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| Just stop with the resolutions. |
I’m doing 2026 my way. I’d like to encourage you to do the same. Yes, you can read this if you are into resolutions. I’m not here to stop you. After all, I’m not your mom. And maybe resolutions work for you. After all, how could they be such a strong part of our culture if they work for no one? But they don’t do a lot for me.
If I’m feeling profoundly optimistic, I’d estimate that I meet annual goals maybe half the time. Maybe.
So, what might I do instead? I’ve done some reading on alternatives to resolutions and given them a writer’s twist. Here are a few suggestions.
Clear Things Out
I like to think of this one as taking out the trash. What is the writing resolution that you’ve made several years in a row but never achieved?
“I’m going to finish my fantasy novel to self-publish.”
“I’m going to craft a Lord of the Rings inspired political satire, Gollum’s White House.”
Whatever it is, give yourself permission to ignore it completely this year. Focus on something new! I like this idea a lot because it gives you permission to leave behind something that isn’t working for you.
Writer of 2026
Read an author throughout the year who initially inspired you to become an author. For me, this would be Marguerite Henry.
Or you could read an author who inspired a particular project. Before I set reading all of the Sherlock Holmes novels as a goal, I should probably check out how many there are. Apparently there are four novels and 56 short stories. I know I can knock out the novels.
You might also decide to take a course taught by a favorite author. If you love fantasy author Brandon Sanderson, you can find lectures from the college writing class he teaches on YouTube. Check out his YouTube videos here.
Go Big!
Then there is the idea that your resolutions simply have not been big enough. Instead of stating that you want to finish your fantasy novel, you should plan to finish a trilogy, perhaps by setting a NaNoWriMo style goal for each quarter.
Or you might normally state that you want to clean off your desk and keep it neat throughout the year. Instead, you set the goal that you want to catalogue your home library on Library Thing. You can find Library Thing here.
This isn’t a good fit for me simply because I’m quite capable of setting inflated goals on my own. I do not need encouragement!
Try Something New
With this idea, you try something new every month. If you are anything like me, this one would be easy.
You could try writing in first person if you normally write in third. Or you might try writing in a new genre. Of course, you need to acquire knowledge to tackle a new genre.
Take a look at the WOW! writing classes and see what catches your eye. You can find the list of clases here. There are classes on writing flash, writing a novel, and even screen writing.
Do any of these appeal to you?
Do you have another inspirational idea we might all benefit from in 2026?
--SueBE
To get a free copy of Sue’s book, What to Do When Your Book Is Banned, subscribe to her newsletter, One Writer’s Journey, here.
Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 80 books for young readers.
- To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog.
She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin on the first Monday of every month. She teaches:
2 comments:
Happy New Year, Sue! :) I think we need to update your bio on your classes... over 80 books? Dang! Well, I probably should be following whatever you're doing because you accomplish a lot.
I hit my late year goal of revising an essay and submitting it right before the New Year, so I'm pretty happy. I have one big goal for 2026, and I'll be training for that goal for the next five months with smaller goals. The smaller goals are easier to achieve, so they'll give me mental boosts along the trail to success. The smaller goals are well rounded in terms of health and fitness, income, writing and art, but all fall under the big goal umbrella.
Last year, instead of goals, I started off the year by focusing on building habits. It works for a lot of people, but I tend to get sidetracked by shiny things, and that's what happened last year and derailed all my habit forming goals. But I'm grateful for it because it allowed me to pursue a new adventure. And newness always helps with writing.
I signed up for Memoir Nation's JanYourStory, a memoir writing challenge like NaNoWriMo that was featured in WOW's latest newsletter and started today. I already hit my word count!
I'm not surprised you hit your word count already! When you add to something, you do NOT mess around.
I like your idea of smaller goals leading to something bigger. That's what I'm doing by looking at classes. Because I love classes and finish 90% of them. The middle grade novel class I am taking actually walks you through creating a draft and revising. I really think this is what I need. Like you, shiny objects are my pit fall!
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