Our writing resolutions for 2024

we're ditching our laptops

I saw the dawn of 2018 in an AirBnB in Hastings. It was blowing a gale, and we were trying on adulthood for size. At some point between rounds of The Really Nasty Horse Racing Game and rap battles too embarrassing to detail, we revealed our resolutions for the next year. I said I was going to write a book. My then-boyfriend vowed that he’d finally give up the cigs. In time, we got married. He’s had one cigarette since then, and I did write that book.

This may well make writing resolutions sound easy - magical, even. That if you can commit the same kind of energy necessary to stub out two decades of smoking that you can also write and sell a book. Anyone who’s attempted - or succeeded at - either will know that’s not the case.

But I do think there’s something promising about January for making creative work. Unlike park-based boot camps or carb-based abstinence, writing is a very suitable activity for those tremulous first days of a year. Everyone is skint and exhausted, so there are fewer social distractions for extroverts; it’s cold and dark, so staying inside under a blanket is appealing and when daily reality seems at its grimmest, escaping into worlds of our own creating - whether that’s a fictional universe or a fascinating excursion down a research rabbit-hole - is a great idea.

Personally, I find accountability very helpful in getting things done: I was a journalist before I was an author, and I still find deadlines hugely galvanising. For me, resolutions work in a similar way, gently prodding me into the right direction until I can stride off alone. You’re very welcome to pinch from our resolutions list if you feel so inclined, or perhaps you have your own to work from? We’d love to hear about them in the comments - and see how you’re getting on down the line.

- Alice