Avril's 2026 Writing Goals

Welcome to 2026, friends!

Another year is done and dusted, which means it's time to charge headfirst into the next. And like a lot of bloggers, a new year also means it's time to share my goals for the months ahead.

In the past, these goals would be specific and arguably lofty in retrospect. Life finds a way to get in your way, which often meant that the goals I set for myself in January would fall through.

That's why I'm doing things a little differently for 2026. How so? To borrow from what some of my coworkers have decided is my most quotable quip: I dunno, vibes?

Granted, this was more about my favorite Disney Prince being Hans from Frozen and not having a logical explanation for it (at least, not one the crew would accept as logical), but it applies to my mindset going into 2026.

I'm focusing more on broader goals, save for one exception at the end of this list.

Let's get into it!

Consistency

Consistency is key in anything. Showing up for yourself and your story is the only way it's going to get written.

November is National Novel Month, or NaNoWriMo, during which participating writers aim to write 50,000 words in 30 days. That is what's been dubbed the "classic" version of the challenge. The organization behind NaNoWriMo is now defunct following a string of controversies, but many writers took on the annual challenge on their own terms, whether they stuck to the OG rules or one of several alternatives created to help fill the void.

I wasn't able to join in any of the offshoots. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to work with a suddenly hectic schedule. Instead, I came up with a personal goal I called Kinda-WriMo.

Kinda-WriMo was simple: do something related to my current WIP every day.

Writing every day is a wonderful ambition, but I knew it wasn't going to be feasible for me. Hitting a specific word count target was definitely out. And it's also good to remember that writing isn't the only thing writers have to do.

Kinda-WriMo was more about making daily progress on my WIP, even if that didn't mean adding to its word count. Whether it was research, brainstorming, drafting something new, or fine-tuning a scene I'd already written, I wanted to focus on getting back into a consistent habit.

By word count standards, November was a slower month. But looking at the writing process as a whole, I'd say it was fairly successful.

That's also how I'm approaching 2026. My primary goal is rebuilding a consistent writing habit and making daily progress on my WIP, even if it's through doing something that won't add to my word count.

Listening To My Intuition

I finally read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott in 2025. I say "finally" because even though I'd had my copy of the book since a freshman year writing class in college, we'd only read selected passages from it, alongside passages from Stephen King's On Writing and Letters to a Young Poet; back then, I was also admittedly in that over-confident I-already-know-everything-I-need-to-know-about-writing mindset that wasn't doing me any favors.

I'm kicking myself for having waited so long! One of the reasons Bird by Bird is considered a must-read for writers is the simple fact that Lamott's advice holds up, even more than thirty years after its initial publication. It was reassuring and recontextualized a lot of what I believed I already understood about writing.

One of the things that stuck out to me was the section titled "Radio Station KFKD," also known as K-Fucked. I've got a more in-depth post about it planned to go live in the coming weeks, so I'll only summarize my thoughts here. Radio Station KFKD is a metaphorical radio station that plays in writers' heads, broadcasting self-aggrandizement and self-loathing 24/7. More specifically, it's a chapter about silencing your inner critic and learning to tune into your intuition.

I feel like I've done a 180 in my writing, having gone from that over-confident I-already-know-everything-I-need-to-know-about-writing mindset to please-tell-me-how-to-write-because-I-don't-know-what-I'm-doing. In trying to fix that, I've found myself seeking out the experts. It's definitely a good idea to look for these resources because, as my more recent experience with Bird by Bird can attest, those insights can spark a refreshing shift in perspective. You don't know what you don't know until you know that you don't know it.

However, it's incredibly easy to get lost in that research. This has been especially true for the secret project mentioned at the end of this post, but it was also true for my writing in 2025 (and 2024, too, TBH). In trying to make my writing perfect and pleasing to everyone, I lost the plot. I love my voice. My intuition got buried under research and expectations and my desire to get it "right," which meant I was struggling to get my story written.

In 2026, my intention is to remain open to outside feedback but to not be so influenced by it that I lose sight of what makes my writing mine.

The TBR Jar And Tracking My Reads

In 2025, I set a goal of reading for quality over quantity, being more intent on selecting books I'll enjoy and less worried about how many I've finished by the end of the year.

It worked exceptionally well for me overall. This year, though, I'm aiming to refine it some.

Like I mentioned in my wrap-up post, I'm a mood reader with a mile-long TRB list and have lately found myself reading four books at once.

Enter, the TBR Jar.

I saw this idea going around a couple of months ago and I'll be giving it a whirl (unfortunately, I'm not sure who started it, so if you know, please tell me in the comments so I can credit them properly). The idea is to put everything on your TBR into a jar and choose one at random when you're ready to begin a new read. It looks to be particularly helpful for folks like me who already own so many books they haven't gotten to yet and keep adding to the pile.

The TBR Jar sounds like a fun twist, and I'm hoping it will help me be a little more focused on reading this year. I also want to be better about tracking my reads.

A New Creative Venture

For many, a new year means taking up a new hobby. And this year, I'll be part of that stat.

What creative venture are we talking, you ask? Well, I'm not ready to unveil it juuuust yet. But I will say this much: consider it an extension of the blog you know and (hopefully) enjoy.

It's actually been in the works since about October or so, with plenty of research and preparation in the background. So much research that I eventually realized I needed to back away from it because it was starting to clutter my mind and muffle my intuition (see above).

It's also a step out of my comfort zone, but so was this blog once upon a time.

Details are on their way. For now, know I am excited to try my hand at something that's intimidated me for so long. It won't be easy, and there is so much to learn along the way, and I am excited to see where this new path leads...

I think this new approach of vibes and aspirations instead of setting concrete goals might be the change I need to feel more successful come December. It may not be as straightforward but, then again, neither is life itself.

What are your writing goals for 2026? Any exciting plans in the works or things you're hoping for? Tell me everything in the comments!