We’re approaching a brand-new year, and you know what that means—time for New Year’s writing resolutions! A lot of us probably have “write more” on this year’s list of goals—and maybe even finish that book we’ve been thinking about. If you’re committed to taking the steps to start (and finish) that novel in 2021, here are ten tactics to embrace to make that resolution a reality.

1. Try to write every day.

The hardest part of writing is getting started. The white blank page can seem daunting, and most of the time it’s easier to just chalk up your New Year’s writing resolution as a lost cause. The most important thing to getting started on your new novel is to get in the habit of writing. Work on your mindset—don’t treat it like a chore, but try to remember that good habits lead to success. Even if you can only crank out a little paragraph, that’s a win. Don’t pay attention to what others say is the ideal daily word-count—whether it’s 50 words or 5,000, do what works for you and your lifestyle. Just get some words on the page.

2. Hold yourself accountable.

Once you get started on your novel, what’s to stop you from giving up? Unfortunately, most New Year resolutions get abandoned, and we definitely don’t want that to happen to your novel. Find ways to hold yourself accountable, whether that’s daily word-count goals, joining writing workshops, or finding a writing buddy. There are also a lot of apps out there to help you stick with your goals. Cold Turkey Writer locks down your entire computer besides your word processing program for a certain amount of time each day to encourage you to write. Create those personal plans and goals, and work to stick to them.

3. Find your motivation.

Ask yourself, Why am I writing? Do you want to inspire a particular audience? Do you want to write about a topic your passionate about? Or do you just like writing for fun? Or is this a life-long goal that you just want to prove to yourself you can accomplish? Whatever your motivation, use it to fuel your writing fire. Everyone has a slightly different reason for writing. So when you hit a slump, that reason will pick you back up again. Write your motivation on a sticky note and put it where you can always see it when you’re writing.

4. See your book as a priority.

 Believe that your book needs to be written. Remind yourself, “No one will tell this story like I will.” Once you accept that, once you make your book a priority in your own mind, treat it like one. Don’t feel guilty for taking time out of your busy day to write—your story matters! Don’t let your writing resolution become the thing that you only work on “when you have time.” Instead, make the time.

5. Dedicate a space for writing—both physically and mentally.

Make sure that you have what you need to be successful. For many people, it helps to have a dedicated area for writing. That official space can help create a feeling that, when you’re writing, you aren’t being distracted by anything else. Then, you can include your writing toolkit in that space—notebooks, special pens, your laptop, etc. Having a music playlist—your “writing soundtrack”—prepared in advance is a good idea too, if you aren’t the type who likes to work in silence.

6. READ!

This one is pretty self-explanatory. The best thing a writer can do to become a better writer is to read other books. Gain inspiration from the writers before you. Read books in your writing genre to get a feel for the elements that you may be missing or succeeding with in your own novel.

7. Engage the reader.

Remember to write what you would love to read. Work on engaging the reader. Is there a pacing issue that you would find annoying if this wasn’t your own novel? Are you bogging down the reader with excessive description? Though these things may be fun or easy to write, they aren’t always the easiest to read. Use the bus analogy to analyze your writing: if you found the book you’re writing on a bus, would it engage or distract you enough to make you miss your stop?

8. Avoid editing as you go.

This is a writing sin that many authors are guilty of. Though we all want clean writing, sometimes, editing as you’re writing kills a project before it’s begun. Seeking for perfection can make you over-analyze just one page for hours, when you could be moving forward. Remember that there will always be time for editing later—for now, just focus on getting the words out.

9. Try some writing exercises.

Sometimes, you don’t want to work on the novel. And that’s okay—we all hit creative blocks. But to make sure you keep up your writing resolution while you’re struggling with motivation, try some writing exercises. There are tons out there, all designed to help you jumpstart your creativity. One that we love is writing sprints: Set an amount of time on the clock (maybe 20 minutes for the first round, then 30 for the second, and a 10 for the third). Then you try to write as much and as fast as you can for that time period. It forces you to throw words on a page without overthinking anything.

10. Be kind to yourself.

There will be some days where your novel just doesn’t move forward. Remember that one bad day doesn’t define you as a writer. If you beat yourself up, you may just give up your goals, which will only lead to regret. Resolutions will never be easy, but your quest to write a novel is worth the wait. Be kind to yourself, accept the unproductive days, and tell yourself the following: “I am still a writer. I am still a great writer. And I will do better tomorrow.”