Happy New Year! It’s 2025, and I can officially say that my debut novel comes out next year (which makes it feel so much closer than it actually is!)
2024 wasn’t too shabby, either. Last year, I (well, my fabulous agent and her team of co-agents) sold translation rights for my book to an additional five countries. I worked through the first round of developmental edits (and started a second) with my editors. I brainstormed and outlined my next book, and drafted the first 25% of it. I received my first ARC as an author, wrote my first blurb, and received my first advance payment, all of which made me feel like a Real Author.
So, what’s next? I’m looking forward to discovering what my publishing journey has in store for me this year. Each step will be a brand new experience for me as my book is brought to life, and I plan on learning and savoring each one. I’ve also set a writing resolution that has nothing to do with my debut.
Writing Resolutions
Like any good New Year’s Resolution, your writing goal for the year should be something you can realistically achieve within the year without stressing you out. Challenging yourself with your goals is good. Setting yourself up for failure with unrealistic expectations is bad. An effective goal would be “I want to write a book this year” or “I want to write one short story a month.” That’s doable.
Now, you need to decide how you want to do it. First, make the goal as specific as you can (“I want to complete my 100,000 word young adult fantasy book this year.” Or “I want to write one 1,000 word story a month.”) Then, you break it down into mini-goals or steps you’ll need to complete to reach that goal. (“I want to write 5,000 words a week.”) and look at your schedule to create a plan that you can follow-through on. I prefer a word count goal vs a time goal, because my ultimate goal of completing my book is really to hit that final word count, so figuring out how to get there is just basic math. I also feel like working toward a concrete number keeps me more on task, but you set whatever goals work for you.
Other possible steps you might feel the need to take as you work toward your writing goal are planning to checkout some craft books from your library or setting aside a few hours a week for watching writing lectures on YouTube. You can carve out the hours you’ll need to write 5,000 words in a week based on your writing speed and routine and get them on your calendar, all while planning around that family vacation or the company that’s coming to stay in a few weeks. When you’re done setting your mini-goals, you should feel confident that if you follow the step-by-step plan, you can accomplish your writing resolution.
What’s My 2025 Writing Resolution?
I want to finish the first draft of my next book, which is currently sitting at 25% complete and being juggled between sessions editing my debut. I’ll pick a deadline to work towards that will help me keep momentum but won’t make me rush the process. I’ll make a writing calendar and work around my family’s schedule. I’ll leave a little wiggle room in case life happens. Preparing for my book release in 2026 is all a mystery at this point, so I think the flexibility will be appreciated by future me! I’d also like to brainstorm and do the prep work for a new idea, another novel or maybe a short story (as you can see, I don’t have it figured out yet, but I know I like having two projects to alternate between when I write, so once my debut is out of my hands, I’ll probably bring in something else).
What’s Your 2025 Writing Resolution?
Let me know in the comments! And if it happens to be “Write my first book in 2025,” check out my newsletter on Substack, where I’ll be kicking off a year-long series all about getting your first book written, from idea to “The End.” I hope you’ll join me!
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