Winter is the perfect season to establish your writing resolutions and form the habits that will lead to better productivity. There is so much you could accomplish in the year ahead! Read on for tips on how to develop—and crush!—your writing resolutions.

Kristen’s a firm believer that if you have a story idea, there’s no need to wait for the perfect moment. Everybody has a good story to tell!

While pantsing can be tempting, one of Kristen’s specialties is consulting with writers in the brainstorm and outline stages– she even offers a full outline edit with a one-hour consultation call! It’s time for your story to begin.

What do you want your writing year to look like?

Seriously, now. When you’re following through on those mandatory social events during the 2023 holiday season, what do you want to be able to say, with confidence? That you’re working on a project, or that you finished a draft? That you completed edits and sent something out for submission? Or that you joined a writing group or found a critique partner? What do you want your story as a writer to be?

Writing is solitary. I know you’ve heard this a gazillion times, and you probably don’t need reminding. But because it’s solitary, most of your non-writer friends and relatives probably have little concept of what it is you do when you sit alone in that coffee shop or stay up at night later than you should just to get some words on the page. It’s so easy to psych yourself out. Don’t. Throw salt over your left shoulder to silence that voice that says you can’t. (Just kidding. Sort of. Did I mention I’m a little superstitious?)

Invest in your writing life

Becoming a better writer is more than showing up to write when you block the time for it. To really make a commitment you’re likely to follow through on, first set a goal to take yourself seriously.

To help take yourself seriously, consider investing more than your time. Invest in educating yourself. Invest in developing a writing network—people with similar interests who will help hold you accountable.

Where can you meet these people? Try a conference. If you’re writing for kids, SCBWI runs annual regional conferences worldwide. I’m not gonna lie—if you’re a little introverted or try to avoid big crowds of strangers, this can feel overwhelming. It helps to know at least one person going in. But even if you’re solo, you can commit to showing up and attending the instructional sessions offered. You’ll leave with actionable advice you can immediately apply to your writing.

If a conference feels like too much, SCBWI regions also coordinate monthly small group meet and greets. Showing up for one of these could lead to forming a local writing group, or at the very least offer the opportunity to make more writer friends.

Small steps towards achieving your writing resolutions

If the thought of leaving the house to engage with strangers in any capacity makes you cringe, there are even smaller, nonthreatening steps you can take. Have you heard about Crit Collective? It’s a free online resource where you can post what you’re looking for and connect with writers who have similar interests.

(Note: Crit Collective has since integrated with the Good Story Membership.)

How about reading and working your way through a book on craft? There are plenty to choose from and most can be ordered through your local bookstore. (Your local bookstore can also be a great resource for helping you connect with other nearby writers.) Craft books are worth buying because you’ll want to refer back to them, and if you’re like me you’ll want to underline and make notes directly in the margins of the text. But if you have a hard time deciding which book is best for you right now, you can always check a bunch out of your public library first to give them a trial run.

Whatever your writing resolutions are, be sure to write them down, either on paper or on your device. If you use your device, post them as your wallpaper so you’re constantly reminded. And if you use paper, try a large index card or your favorite bright-color Post-it, and stick them to the wall where you’ll see them every day.

Most importantly, commit to spending time writing. Schedule it on your calendar. Hold yourself accountable.

And read mentor texts in your genre. Notice what works in recently published stories. Pay attention to character development and plot arcs, dialogue and action sequences. What works in those stories that you can apply to your own?

Making writing resolutions that stick

First, be honest with yourself. The dream of having a completed manuscript sounds lovely, but after that initial burst of scene-creating creativity, enthusiasm tends to wane.

This is where an outline and character profiles can help. Take the time to write them so you have something to fall back on. If you have a sense of what the beginning, middle, and end of your plot should look like, it gives you smaller goals to work toward, and you can set a timeline of when you want to accomplish them by. Build in time for creativity rabbit holes, too. A working outline can be changed, because sometimes characters behave unexpectedly and stories take new directions.

All of this will keep your resolutions realistic and defined, and will help you mentally prepare to commit to the actual work it will take to achieve your goals. If you book the time to write on your calendar, your time will be better managed. Avoiding distractions goes back to being honest with yourself. What’s more important, scanning Twitter for twenty minutes, or writing? Your call. Maybe something on Twitter will inspire you. Or maybe you’ll want that twenty minutes of your life back.

Set five attainable goals

Think about where you want to be a year from now, and then figure out the steps you need to take to get there. Set deadlines for yourself. If you want to have sixty thousand words by December, how do you need to break that down? Remember, a story is more than words on a page. You need to know your characters. It helps if you have an outline. Setting goals will help you stay out of the weeds, too. Do you need to know your character’s favorite ice cream flavor? Probably not. But it would help if you knew whether he gets along with his brother.

Need some ideas? Here’s an example of five writing resolutions to kick-start your own list.

1.     Write consistently. (Hour or words per day, week, month)

2.     Write productively (outline, character profiles, figure out key plot points.)

3.     Read at least two writing craft books.

4.     Read at least five recently published mentor texts.

5.     Meet other writers. (Attend a conference, join a critique group, find online writing buddies)

You can do this!

Share your writing resolutions in the comments! And when the 2023 holiday season rolls around, drop me a line to share your successes, no matter how small. I look forward to hearing your stories!

Kristen is passionate about what an outline can do for your full manuscript and offers a rare service: a full outline edit with a one-hour consultation call. Book yours here!