Every January, writers everywhere swear this will be the year! The year we finally finish the manuscript, stop tinkering with Chapter One, and resist the siren call of reorganizing our fonts instead of writing actual words. As 2026 rolls in—armed with fresh calendars, fresh coffee, and the same old blinking cursor—it’s time once again to make our New Year’s resolutions.
But instead of promising impossible feats like “write 10,000 words a day without snacks,” let’s talk about writing goals that inspire us, challenge us, and maybe even survive past February. After all, storms are easier to weather when we’re steering the ship with intention, and not diving right into the deep waters.
So, at the start of this new year, let's list some resolutions to get us started on the best year possible!
Ellen
My New Year’s resolution for 2026 is to have a mindset shift and spend more time connecting with readers. I’ve been remiss with my website and that needs to change. I plan to publish the fourth book in The Adventures of Charlie Chameleon series in 2026!
May the coming year be an enlightening and beneficial year for all. Cheers!
Jenn
2026 is the year that I buckle down and find my old writing rhythm, or at least a new writing rhythm that works for me. It's time to focus on my career again. I would love to publish two books in the coming year, something I was not able to accomplish in 2025. I would also like to continue to grow my developmental editing business, helping authors shape their worlds for others to read. And the last thing, I would love to really dig deep into my illustration roots again, and start working towards creating title treatments for book covers.
Here's to a fantastic 2026!
Jenny
My One Word for 2026 was "Receive."
I did a lot of foundational work, both for my writing and my business, in 2025. This year is when I allow myself to receive all the energy and opportunities that flow back from all that work.
I often burn myself out by focusing on my output, rather than concentrating on the journey. This year, I am open to the unexpected moments and experiences that occur only when you let go.
Lisa
I'm focusing on recovering joy in 2026. Bringing joy and creative energy back into my writing world.
Sarah
Resolutions don't work well for me. I forget and/or get bored with them very quickly. So, this year I DON'T resolve that I will slow down, count my blessings, and, if I want to change something in my life, I'll create a workable plan I can stick to, and make my life better.
What are you 2026 writing goals? Tell us in the comments.
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!
Be one of the first to download Rebecca's new Hitchhiker's Guide, a 52-page, full-color magazine that shares the real-life stories behind each of her books. Sign up now for her monthly look-at-life newsletter to receive your free gift, The Hitchhiker's Guide. Click here! Plus a list of Rebecca's books, including several on Kindle Unlimited.
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/.
