I’m not usually one for new year’s resolutions, but last year I made a commitment to write more regularly, and to write something that would serve no other purpose than to make me happy. As a professor, I coach so many others with their writing. How could I practice what I teach? How could I rediscover the joy of writing?
I wrote 74 film and television reviews in 2021.
Before then, I had only posted short reviews on social media in anticipation of the Oscars. In 2021, I started writing fuller reviews. I started following the Marvel Disney+ shows, writing a full review after each episode. Then, over the summer, I created The Long Take, a review newsletter/site on Substack.
It’s been difficult to keep up amidst work and family, but I often find that I can’t stop thinking about a review, can’t stop working on it until I “get it out.” I can’t say that about other projects.
Thank you all for reading along. And a special thanks to anyone who has written a comment or struck up a conversation. I love chatting about TV and movies, and getting to do that more has been an amazing byproduct of this undertaking. The positive feedback and encouragement has also helped to keep me going when I think I don’t have enough time or energy.
The goal for next year is to just keep going. At some point, I’d love to become a member of a critic’s association or a tomatometer approved critic, and some light research indicates that consistent output for a minimum of two years is the standard requirement.
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Happy New Year!
I’ve got lots more projected Oscar nominee coverage coming up, and The Book of Boba Fett is just getting started. What’s up, 2022.