New year, new novel (and 50% off FDP) 🥳

Sustainable writing practices, goals, and a 50% discount on First Draft Pro

A 1608 illustration by Jan van de Velde with a two-line cation in French reading “Who wants to learn to write with diligence”. Recoloured for vibes, with apologies to Mr van de Velde.

One of the earliest recorded personal New Year’s resolutions appeared in the diary of a Scottish writer, Anne Halkett, who wrote “I will not offend any more” on a page titled “Resolutions” on the 2nd of January 1671 — 354 years ago today.

I hope she broke that resolution (for the plot if nothing else).

Regardless, I’ve always been drawn to the magic of a brand new year and setting intentions for months to come.

Burning to be better

There’s a poem I love by Andrea Gibson, which has absolutely nothing to do with the new year or with resolutions, but that has a bit in it that I can’t help but think about at this time of year:

'cause that's how I found you—
lifting the spirits of everyone around

like a hot air balloon
just from the way you burned 
to be a better person today

than you were the day before.
Burning to be better is my favourite
quality on anyone, and you are on fire

This is how I think about the new year. It’s the time of year when we’re alight — all burning to be better versions of ourselves.

Begin as you mean to go on

Whether you’re burning to finish a draft, refine a draft, or begin something new entirely, the best advice I’ve read is to begin the year as you mean to go on.

Add a little to your wordcount. Refine your outline. Make a video to promote your book. Spend time developing your system of magic, or drawing a map of your world, or cracking the spine on a brand new notebook (that you’ll later decide is too pretty to actually use).

It’s like a little spell you’re casting out into the world. A way of actually committing to the intention, rather than simply writing it down.

Consistency is magic

Don’t overthink it, though. Terry Pratchett only wrote 400 words per day, on average. He wrote more than 50 books.

He’s proof that you don’t have to hit massive wordcounts, do writing challenges, or go on writing retreats to achieve your writing goals. A consistent, sustainable writing practice is enough. Consistency is magic.

Goal setting in First Draft Pro

If you are writing in First Draft Pro, there are built in tools to help you set personal goals and stay on track:

• Set a word count for your project so that you can monitor your overall writing progress, in addition to your daily word count.

• Check in on your dashboard. Your project cards have a nifty progress bar that gives you a quick, visual snapshot of where you’re at.

• First Draft Pro even builds in little surprise celebrations for whenever you meet a goal. There’s no excuse not to be proud of yourself! 😉

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If you’re currently using the free version of First Draft Pro, you can take 50% off the first year of a new subscription to any of our annual plans using the code NEWYEARNEWNOVEL when upgrading your account¹.

1. This offer is for new subscribers only, and expires on the 31st of January 2025.