“I don’t care what baggage they dragged over the ocean. They have no right to make me carry it the rest of my life.” ― Abigail Hing Wen
Writerly Resolutions You Can Actually Stick To
Written by: Christine B.
December 30, 2021
A new year promises a clean slate, and it’s a chance to align your progress with the changing of the dates on the calendar. A new year is a new opportunity to improve your writing. If you’re looking for a resolution to improve your writing in 2022, here are 5 resolution ideas you can actually stick with.
Meet other writers
The writing journey can be long and lonely unless you have friends to share it with. Make a goal to spend time with other writers this year- whether that be through social media or over a cup of warm coffee. If there are no writers in your area, then check online. There are tons of open forums for writers like Facebook Groups, subreddits on Reddit, or even on the NanoWrimo forums. You can learn a lot from other writers, plus they’ll know exactly the sometimes stressful, sometimes exhilarating lifestyle of being a writer.
Try Something New
You’ll never improve if you keep doing the same thing every time- that’s the definition of insanity, right? Instead, make an effort to try something new in your writing. Experiment with different genres, different points of view, new themes, or creative formats. There are no limits here. When in doubt, break the rules. Stop using commas. Get rid of all adverbs. It’s just an experiment, but it will help make you a better writer. So, mess with the status quo. It could be really, really good. Or maybe not. Regardless, you’ll learn something.
Publish Something
It’s time to put those dreams into action. Don’t spend another year aspiring to be a published author, become one. Share your writing in some way this year. Whether that be by posting chapter excerpts on social media, writing a memoir, or publishing your poems in a magazine, get yourself out there. As scary and nerve-wracking as it is, you can do it. You’ve got this.
Set a reading goal
Good writers are good readers. Make reading a primary goal for your new year. Reading others’ published books is a great way to hone your craft, stay up on current trends, and get ideas for your own creative works. There’s really no downside to reading. So make sure to set a goal to read widely both inside and outside your genre. And if you don’t have as much time to read full length novels, then set a goal to read other material every day- a short story, a poem, even a news article are all great resources for your writing success.
Have Realistic Writing Goals
Setting a realistic goal that you know you can actually accomplish is better than having a goal you might never reach. Even if your lifelong goal is to become a published author, it’s best to break that goal down into manageable chunks. Do you want to finish a new draft? Try writing 300 words a day. Do you want to experiment with your writing? Do a daily writing prompt. Write a poem every week, make revisions a monthly practice, make a social media post every other day, have 3 chapters written by March. Whatever the case, when you set a realistic goal you’re more likely to actually achieve it.
