Setting Writing Intentions for 2026–The Year You Write Your Book
2026 is the Year You Will Write Your Book.
Notice, I didn’t say finish. Nope, I said write.
Of course, you will finish it, but we don’t always get to say when that will happen.
And first you have to do the showing up part. You have to show up for the process.
That’s why I say this is the year you will write your book.
This is the year …
You’ll commit to your characters, their stories, and your curiosity, and you’ll do it in alignment with the rhythm of your real life. Not the imaginary one where everything is perfect, and your kids never interrupt your 5 a.m. writing time. (This may or may not have already happened this morning.)
You’ll do it without feeling guilty that you didn’t spend more time, because you’ll know you did the best you could.
You’ll do it by allowing the pockets of writing time that exist for you to be enough, because they will be.
You’ll do it by believing the story won’t up and leave you if you don’t grip it with both hands all the time.
You’ll do it by embracing curiosity and by actively working to let go of the resistance (perfectionism, procrastination, pessimism) that has held you back in the past.
How do I know all this?
Because I believe in you.
I know that sounds cheesy. It feels a little cheesy to write, but it’s still the truth.
I believe that if you set your mind to it, take manageable bites of the task before you, pause for a little self-reflection once in a while to make sure you’re still on track, and get help when you need it… You will write your book.
Period.
Now, I’m not usually a “word of the year” person. But this year, I’ve got a bunch of words—a bunch of intentions:
Consistency over intensity
Progress over perfection
Gain over gap
Embracing instead of hiding
And most importantly: simply staying in the work and not worrying about when it will be done.
Because the finishing will happen if we keep showing up, if we stay as consistent as we can, given the constraints of our lives.
I’ve been working on my current book for a couple of years now, and I hope to finish it to the point I can pitch it in June, but I’m not attaching my worth as a writer to that outcome.
I don’t get to decide when. But I do get to decide whether I stay committed to the process.
And that’s what I want for you this year, too.
So instead of asking what you want to finish or accomplish in 2026, I want you to ask something different:
What kind of relationship do you want to have with your writing in 2026, and what intentions do you need to set to make that happen?
When I reflect on last year’s writing, the progress I made didn’t come from pushing harder or demanding more of myself. It came from consistency, curiosity, and following what felt meaningful. It came from getting help in the form of feedback and community. #TMSwriters4EVER!
And when life got bananas busy, messy, and painful (it did), I backed off. I did what I could when I could and let that be enough.
Some months I wrote a lot. Some months I didn’t write at all. And yet, over time, the work moved forward, and the result was …
A finished structural revision I’d been working on since April 2025 (book’s still not done, but it’s closer)
37K words drafted of a new novel (m/m romance).
A 5k short story I wrote in February, polished over several months, and then published in December.
It wasn’t perfect.
It wasn’t about being “in it" intensely all the time.
It was about showing up when I could, making the most of that time, and giving myself grace when I couldn’t.
And I built in some accountability, too: I have a book coach, deadlines, and receive feedback on my work to help me grow and see what I’m missing as well as what I’m nailing.
I have a writing community where I show up to support others, and they do the same for me.
These are necessary parts of my creative process.
And when I put all those parts together and apply the lens of my reality … I write forward.
That’s why my intention for 2026 isn’t about word count or timelines.
It’s about:
Showing up consistently in a way that fits my life
Making progress without demanding perfection
Staying in my own lane instead of comparing my pace to anyone else’s
Because finishing happens as a result of staying in the work. It’s not something we can force on command.
So I want to invite you to reflect on a few questions as we step into this new year:
What kind of relationship did you have with your writing last year?
What worked for you—and what didn’t?
How do you want to change that relationship in 2026?
What do you need more of: grace, support, or flexibility?
What does consistency actually look like for you?
And remember, consistency doesn’t have to mean daily writing.
It might mean weekends, or some early mornings, or one season on, one season off.
There is no “right way” to do this. What matters is that you find a way to stay connected to the work you love.
Here’s to a year of showing up for our writing in alignment with the rhythm of life, rather than fighting against it.
Here’s to staying in the process long enough for the book to become what it was meant to be.
So say it with me and believe it down to your bones: “This is the year I will write my book.”
