in which my goals were too far reaching

I'm off to a quick start on my quest to read 100 books in twenty ten; eighty pages into Donna Tartt's THE LITTLE FRIEND, which (as I just tweeted) is as good as slow sex.

If only I could get the new year to give me a swift kick in the writing pants. I'm struggling with the middle section of my WIP, bogged down with lack of subplot/ juvenile writing/ Donna Tartt making me feel inferior.

I just wrote one sentence, went back and read the first and last lines of each chapter, and exited out of the document.

Stellar progress.

I've been catching up on my google reader this evening, and was inspired by Melane's post over at Chasing the Dream. She's decided to write everysingle day in 2010. Obviously, this is a fantastic quest. And, Melane is smart and didn't give herself some ridiculously steep word count to meet each day. 500 little words, because sometimes that's all that happens for her.

That is okay. There is nothing wrong with that.

I have this nasty little habit of setting far reaching goals and promptly giving up when they don't turn out to be attainable. Once (and I'm not Catholic) I decided to give up the following for Lent: cursing, chocolate, television, caffeine, meat, carbs, my first born. You get the panoramic picture.

I can't tell you how quickly I got frustrated and gave in to my cravings for all of the above with the exception of a first born.

Oh, and then there was Nano (National November Writing Month.) (Death by ink pen.)

So, yes -- while I agree that it is admirable and essential to reach for the stars, I just wanted to remind myself of those wise words attributed to Socrates:  nothing in excess.

Not even ludacrisly high word count goals which you and I both know I will never meet.

Cheers to low daily word expectations for 2010. And just maybe I'll exceed them.

The Happiest of  New Years to all of you. Ten years ago today, I was suffering after my first night of drunken excess. I didn't know much about Socrates back then.