gotten even more intimate with others - Rosa and Lord Rochester, anyone?)

Why not? You can play too! There'll be another Houseparty soon enough, I'm sure. *wink*