Is your New Year’s Resolution to write more?

New Year’s Resolutions are all considered a bit naff these days aren’t they? All the really cool people who ‘get it’ are so over setting them. And marvellous, jolly good luck I say. Each to their own.

I however, have never been one for ‘getting it’ or quite frankly for being cool.

And I love a bit of intention setting, which is at heart what it’s all about.

New Year, New Page

A new year, it’s like a new page. When we utter those resolutions, to me it’s like those first brave steps we take in penning a story, in putting down the early words. They’ll change no doubt, for if this world teaches us nothing else, it is that we must be malleable. But there they are, with those first words, we’ve made a start, crossed the line from thinking into doing.

If there is a fault line in New Year’s Resolutions, to my mind it is not in the setting of them, it is in the hardness and harshness with which we treat ourselves both in the setting and the policing of resolutions.

Because if you are a writer, if you wish to get some writing done, well then, that’s a resolution you set yourself every day. And if we are to write, we must indeed be resolute. Without resolution, without determination, the world will whirl us away into a bluster of other activities and projects. It is impatient for us and for our time and though it will in all likelihood benefit from allowing us the time and place to write, like a child eager for candy now (and candy later) it will nose, nudge and nettle us away from our best of intentions.

But what if we were to be resolute in our writing intentions by resolving to write together? Here then is my invitation to you: Why don’t you add coming to a Tuesday or a Friday Writing Room to your New Year’s Resolutions? A regular hour in your week where you can resolve to meet your writing and the page, giving you and your writing the space and love it deserves…

“Joining the writing room encourages me to make time to write, no matter what it is I’m writing. It is lovely to have this moment to connect with a community and moreover, to be part of the space that Rebecca holds for us.” Lucy Solnitt

“The writing room is my time to write without interruptions from family. It helps me stay focussed for that time and having others doing the same thing is motivating. Even if I’ve not managed any time to write outside of that, the hour in the writing room gives me a chance to get back on track. It’s my writing me-time.” Hazel Walshaw

Ridley’s Writing Room and The Write Lab

What is it? – A free group Zoom call with writers. We arrive, say hello and set an intention for what we want to work on during the hour. Then we go on mute for 50+ minutes and, well, write! We close up the session by going round the room for everyone to comment and share their writing updates.
What do attendees do? People who attend work on a variety of different types and forms of writing – from novels, short stories, plays, blogs, articles, journal papers, business content, non-fiction books, memoir and biography – and all and anything in between, journalling, doodling, daydreaming, reading, researching.
Do I have to come every week? – Heck no, book it when it works for you and come whenever you can.
Do I have to read my work out? – Nope, not that kind of space, this is all about using the energy of everyone writing to help with your own writing project flow.
Is it worth my time? – Yes, 100%. Because your writing is worth your time. 100%.

“Virginia Woolf said “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”, two essential ingredients to be sure, but, nearly 100 years later, I would argue that there are two more to add to that list – time and community.

Having an hour every Tuesday that is carved out particularly for writing, and knowing there are others there in the exact same boat as you, has been invaluable. It’s made actually getting the ideas that have spent years swimming around in my brain out of my head and onto paper infinitely more possible than it was before, and I’m very thankful to have a group of people there with me.” Anna Delves

What about your writing?

If you are interested in finding some time for your writing, why not join one of our free weekly writing rooms – either on a Tuesday evening at 8pm or a Friday lunchtime at 12pm?

If you’d like to have a chat about your own writing project and ideas you can book a free 30-minute chat with me via Calendly

If you’re interested in attending future writing courses and workshops, please contact me directly

And if you’re looking for some weekly insights and writing tips, why not sign up to my newsletter here.