In partnership with
Happy New Year, writer
I want to start by saying this plainly: I rested.
January didn’t begin with panic or pressure. I slowed down, reset, and gave myself room to breathe. As of today, there are still days left in January, and that matters. This year isn’t about rushing. It’s about intention.
One thing I kept coming back to while resting was this question:
What does it look like to show up consistently without scribbling on the wall?
So I built a clear, focused structure for my own literary writing in 2026:
one serious writing project per month, each with a finish line.
I’m sharing it with you below exactly as it is — no edits, no polishing — because progress beats perfection.
AD Break
Start your year with clarity
Written by Shane Parrish and reMarkable, this workbook helps you reflect without complexity or stress. It guides you through the past year with intention, so insights emerge naturally.
This isn’t about setting more goals. It’s about understanding what matters, clearly and calmly.
A simple reset for January. A thoughtful way to review your year.
AD Break
12-Month Literary Writing Projects (with Codenames)
JANUARY — Project EMBER
Form: Microfiction
Core Goal: Master compression and endings
Deliverables
100–150 micro-stories
Each story: 50–150 words
At least 20 pieces fully revised
Theme Flexibility
Choose 1 broad human theme (loss, waiting, change, memory)
Objects, emotions, or moments can rotate freely
Non-Negotiable Rule
Every piece must imply more than it explains
Final Output
Microfiction chapbook draft
FEBRUARY — Project ECHO
Form: Poetry Collection
Core Goal: Find and sustain one poetic voice
Deliverables
30–40 poems
Minimum 15 poems revised twice
Theme Flexibility
One emotional or conceptual core
Individual poems can explore different angles freely
Non-Negotiable Rule
No theme switching mid-month
Final Output
Cohesive poetry manuscript
MARCH — Project THREAD
Form: Flash Fiction Series
Core Goal: Worldbuilding through fragments
Deliverables
20–25 flash stories
300–750 words each
At least 5 stories deeply revised
Theme Flexibility
Same world or setting
Stories need not connect directly
Non-Negotiable Rule
No exposition dumps
Final Output
Interlinked flash fiction collection
APRIL — Project MASK
Form: Persona Poetry
Core Goal: Write beyond the self
Deliverables
25–30 persona poems
Each poem uses a distinct speaker
Theme Flexibility
Personas may overlap emotionally or thematically
Non-Negotiable Rule
No autobiographical “I”
Final Output
Persona poetry chapbook
MAY — Project ANCHOR
Form: Short Story (Single)
Core Goal: Finish one serious, publishable story
Deliverables
One short story (4,000–6,000 words)
3 full drafts minimum
Theme Flexibility
Any subject allowed
Tone and structure must remain consistent
Non-Negotiable Rule
No adding new subplots after week two
Final Output
Submission-ready short story
JUNE — Project CURRENT
Form: Poetry in Sequence
Core Goal: Narrative momentum across poems
Deliverables
15–20 poems
Clear emotional or narrative arc
Theme Flexibility
Can shift perspectives or time
Must move in one direction
Non-Negotiable Rule
Poems must function alone and together
Final Output
Journal-ready poetry sequence
JULY — Project TRACE
Form: Flash Nonfiction / Lyric Essays
Core Goal: Insight without explanation
Deliverables
20–25 flash nonfiction pieces
500–900 words each
Theme Flexibility
Memory, observation, thought, or experience
Non-Negotiable Rule
No moralizing or summarizing
Final Output
Flash nonfiction collection
AUGUST — Project FRACTURE
Form: Experimental Poetry
Core Goal: Break habits and discover new forms
Deliverables
20–30 experimental poems
At least 3 different formal approaches
Theme Flexibility
Theme optional
Form is the priority
Non-Negotiable Rule
No repeating the same form twice in a row
Final Output
Experimental chapbook
SEPTEMBER — Project LIMIT
Form: Constraint-Based Flash Fiction
Core Goal: Precision under pressure
Deliverables
30 flash stories
All under 500 words
Theme Flexibility
Theme open
Constraints stay fixed
Non-Negotiable Rule
Chosen constraints cannot change
Final Output
Tight flash fiction manuscript
OCTOBER — Project GROUND
Form: Poetry of Place
Core Goal: Make setting do the work
Deliverables
30 poems
Each poem rooted in a specific place
Theme Flexibility
Physical, emotional, or imagined places
Non-Negotiable Rule
Each poem must contain at least one concrete sensory image
Final Output
Place-based poetry collection
NOVEMBER — Project ORBIT
Form: Short Story Cycle
Core Goal: Cohesion across multiple stories
Deliverables
3–5 short stories
3,000–5,000 words each
Theme Flexibility
Stories can stand alone
Must share thematic gravity
Non-Negotiable Rule
No repeating the same narrative focus
Final Output
Complete story cycle
DECEMBER — Project VAULT
Form: Revision & Curation
Core Goal: Editorial judgment
Deliverables
20–30 poems selected
10–15 prose pieces selected
Light revisions across all chosen work
Theme Flexibility
Best-of across the year
Non-Negotiable Rule
Cut ruthlessly
Final Output
Year-end literary portfolio
How to adapt this for your preference (keep it simple)
Change the word counts, not the structure
Swap genres you don’t write, but keep one project per month
Short on time? Halve the deliverables — never remove the finish line
The goal isn’t to copy this plan.
The goal is to stop drifting.
A few important notes as we head into the year:
Submission calls will keep coming — consistently
More BuildWriting masterclasses are coming
I’d love to know: what specific masterclass do you want this year?
Poetry craft? Submissions? Revision? Building a body of work? Something else entirely?
Reply and tell me. I’m listening(reading).
I’m genuinely excited about this year — not in a loud way, but in a grounded, serious way.
Here’s to finishing work.
Here’s to intention.
Here’s to writing that actually goes somewhere.
Happy New Year
Mechi
BuildWriting