43, 194.
That’s how many words I wrote in The Boy We All Forgot before Kindle Vella shutdown back in October 2024. I estimated that I had 8-10 chapters left to write and I already had it all plotted out. At the time, I figured I’d bust out those chapters and send the digital book for free to my newsletter so that anyone who didn’t get a chance to finish the book on Kindle Vella could read it in its finished form.
Well, it’s officially 2026 and I’m looking at the word count at exactly the same as it was back then. 43, 194.
I’ve had a lot going on my life, which I’ve discussed before, and a large part of me just stopped investing time into writing. For one, I started taking antidepressants which were absolutely a hand-up for me when I could barely get out of bed and was in some of the darkest moments in my life. But it also kind of dulled my sense of interest in just about everything. My creative spark was completely muted and while I could acknowledge that I wanted to write, when I sat down to do it, I just felt like… does it even matter?
So, I took the time to work on myself. I’ve been going back to school for a degree in education and I’ve done well in that. I’ve managed to keep my life running even when mundane tasks like going to the grocery store felt like an enormous weight on my shoulders. And recently, I started to feel that spark come back.
I am being realistic about my time constraints. I have a lot going on and I’m not making promises. But I do have goals for this year and I need to start creating something again.
2026 Writing Goals
Please note that while I give myself word count goals, I am never drawing a hard line that I have to complete that amount of words or restrict myself to that number. The story is over when its over, but its a rough estimate based on industry standards.
- Read back through the current draft of TBWAF and flesh it out. Find spots where it is working and what I could add or take away.
- Finish the final chapters (and hopefully find my note cards where all those plot points are written out on…) 43, 194 words out of approximately 70,000.
- Send my final draft to my lovely editor Pamela at The Picky Bookworm.
- Continue writing the draft of the other YA mystery that I started back in July of 2025. 9,721 words out of 80,000.
Other 2026 Goals
- I am going to graduate in March, so I need to stay focused on school.
- Work on decorating my home and making it feel more cozy.
- Create a marketing plan for TBWAF.
- Get healthy! (I’ve spent a large part of 2025 sick with everything from pneumonia, COVID, influenza A and B… and a variety of colds. I really want to be sick less in 2026).
- Read and review 10 novels. (I know in previous years I’ve done up to 50 novels, but I have a lot going on so I’m going to start small.)
- Feature or interview 1 author per month on my blog.
None of these things are too crazy or unachievable. I want to stick to things I know I can accomplish and work on them throughout the year! I love digital planning, so I will probably create a calendar to help me accomplish these things and figure out how much time I need to devote to each one. I’m excited and I hope that 2026 will treat all of you well. <3
0 Comments