The Year Ahead: What I Hope to Learn About Writing in 2016

by Naomi L. | January 6, 2016 | Blog, Creative Writing | 2 comments

Happy New Year! Welcome to my first creative writing post of 2016! After reviewing the accomplishment (or lack thereof) of my resolutions from last year, it’s time to ponder what I hope to achieve in writing in the new year. So to start off a new year of creativity, here’s what I hope to learn about writing in 2016. Enjoy!

How to complete a Master’s thesis on time

The fact that this is Priority One for me right now probably goes without saying. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in two years of a Master’s program, it’s that you shouldn’t count your chickens before they hatch. Almost every time I get a decent amount of writing done on a particular part of my thesis, a change in my project renders that writing practically void. It’s almost as if Murphy’s Law makes reef fish DNA deliberately refuse to be properly amplified and sequenced…

This final stretch of my program is going to prove extremely challenging, but with any luck, I’ll have my phylogenetic results within the next couple of months and be able to complete my thesis in time to defend it next semester. Hope it all works out! For science!

How to expand my blogging network

This one may be a bit easier to figure out. I’ve already gotten better at connecting with writers through WordPress, and my social media presence is steadily growing. I plan to eventually expand my network with guest post exchanges and author interviews, which will hopefully increase my traffic. Updates will appear on my blog as these new features become available, so be sure to check back if you’re interested! Here’s hoping I can gain a stronger footing in the blogosphere in 2016!

How to start monetizing my writing

I know this is a pretty ambitious goal, especially considering how little I still know about blogging seriously. I probably won’t even be able to start focusing on this task until the middle of the year, but I would like to be able to earn some sort of income from my writing, and the sooner I start trying, the better. I don’t want to flood my blog with ads, of course, so I suppose the most obvious way to go is to publish and sell my work. I have been looking into freelance writing, and after years of publishing short stories and poetry, it’s about time I actually write a book! Wish me luck!

What about you? What do you hope to achieve in writing in 2016?