At the time of this post’s publication, we are ten days into 2024. How are those new year’s resolutions coming along?
By now, roughly 25 percent of people will have quit on their goals. That may sound high for so early in the year, but it makes sense when you take into account how easily modern life can distract us from what we want to chase.
If you’re considering putting away your writing dreams and trying again next year, read this blog post first.
You’re Not an Imposter
If most of what you see from other writers is what they’re posting on Instagram, you’re probably seeing a lot of successes. While more writers are making an effort to show the rejection letters and reversals of fortune on social media, the majority of what you’re probably seeing is highlight reels, pun intended.
Of course, every writer struggles with their book from time to time. You know that on an intellectual level. But to maintain your sanity and your faith in your work, you must let that truth burrow so deeply into your heart and mind that it stays with you even on your darkest days, when you feel most like you’re not meant to be a writer.
Thankfully, we live in the age of information, and most any writer you can think of has given interviews on their writing process. They’ll tell you about the hours and hours they spent on their craft, the devastating lows between the tremendous highs, and how they persevered when they weren’t sure of themselves or their project.
If you want a taste of what other writers’ lives are like, you might enjoy perusing The Write Place archives.
If that’s not enough, think of it this way: if writing was truly easy, editors would be out of a job!
Accept the Setbacks
No matter how well you’ve internalized the fact that every writer has faced their share of problems, it will still sting when you come up against an issue, whether that’s the challenge of finding time for writing amidst daily responsibilities or realizing your work in progress has structural flaws.
The trick—as those writers you admire would no doubt tell you—is to not let any setback stop you. Setbacks are going to happen. Pivot and course correct as best you can in the moment, and remember that you always, always have the option to go back and edit later. Even if you’re on a deadline and have to submit, there’s opportunities to make changes when you get your rights back.
And once you’ve done what can to fix things, forgive yourself. Journal about what happened, extract the lessons you learned, and grow from your experiences. That way, you’ll continue to improve, and in that way, setbacks can be just as important for your writing career as your accomplishments.
Celebrate the Successes
Everyone says to celebrate the little victories, but what does that really look like on a day-to-day basis?
To do this, a writer must acknowledge and appreciate progress, even when it’s not as much progress as you might like. So what would make you feel appreciated and proud of your progress? What kinds of positive reinforcement would work for you? Take a few minutes to brainstorm what kinds of things feel special for you, what works for your budget, and who would celebrate alongside you.
If you need some inspiration for what to use as rewards, we made a list of 20 ways to celebrate your writing wins a while ago. And if you don’t have a good grasp of how you’re going to track your progress, you might like this blog post, which has a free downloadable spreadsheet to help you do just that.
Want the Help of a Writing Coach and a Community Behind You?
The Write Gym by Writer’s Atelier is an ongoing program that helps writers stay accountable for their writing career goals. When you join, you’ll gain access to monthly masterclasses, regular check-in threads, goal-setting and reflection worksheets, bonus videos, live weekly write-ins with WA’s founder, and so much more.
But hurry—the monthly investment increases on January 15, 2024!
