Ideally, you shouldn’t wait to flip over your calendar to create definitive steps to improve your life, but the impetus of a New Year does come with a driving force that can propel us to change something about our lives. Whether or not you believe in New Year’s resolutions, here are ideas on how to start your year, achieve your goals, and succeed in book publishing in 2015.

Tell everyone about your New Year’s resolution.

Let’s face it. We forget our resolutions three days after we make them. If you want to stick to your goals, you need to remind yourself over and over. But how long do you think that will last? By actually telling your friends, family, colleagues, and even your readers, you can receive constant support and encouragement. If you tell at least one person, preferably your closest friend, you’ll have someone to help you get back on track if you ever veer off.

Write 5/7 times a week.

This is familiar advice, but it’s familiar because it works. Perhaps you have your own schedule for writing, but the point is to keep on writing. Anything that keeps you writing is a good thing, and anything that distracts you can’t be healthy. If you find that certain people, places, situations or comments stop you from writing, cut them out from your life.

If you haven’t written in a while, or if you find yourself stuck in a rut, or if your story seems to be going nowhere, start free writing. Write anything. Write without restraint and without thinking of any rules. Try writing what’s not on your usual lens. Think outside the box. Do this until your story takes shape.

Don’t let bad comments get to you.

Negative comments can be useful because they help you see what you need to improve on. Be open-minded when receiving feedback, because they will help you become an even better writer. Sure, some authors receive ill-conceived comments meant to hurt them. You know these kinds of comments – the ones from “haters”.

Don’t pay much attention to them. Instead, stress less and work on what you think could be really good for your writing this year. Write first, and then hear what they have to say.

So many authors, at one point or another, feel the pressure of writing for an audience because they feel the need to please their readers. Write stories that you want to read, and not what you think will boost your popularity.

Read, read, read.

This doesn’t get old. The more you read, the more you know, and the more you know the more room there can be for creativity and imagination to flow. Creativity is always power.

Kill the critic.

When you read your own work, praise it. Turn off the critic inside you that’s telling you it looks off or bad. Drafts and outlines never lose their ability to breed brilliant pieces of work, but know how to stop raising your brow once in a while. Love and appreciate what you’re writing. And remember to have fun because having fun can keep your writer’s engine running.

Surround yourself with people and things of the craft.

Attend a writing workshop, visit a random writing website, and immerse yourself in all that is writing. This is your passion, and what else fuels it other than being around it?

Write down all the tips and tricks you can find. List down as many new vocabulary, character, idea or story possibilities you can find.Many topics online are precursors for wonderful plots. This also strengthens what you already know. Keep an eye out for new inspirations.

Be realistic.

Last but not least, be realistic. Many people create New Year’s resolutions simply because it’s a ceremonial practice, and some create far too big ones that aren’t practical. This year, try toning it down to where it meets around the middle with what’s achievable. I hope these advices helped set the tone for your writer’s resolutions this 2015. Now go forth and write!