Resolutions??

Since it is the dawn of a new year, let’s discuss those dreaded resolutions. I have been resolving to lose weight for about 44 years, so we’ll move past that one.
Here are some common resolutions for writers, along with my rebuke—I mean, commentary.

• Drink more coffee. According to the plethora of Hallmark movies about writers, we drink a lot of coffee. WAIT A MINUTE! I gave up caffeine eight months ago, so I’ll be drinking more hot chocolate.
• Find a groovy coffee shop or diner as a place to write. Writers all over the Internet talk about how they do their best work at Starbucks, Panera, or a charming mom-and-pop place. WAIT A MINUTE! I have trouble writing in a crowd, plus I live in a small town. I know EVERYONE, so I wouldn’t get much writing done with all the conversations (Have I mentioned I love to talk?). I’ll stick to sitting on the couch with my laptop.
• Get up really early to write. At one of my first writers conferences, I went to a workshop called “Finding Time to Write” taught by a popular author, and he shared his routine with us. He suggested we get up at 4:30 IN THE MORNING to get in a few hours of writing before the workday begins. WAIT A MINUTE! No one would want to read what I would write at 4:30 IN THE MORNING, and I am generally not functional until 9 or 10. I’ll stick to writing in the evenings, when I’m actually AWAKE and semi-coherent.

I, like most writers, have figured out what works for me. Some people may be able to bang out a bestseller at the local coffee shop early in the morning with loads of caffeine, and that’s fine. Hey, if it works, go for it! The rest of us will find the right time and place (and beverage) to do our best work.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll find something for that weight loss resolution, after I finish all of these holiday treats.

Carlton Hughes wears many hats. By day, he’s a professor of communication at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he does object lessons and songs with motions as Children’s Pastor of Lynch Church of God. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including Chicken Soup for the Soul and several devotional books from Worthy Publishing—Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. Carlton and his wife Kathy have two college-age sons, Noah and Ethan. He is on the planning committee for Kentucky Christian Writers Conference and is a year-round volunteer for Operation Christmas child. He is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary Agency.