07 January 2022
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Make 2022 the year where you fulfil your writing dreams
Forr many of us 2021 was a year with more troughs than peaks, and as it came to an end, there were writers amongst us whose best-laid plans were derailed. Almost two years into the pandemic and with all the associated isolation and uncertainty, people are tired and anxious, and understandably, that impacts on their writing. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t pick up those treasured writing dreams.
No matter how hard the past couple of years have been, you’re a writer, and now more than ever it makes sense to remember that. Writing isn’t just what you do, it’s who you are, and it will help you make sense of the world, fill your time in a way that makes you feel better, and provide you with constructive activity and a community of like-minded creative people in the months ahead.
What would you like to achieve with your writing in the coming year? Why not open a new file, or notebook, and answer these questions to give you some ideas:
- What kind of writer am I now?
- What kind of writer was I two years ago?
- What were the biggest challenges I faced as a writer?
- What were my biggest successes?
- What have I learned about my writing in the past two years?
- How have the past years changed my writing practice?
- What is the story I really want to tell now?
- What have I achieved that I want to build upon?
- What is the writing ambition I would most like to achieve this year?
- What are three steps I could take to make that happen?
Whatever stage you’re at with your writing, there’s always a way to push things forward, and we’re here to help. If you’re working on a manuscript, could this be the year to get it into shape to submit to agents and publishers? If you haven’t yet won any writing competitions, or would like to win more, why not commit to writing new pieces every week, or month, and stick to a regular schedule of entering them? If your writing mojo has gone awol, what inspiration do you need to rejuvenate it? Is there an area of writing you’ve always wanted to explore? A writing course that could take your work to the next level? A topic that fascinates you that you’d love to research, as the basis for fiction, or non-fiction, or perhaps a series of articles? Is this the year you’d really like to hook an agent, or find a publisher, or boost the income from your writing? Writers Online are here for you every step of the way to help you make all and any of these become reality in 2022 – check out the magazine, the website and the app to make sure you don’t miss out on any opportunities to turn your writing dreams into reality in the coming year.
Top tips for taking your writing into the future
• Always bear in mind that even if you’ve laid it to one side, nothing you have written is ever wasted. Going back to an old piece of writing, you’ll see it with fresh eyes – which means that you’ll be able to work on it, adjust what isn’t working or perhaps use it as the basis for a fresh start, and give it a new lease of life.
• Even if you think of yourself as a particular kind of writer, your interests may have changed over the past couple of years. Rather than getting stuck in a rut, allow yourself to follow what you want to write, and write about, now.
• Creative exploration can only enrich your writing practice. Trying new things can revitalise your creative practice, and time spent doing that is never wasted.
• Ideas can come from anywhere, so be open to them. Write them down as they occur and see where they take you.
• Committing regular time to your writing will pay dividends. If you flex your writing muscles by writing every day, or every other day, you’ll become a better, more fluent writer.
• The more you invest in your writing, the more you’ll get from it. Do something every day that reinforces your identity as a writer – we can help you with this! Check this website and the Writers’ App so you don’t miss any opportunities, join in the chat on our socials, read an article in the magazine and act on its advice! And let us know how you get on – we love hearing from you and we want to add to all our reader success stories in 2022. So keep us posted – we’re with you all the way! Good luck, and happy writing!
There are so many reasons why writing is good for your mental health! Find out here.