Every writer should have a New Year’s Resolution. Whether you want to sell more books or strengthen your writing abilities, here are five suggestions to improve your writing for this year!

1. Make time to write

Just like you would schedule a doctor’s appointment or pencil in a dinner date with a friend, it is extremely important that you set aside a specific time throughout the day to write. It’s best that you locate quiet space in your house or office, and donate that portion of the day to write your next novel.

2. Research your craft

Every writer should spend a portion of their time researching their genre and craft. Whether you check out books at the library or read current blog articles, it is important that you stay abreast of your field. Doctors put in grueling hours a day to research the medical field, so why shouldn’t a writer put in the necessary time to research their field of study?

3. Utilize writing tools

Items such as the dictionary, a thesaurus, or word processor are rarely used because word searches can quickly be done on the internet. Our world is constantly changing and although we want to change with it, there are some old school tools that writers should still use. In my opinion, nothing can substitute the pages of a book.

4. Expand your writing abilities

One of the major things that stifles our writing career is our inability to get out of our comfort zone. We are seldom interested in learning about another genre or type of writing style usually because of fear or a lack of confidence. We must learn how to push ourselves into greatness even when it gets a little uncomfortable. For example, if you are a children’s writer, try writing a non-fiction piece or even a memoir. You’d be surprised at how the challenge could strengthen your confidence as well as your writing skills.

5. Join a writing group

Even published or established authors can benefit from joining a writing group. It might sound juvenile to an advanced writer who has already hit the bestsellers list, but actually a writing group is simply for people who are seeking feedback and constructive criticism. No one gives better feedback than a complete stranger.

These New Year’s Resolutions serve as a guide for you in your writing career. They are merely suggestions and can be tweaked based upon your needs. This is a new year and you want to start it off on the right note by setting yourself some goals and guidelines.

Have fun writing and learning!