It's 2010. Did you make resolutions? Here are some that I've refined...

Give yourself permission to discard sentences, paragraphs, chapters, or manuscripts. If you think it's worth saving, put it in an idea file for later. If you don't think it's working, cut it. If you think it's not right, then chances are it needs to be reworked or removed.

Give yourself permission to stop reading a book that you're not enjoying. I used to think that I had to finish it because I'd invested 100+ pages. Not anymore. Life's too short. Move on to something that you enjoy. This applies to movies too. We have a 15-minute rule for DVDs. If it doesn't grab us, we move on to something else.

And listen to how you "talk to yourself." How do you respond to yourself in your head? Is it always a put down or what a friend would be offended by? If it's always negative, work on ways to make it positive. You sabotage yourself when you constantly dwell on the negative.

Best wishes in 2010. Keep reading, writing, and revising!