WRITE 52
Over a year ago, I started writing my first full length novel. Since then I have written 4 full chapters, a handful of scenes, and a created whole lot of world building, but every day I am arrested by thoughts of how little I am accomplishing. What is a girl to do to harness a sense of accomplishment?
Writing sprints? Hate them.
A word count goal every day? Too specific.
NaNoWriMo? Uh, nope.
Truth 1: I desperately want to finish this book.
So I've created a plan—a personal challenge—that is specific enough to help me make progress and broad enough that I will feel productive across multiple avenues of the writing process even if I don't accomplish every goal every week. I also wanted this to be something that anyone could do if they wanted to follow along. So—
Welcome to WRITE 52 (you can watch the video here).
This is a 52 week commitment not to meet milestones, but to develop habits centered around 5 ideas every week:
Write. Read. Influence. Time. Experience.
“Okay,” I hear you say, “but what does any of that mean?”
WRITE
The core of the challenge.
GOAL: Write, edit, or develop your work by an achievable amount each week. What works for you? A poem? 100 words? 1000? Maybe editing 5 pages of your draft each week or creating a list of/query letter for potential agents?
FOR ME: Write 2 pages (~1k words). Writing sprints were always to short, NaNoWriMo was too much too fast, and other goals too vague.
READ
All writers should read. To expand your worldview, resding habits, or maybe even find a comp title.
GOAL: Read something new. Maybe non-fiction if you are a hard-core fantasy person. Perhaps a book you've been thinking about for a while. Is the idea to read a chapter each week, or a whole book? What can you reasonably do?
FOR ME: Read 1 new book each week that is not romantasy. Anything that gives my brain a little more of a workout. Katabasis by RF Kuang, X by
INFLUENCE
Writers are more responsible for their own marketing then ever, in both traditional and indie publishing alike. That comes down to social media.
GOAL: Create and maintain a social media account. Maybe you have a Twitter (… X) account you can convert or a thriving TikTok you want to maintain. Post one thing each week. Find a way to post something that works across multiple platforms. Follow a social media trend you've seen. Post.
FOR ME: Post about my progress on YouTube, TikTok, Bluesky, and Substack. I was able to get my own handle @JannellBurton on each with the plan to start this new adventure!
TIME
Set aside some time to do these tasks.
GOAL: Find the time or place to dedicate to completing your WRITE, READ, and INFLUENCE goals.
FOR ME: Write on the bus to work. Read at home. Work on updates on the weekend. The 30 minute bus ride is usually where I read, the couch is where I try (and fail) to write, and the weekend is used for nothing. By changing things up, I may be more productive.
EXPERIENCE
Get out of your own head (and probably out of your own house).
GOAL: Do or learn something each week. Read an article about something you dont know. Go out to a museum. Visit a park. Practice a language. Take some time away from every other part of your project to experience or learn something.
FOR ME: Depends on the week! We finally have snow, so I'll probably snowboard next weekend, there's a dinosaur museum near me just waiting to be explored, and I am keeping my eye out for events that get me out of the house.
Truth 2: I am a procrastinator. Sometimes it's easier not to do something, than it is to think you'll try and fail.
I want this to be an experinec that helps me to really start making progress. By posting about my weeks online, I'll be holding myself accountable on a more public forum than before and by setting a series of goals I can feel a sense of accomplishment whether or not I achieve everything.
If you like the sound of this challenge or just want to see my progress, follow along. I'll be sharing a summary each week as well as snippets of my writing, books I'm reading, and songs that catch the vibe. Small, achievable things.
So—
WEEK 1: Jan 1 - 7
WRITE: 800ish. On my notes app. It's all just snippets really, but I've also added portions to the first few chapters that I can't forget.
READ: System Collapse by Martha Wells. Man I love murderbot and Martha's take on sci-fi through the lens of a “construct" (read: robot with human parts) is always great.
INFLUENCE: Here it is! Also check out the YouTube video HERE.
TIME: About 3 hours. Maybe 4?
EXPERIENCE: Does opening a PO box count so I don't have to travel 45 minutes to check the mail? I'm going to say yes.
I'm counting week 1 as a success. Subscribe to my Substack, YouTube, TikTok, or Bluesky if you want to follow along.
Truth 3: I really want this to work.
This is a great challenge! It aligns with my own goals for the year so consider me joining the challenge!