Many writers start the year with intimidating resolutions. Here at WITS, we do things differently. We choose one word to guide our writing journey. Some of us even turn those words into coloring pages, adding an extra dose of creative mojo. Simple. Playful. Powerful.
Join us!
Ellen
My word for 2026 is Renew.
I've relocated with my family to the Kansas City area and plan to re-establish myself in the local writing community.
I'm excited to meet new people and renew my relationship with writing.
Jenn
My word in 2026 is Reset.
In the past couple of years, I have lost my writing spark. 2026 is the year I hit the reset button and reignite it.
Jenny
My word for 2026 is Receive.
2025 was a time of implementing so many new things: websites, business plans, finding local writing organizations, and business networking groups. I went to conferences and hired a coach.
Now it’s time to receive the benefits of all that work. That doesn’t always come easily for me. I give readily, but receiving requires me to slow down, relax, and trust that I’m worthy of what I’ve built. Sometimes the stress of wondering if I’ve truly earned those good things gets in the way. What I’m learning is to give myself the space and grace to simply receive: to let the muse arrive, allow situations to unfold, and trust that the effort mattered.
Lisa
My word for 2026 is Joy.
Why did I pick it? Because it is the one thing I feel creatives need in 2026 and something I am working on reclaiming for myself.
Sarah
My word for 2026 is Rejoice.
I am so blessed and have so much to be joyous about, that I both need to affirm it and to occasionally be reminded.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Clear, objective, and filled with ifs.
If only I had…
If I could just go back…
If I had made a different choice…
The ‘if only’ lament is particularly apropos to authors. During my 40-year career, if I had known then what I know now, I might have saved myself a few tears and rants. But I’d have missed some fabulous lessons.
Let’s start with naïve expectations.
With my first book, I believed the publisher would send me on signing tours, my books would cover the walls of bookstores, I would be the darling of New York. That bubble burst immediately.
Lesson #1: Publishing is a business.
Publishers pour time and money into authors when they believe they will reap proportionate profits. I had one book, and my editor was bottom of her totem pole, so marketing was my responsibility.
I hit up friends to buy a book, went to talk to my mom’s women’s groups, I taught my toddler to scream, “Mommy, there’s your book,” when we went into a bookstore. My father put my books cover-out, hiding E.M. Forster behind them.
Lesson #2: Humility comes free with every new author gig.
I got a Barnes & Noble book signing at a big shopping center. There was a table outside the entrance, my books piled high, a pen at the ready. People came and went. Finally, a woman approached and pointed to the table.
“Can I have one of those?” she asked.
Delighted, I grabbed my pen and a book. She shook her head.
“No, I want one of those.”
She was pointing to the candy bowl I had brought with me. I gave her all the candy and went home without selling a book.
Lesson #3: Show up because every experience matters.
I was asked to address a writers’ group 80 miles from my home. I reached the high desert to find one woman there. Everyone else had bailed. I could be angry and leave, or I could stay. I stayed and we talked about writing for two hours. She was engaged, eager, and committed. What I had to say was relevant to her and her willingness to listen meant the world.
I worked harder, invested in my career, embraced humility and kept showing up—at libraries, bookstores, community centers, and writing/reading groups. Eventually, I made a mark. For three years I was a speaker at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, sharing the stage with authors such as Michael Connelly. Crowds were big and enthusiastic. Then came bestseller lists, unexpected opportunities, and the sense that maybe, finally, I had arrived.
Lesson #4: Publishing is a game of chutes and ladders.
No one is assured of popularity, love, and loyalty—in life or publishing. When my editor—my champion who had bestowed on me an impressive advance—left for another house and my agent made a horrendous misstep, my publisher dropped me.
My “arrival”, it seemed, was temporary. But I arrived again with the advent of digital publishing, enjoying success I never thought possible. When I did not respond quickly enough to changing markets, I found myself spiraling down a chute again.
Thankfully, I am seasoned enough to realize that no one climbs a ladder easily and that brings me to…
Lesson #5: Understanding yourself as an author is critical.
In the end, all this is about books.
I wasted time jumping genres when I should have committed to one. I tried to echo bestsellers when what I should have been doing is finding my own voice and perfecting it.
Comparing my work to other authors was defeating; learning from their success was smart. You fall down the chute when you aren’t clear about your author voice. You have a better chance on the ladder when your work reflects passion, commitment and focus.
Lesson #6: Success can be inexplicable.
My Josie Bates Thrillers have earned a place in thousands—now millions—of hearts. Josie’s magic stretched over nine books.
While my other books and series were well received, I haven’t been able to replicate whatever it was that made Josie special. I may never be able to. That’s okay because the real gift is having hit the mark once. I’ll keep trying, of course, because that’s what creative people do. Still, all these lessons have grounded me.
I no longer try to chase magic
I work to excel in my craft. I try to work smarter. I keep my head down and my heart open. Most importantly, I try to remember that the writer I was—the one who gave away candy but did not sell a single book—is part of the writer I am today. The highs shaped me as much as the lows.
If I knew then what I know now. . .
I might have relaxed a little. I might have trusted the process more.
Perhaps I would have understood that every setback is temporary, and every victory is too. And I would have recognized sooner that the real success isn’t in the bestseller lists or the big festivals or the publishing deals—it’s in the fact that I tried and succeeded where many would give up.
Success is in the work itself. The proof of that is in the readers—even if it’s just one to whom your words mean something.
Which of Rebecca's lessons resonates most with you? Do you have other lessons of your own to add to her list?
Free New Year's Gift for WITS Readers!
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About Rebecca
Rebecca Forster started writing on a crazy dare and found her passion. Now a USA Today and Amazon best selling author, Forster is known for her legal thrillers and police procedurals. Over three million readers have enjoyed her Josie Bates thrillers in the Witness Series alone. With over 40 books to her name, Rebecca had a long career in traditional publishing before becoming an indie author. Her fast-paced tales of law and justice are known for deep characterization and never-see-it-coming endings.
In an effort to make her work as realistic as possible, Rebecca has graduated from the DEA and ATF Citizens academies, landed by tail hook and spent two days on the nuclear submarine U.S.S Nimitz, engaged in police ride-alongs, and continues to court watch whenever possible.
Rebecca has taught at the acclaimed UCLA Writers Program and various colleges and universities. She is a sought-after speaker at bar and judges' associations as well as philanthropic groups and writing conferences. Rebecca is also a repeat speaker at the LA Times Festival of Books.
Rebecca has just released The 9th Witness, the final book in her acclaimed Witness Series, Josie Bates Thrillers. Find all her books at any online bookstore or here: https://www.rebeccaforster.com/.
A powerful tool in the writer’s toolchest is the ability to gift the readers with shock and surprise. Unexpected twists and turns, can ramp up a narrative and leave a long-lasting impression.
Whether you’re working on a thriller or comedy, the ability to surprise your audience can making your story memorable and difficult to put down.
Doing this requires more than adding a plot twist just the sake of shock. Instead, craft a narrative that feels real and save space for the unexpected. Surprising moments can give insights into the world you’ve created and the characters lurking within.
The Power of Crafting the Unpredictable
Why is surprise such a powerful element? At its center, surprise catches the reader off guard, forcing them to rethink the story and its characters, and heightens the emotions. Unpredictability hooks the readers.
Shock and surprise come in many forms. Here are a few examples:
Sudden death – Johnny Cade in The Outsidersby S.E. Hinton
Plot twist – A fantastic plot twist takes place for the child psychologist in The Sixth Sense
A character’s unexpected actions – Scout confronts Bob Ewell in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird
All of these can disrupt the story’s flow and/or alter the readers’ paradigm. However, the best surprises are those that are carefully set up so they don’t feel forced. They should make sense in the story, not plopped in—just because.
Try creating clues throughout the story that hint at a plot twist through foreshadowing. Drop subtle hints that something doesn’t feel right. This way, the readers can connect the puzzle pieces together. This technique creates suspense and keeps the reader guessing until the twist is revealed.
The Harry Potter series uses many plot twists. J.K. Rowling makes great use of foreshadowing to create tension and suspense. By investing readers in the characters and their journeys, she makes the stories unforgettable.
In horror, mystery and thriller genres, surprise keeps readers wondering what happens next. In comedy, surprise can bring moments of delightful ludicrousness. No matter the genre, surprise can make the story feel alive with possibilities.
Foreshadowing to Create Suspense
The best surprises can be those that feel certain to happen, looking back. By foreshadowing character motivations or future events, you can set up the surprise such that it feels earned.
When using a foreshadowing technique, it’s important to weave the hints into the story in a way that feels right, natural. When the surprise happens, readers can think back and see how the twist was hinted at through the story.
Agatha Christie often features a shocking reveal at the end of her mysteries. Looking back, readers see that she provided clues along the way—in descriptions, and character interactions—that spring the surprise.
In And Then There Were None, Christie uses the characters’ pasts and personalities to foreshadow the twists and deaths that occur later. Each person’s fate is implied through tiny details in their dialogue or actions, still allowing the final reveal to be shocking.
Character Development to Set Up Surprises
Characters are often used to deliver shocking moments in a story. By making characters seem reliable, you can set up a surprising turn of events. When characters act against their expected nature, the surprise packs a bigger punch.
You can do this by creating characters who appear to be one thing but really aren’t. An easy-going character might truly have dark impulses. A harsh, rebellious character could unexpectedly show sensitivity or kindness. These surprises feel real because they are seen through character development.
An excellent example of this is in the character of Walter White in Breaking Bad. Throughout the series, Walter gradually devolves from a high school science teacher into a heartless drug kingpin. Small events within his character development led to a massive change in behavior.
When using character development to create surprise, be careful to make the revelation feel like a natural progression. The unpredictability comes from their internal struggles.
Avoid Valueless Trauma
Writing to shock and surprise is quite effective, but it’s important not to rely on overused schemes. Creating an unpredictable tale, with surprise twists that feel natural, will keep your readers intrigued. A sudden death, that was “only a dream,” or a plot twist that feels engineered can cheapen your story and let your readers down.
Be sure that whatever method of shock you use in the story feels natural and organic, otherwise it won’t resonate with the characters and will fall flat. Each surprise should deepen the emotional impact or advance the plot.
The shocking twist at the end of Shutter Islandby Dennis Lehane calls into question the nature of guilt, identity, and reality. This surprise builds organically and gives the readers a better feel for the protagonist.
Final Thoughts
Writing to shock and surprise needs planning and attention to detail. The best surprises are those that catch readers off guard while staying true to the character arcs and story’s themes.
As you create your stories, consider the power of surprise. Break the boundaries of what your readers expect. You can craft a tale that will leave your readers startled, thinking about your story well after they’ve reached the story’s end.
Do you use foreshadowing in your writing? What is your favorite plot twist?
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About Ellen
Author, speaker, and former teacher, Ellen L. Buikema has written non-fiction for parents, and The Adventures of Charlie Chameleon chapter book series with stories encouraging the development of empathy—sprinkling humor wherever possible. Her Works in Progress are The Hobo Code, YA historical fiction and The Crystal Key, MG Magical Realism/ Sci-Fi, a glaze of time travel.
