Join a writers group or start one yourself. This will force you to write and to adhere to deadlines and witness other people meeting deadlines and achieving goals. It is positive peer pressure at its finest.

Take writing courses and seminars. If you can afford it, sign up for that class or seminar you’ve been longing to take. Better yet, sign up for something that scares you to death, something you feel completely unqualified to take. You will experience most growth from this class. Too expensive? There are lots of inexpensive, and even free, writing resources on web, including my website http://www.lawritersgroup.com which is a free online writers group open to writers of all levels.

Write every day. I know you’ve heard this so many times, it feels like a bad cliché, and makes you want to throw your computer out window, but if you are dedicated to process of writing, you should do it daily. Accept that your life will be a cliché and move forward.

Start living like a writer: Set Goals. Make deadlines for yourself: “I’ll have 30 pages done by a month from today”. Make every effort to meet that deadline. Deadlines, like them or not, are part of literary occupation. Accept it now, and start living that way, start living like a writer.

Read. Reading in your genre is essential for any writer. Reading about writing and publishing and about story arcs is also helpful. For a list of recently published books for writers, go to http://www.lawritersgroup.com/Books.htm

Now go forth and write with dedication.

Everyone reevaluates goals at beginning of year. Remember those 2005 writing goals? Whether you wrote down your goals or simply let them gestate inside your memory, they are there. How close have you come to realizing those goals? Are you half way there? If not, do not loose hope; do not beat yourself up with guilt! The cycle of nature is here to rescue you! I invite you now, at tail end of spring, time to plant seeds, to revisit your 2005 writing goals. What have you accomplished and stayed with? What haven't you done? Recommit yourself during this summertime, this time for growth and maintenance. Start turning those goals into reality. How will you grow and maintain your craft this summer? What rewards do you want to reap in autumn?