Let’s make our stories click in 2026! Pull out your notebooks. Open your calendar. We’re about to turn that swirling idea confetti in your brain into an actual plan. (Yes, a fun plan.)
Plan Your Creative Projects
We all have a stash of stories we want to tell. This year, we’re getting them out of your head and onto paper where they belong.
Step 1: Do a lightning list. On a blank sheet of paper, jot down as many story ideas as you can. Go fast. No judging, no overthinking, no “is this good?” Just titles. At the end, add your current work-in-progress.
Step 2: Label your ideas like a pro. Go back and number each title and add the format next to it (screenplay, novel, comic book, short story, audio drama, etc.).
Step 3: Star your favorites. Now put a ⭐ by the projects you’d love to write in a perfect world. These are your heart projects. Your “if I had a writing cabin and a personal chef” projects.
Now we get practical in the best way: favorites versus available time.
Quarter Your Year
The year has four quarters, three months each:
Quarter 1: January 1 to March 31
Quarter 2: April 1 to June 30
Quarter 3: July 1 to September 30
Quarter 4: October 1 to December 31
A quick planning rule of thumb
Screenplays: One screenplay per quarter is a solid, realistic pace for many writers. That’s four screenplays a year if you stay consistent.
Novels: Novels are trickier because genre, length, and writing speed vary wildly. Some writers draft fast. Others build worlds like they’re constructing a theme park. Make your best guess, and remember: we can revise the schedule.
Don’t worry about getting it perfect. You’re not carving your calendar into stone tablets. We’ll adjust as life happens and stories do what stories do.
Choose What Actually Fits
Now that you’ve got a rough sense of how long things take, ask yourself:
How many projects can you realistically write in 2026 without turning into a crispy writer-shaped pretzel?
Look at your starred projects and pick the ones you want to schedule for 2026. A great sweet spot is two projects per quarter, but in different phases, so you don’t burn out.
For example:
Research Project A while drafting Project B
Draft Project A while revising Project B
Revise one while outlining the next
Decide the order, then assign each project to a quarter. After that, get specific: week-to-week, what are you doing? Research weeks, drafting weeks, revision weeks. Give Future You a map.
And if you land a writing assignment? Fantastic! That assignment temporarily replaces one project until you can slot the original back in. Your calendar is a living creature, not a fragile house of cards.
Include Other Creative Commitments
Before you finalize your schedule, there are two more calendars that can impact your writing life.
Check for theme months and quirky national days that connect to your content.
Example: If you have a superhero project, timing pitches or promotional posts around Superhero Day (April 27) could be a fun marketing hook. Add any relevant days to your calendar so you can create newsletters and social posts tied to your work, past or present.
Bonus points if you batch-write a handful of these posts and schedule them ahead of time. (I use Metricool for scheduling. They have a free plan.)
2) Industry Events
Now add events you might attend, pitch at, or plan around. Here are categories to start with:
Ask yourself: Do any of these affect what you should write first? If you want to pitch something at Comic Con in July, you probably want that project finished in the first half of the year.
Take a Victory Lap
Now flip through your calendar and look at all the amazing stories you’re going to write. You just turned “someday” into scheduled.
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For the next three weeks, we’re getting ready for 2026 together.
Yes, the new year is a traditional time to build new habits, but that date is totally arbitrary. It turns midnight every night. You can choose a “New Year” anytime you want. Every single day is a fresh chance to build your life, your writing business, and your big dreamy dreams.
Instead of giant to-do lists and overwhelming goals that make you want to hide under a blanket, start small. Think “tiny but mighty.” Do just three things every day to move your writer business forward:
1. One thing to build your network. Have lunch with an ex-colleague, comment thoughtfully on a LinkedIn post, send a quick “congratulations!” email. One tiny human connection at a time.
2. One creative thing. Write for ten minutes. Brainstorm a new project. Do a bit of research. It all counts. Your creative muscles love these little daily snacks.
3. One thing to improve your craft.Read a craft book. Listen to a podcast. Watch a teaching video. Read or watch something in your genre and pay attention to what works. That’s stealth training for your writer brain.
Do these three things every day and you will be amazed at where you are in three months. Future You will want to high-five Present You.
Try it and then report back. I want to hear your wins, big and small, so I can celebrate your good news with you.
Click here to buy the book at your favorite store. Send a screenshot of your receipt to lindsey@thepitchmaster.com and I will send you a free copy of the ebook!
Ever wonder what it’s like to work with me? Watch me evaluate pitches on The Dialogue Doctor podcast!
Want more content like this? Click here to subscribe to my newsletter.
If this blog adds a little spark to your writing week, would you consider buying me a coffee? Your support helps me keep creating practical, joyful resources for writers.
Buy my bookHow to Turn Your Screenplay into a Novel! Turn your scripts into books and start earning money today!
When we think of something going viral, our brains usually jump to TikTok: a flashy video that dominates everyone’s feed for about twelve seconds, then vanishes into the digital abyss. Poof! Forgotten.
But here’s the delicious twist—sometimes old content gets a surprise second act. A book, a song, a blog post suddenly pops back into the spotlight years (or even decades) later. That’s the beauty of digital content: it doesn’t expire. Unlike books on a physical shelf that eventually get shuffled off to make space for newer titles, digital work lives on forever. Just waiting. Patiently. Until someone new stumbles across it and says, “Hey, this is amazing—why didn’t I know about this?”
And that, my friend, is how creative lightning strikes.
Can you make something go viral?
Nope. Viral magic is unpredictable—a lightning bolt of timing, luck, and momentum. But you can control the part that matters: keep creating great work, and keep building your audience. The more you make, the bigger your digital footprint. The bigger your footprint, the more likely some fan will shout about your work in just the right place at just the right time.
And then? Boom. Tidal wave of attention.
Here are three recent examples where old content suddenly exploded:
Authors Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone wrote this quirky sci-fi novella back in 2019. Four years later, in May 2023, one Twitter user (Bigolas Dickolas—yes, that’s his actual handle) gushed about the book to his 14,000 followers. That one tweet launched the novella onto the top of the bestseller list. I personally bought a copy just because the story was everywhere. Proof that sometimes, all it takes is one excited fan with Wi-Fi.
Song: Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush (1985)
In 2022, Stranger Things dropped Kate Bush’s 1985 hit into a pivotal scene. Suddenly, teenagers who weren’t even born when cassette tapes were a thing were blasting it on repeat. The song shot into Spotify’s top ten, and Bush earned over a million dollars 37 years after its release. Why? Because she owned the song outright—she was the singer, songwriter, and the record company. Moral of the story: read your contracts. Hold on to your rights whenever you can. Future you will thank you.
Written in 2008, this blog post is still cited constantly in creative circles. The idea? You don’t need millions of fans to sustain a creative career—just 1,000 true fans who will buy everything you make. I see it referenced at least once a week. That’s the holy grail of digital content: still going strong, still inspiring, seventeen years later.
Takeaways
Digital content has a long shelf life. Your work can make waves years after you hit publish.
Hold onto your rights! They’re your golden ticket to unexpected future paydays.
The more you create, the more chances you give the universe to make you “suddenly famous.”
Fans can find (and fall in love with) your work at any time. No expiration date.
Keep building your audience—you’re always just one reader away from blowing up.
Keep writing. Keep creating. Keep smiling.
Pay it forward. Shout out books, blogs, or songs you adore. Your recommendation might just light the spark for someone else’s viral moment.
Check it Out!
Ever wonder what it’s like to work with me? Watch me evaluate pitches on The Dialogue Doctor podcast!
Want more content like this? Click here to subscribe to my newsletter.
If this blog adds a little spark to your writing week, would you consider buying me a coffee? Your support helps me keep creating practical, joyful resources for writers.
Buy my bookHow to Turn Your Screenplay into a Novel! Turn your scripts into books and start earning money today!
Let’s make it ridiculously easy for people to buy your book. Enter: the Universal Book Link (UBL). Think of it as a one-link-to-rule-them-all situation. A UBL takes readers to a landing page (one page website) where they can choose their favorite bookstore.
Because here’s the thing:
I’m a Kindle-for-life kinda gal.
Some folks are ride-or-die Apple Books users.
Others want to support indie bookstores through Bookshop.org.
And your superfans? They’ll want to buy directly from you to cheer you on.
BookFunnel – I use their UBL ($20/year), and here’s why I like it: they let readers buy directly from me before showing other store options. Bonus: they also deliver ebooks, audiobooks, and run author promotions.
Draft2Digital‘s Books2Read – Free and open to everyone. Even if you don’t distribute through D2D, you can use this handy tool. One caveat: if you sell books on your own website, Books2Read won’t highlight that option—you can list the link, but it doesn’t say “buy directly from the author.”
Genius Link – Offers free and paid versions. Great for savvy link wranglers who want to customize every click.
🤑Affiliate Pro Tip: Use affiliate links for Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers wherever you can. That way, you earn a little extra with every sale—even if it’s just a few coins jingling in your virtual tip jar.
Check it Out!
Ever wonder what it’s like to work with me? Watch me evaluate pitches on The Dialogue Doctor podcast!
Want more content like this? Click here to subscribe to my newsletter.
If this blog adds a little spark to your writing week, would you consider buying me a coffee? Your support helps me keep creating practical, joyful resources for writers.
Buy my bookHow to Turn Your Screenplay into a Novel! Turn your scripts into books and start earning money today!
This weekend I went with my sister to pick her new Lexus. Getting a new car is always a big deal and the Lexus dealership made it into a bigger deal. They had her car in its own showroom with a giant big bow on top. So fun! Who knew those big bows existed outside of TV commercials?
This is stellar customer service. Lexus realized that getting a new car is worth celebrating and made it into an event.
What does this have to do with writing life? A lot! As a writer, you don't just have to tell great stories, you have to sell them. Go the extra mile to make your customers (your buyers) happy and treat them like the stars that they are.
Let's breakdown how you turn readers into fans.
For Screenwriters:
Make your executives love you by going above and beyond. Show up to every meeting over prepared and over deliver.
Come to the kickoff meeting full of ideas about how to make your project better, fit into their company culture, and get that elusive green light.
Practice the improv habit of saying “yes and” to every suggestion. While your gut response may be to say no when your execs throw out a bad idea, instead smile and build on it with your own insightful killer ideas.
Be a better development executive then your own executive. After every meeting, send an e-mail that recaps what you discussed and the notes you agreed on. A great executive should do this for you, but sadly most don't. This e-mail will save you months of headaches by making sure the story team is all on the same page (no pun intended) before you start writing.
Develop a personal relationship with your executive. Find out the names of their spouse and children. Send them a happy birthday text.* Ask them out to dinner.
For Novelists:
Deliver on the promise of your story! Understand what genre you're writing, what the tropes are, and give your audience everything they're wanting from your book.
Have a cover that matches your genre and your concept so that your reader knows exactly what they're getting when they hit that buy button.
Develop a personal relationship with your readers! Send your newsletter regularly, at least once a month. When people e-mail you, write them back. Have online events for your readers where you answer their questions and build rapport. Meet people in person at conventions, signing events, and bookstores.
Celebrate your readers! Thank people for supporting you by offering special sale prices and free reader magnets to your newsletter audience. Have a birthday club* where you send readers a free book (not necessarily one of yours) for their birthday. Give a holiday gift like a bonus epilogue or deleted scenes to your readers. Get creative! I know one mystery writer who sends a murder mystery role-playing game every year to her newsletter list.
*More on Birthdays
Wishing people happy birthday is a wonderful habit. It makes them feel special and connected to you. You never know what people are going through and a happy birthday from you might make their day. In Never Eat Lunch Alone, Keith Ferrazzi shares a powerful anecdote. He asks everyone he meets their birthday, makes a note of it and calls them. One time, he made a birthday call to a work acquaintance and the man shared with him how much it meant. Keith was the only person who acknowledged his birthday all day.
So share birthday magic and wish your contacts, your work colleagues, and acquaintances happy birthday. It's a simple thing that can have a huge impact on someone.
AI Hack
Google NotebookLM is a great tool for getting synopses and takeaways from podcasts. As you know, I do a lot of my learning and research with podcasts. (You can find my list of favorite writing podcasts here.) The only negative is I'm usually in the car so I can't take notes. Google NotebookLM has made my life so much easier. If I hear something I want to remember, use, or research in a podcast, I can upload the YouTube or audio link and ask it for takeaways and quotes. This saves me hours that I used to spend re-listening to find the information I wanted.
It's a great research partner. You can upload a bunch of sources and ask it to synthesize the material, organize information, even make a study guide.
Please note, NotebookLM does not use your personal data, including your source uploads, queries, and the responses from the model for training.
Check it Out!
Ever wonder what it’s like to work with me? Watch me evaluate pitches on The Dialogue Doctor podcast!
Want more content like this? Click here to subscribe to my newsletter.
If this blog adds a little spark to your writing week, would you consider buying me a coffee? Your support helps me keep creating practical, joyful resources for writers.
Buy my bookHow to Turn Your Screenplay into a Novel! Turn your scripts into books and start earning money today!
Make Money (and Magic!) with Magazine ArticlesBecause your brilliant words deserve more than a dusty hard drive.
You already know I’m a big fan of turning one creative idea into multiple streams of income—hello, How to Turn Your Screenplay into a Novel! But here’s a format you may not have considered: writing articles for magazines. Yes, magazines! The glossy kind. The digital kind. The niche-local-weirdly-specific kind. All of them.
Surprise! Print isn’t dead. In fact, there are still over 7,000 print magazines in the U.S. alone. That number doesn’t even include international English-language mags or all the thriving online publications.
And guess what? These magazines need stories. They will pay you for them. You already have content ideas. (More on that below!)
Why Magazine Writing Is a Writer’s Secret Weapon
Let’s talk perks:
Short Turnaround Time: Unlike books or screenplays, you can pitch an article, get an assignment, and see your name in print in as little as six months. Some online outlets are even faster!
Fits Your Schedule: Articles are bite-sized. You can write one between other projects or while your book draft is in “creative time-out.”
Brain Candy Bonus: You get to write about things you already love or want to learn more about. It's like being paid to geek out.
Where to Find Opportunities
Google is your friend. Try “magazines looking for writers” and see what rabbit hole you fall down.
Also, dig into the editorial calendar and media kit of magazines you’re targeting (usually under “About Us” or “Advertise With Us” on their sites). Those two tools tell you exactly what topics they’re looking for. Like creative X-ray vision!
What Should You Write About?
Your Hobbies & Hidden Talents Are you a Civil War buff, Barbie collector, or bread-baking champion? Magazine gold!
Your Current Research Historical novelists, fantasy worldbuilders, rom-com location nerds—use your fiction research to spark articles! It’s like recycling, but for plot points.
Your Own Book Content Indie authors, rejoice! You can pitch adapted book content as articles (just disclose that it’s based on a book). Bonus: most mags only ask for exclusive rights for 30–90 days—then you’re free to reuse or resell.
Topics You’re Curious About If you're fascinated, readers will be too. Your enthusiasm is contagious!
Why It’s Smart Business for Authors & Screenwriters
Build Credibility: Getting published in magazines—even small ones—looks great in your bio.
Get in Front of New Readers: Your article may be seen by thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of people. That’s a lot more than your average Instagram post.
Bio = Marketing Magic Your little author blurb is prime real estate. Plug your latest book, series, or screenplay website. Invite readers to find more of your work.
Reuse, Reuse, Reuse: Articles can be turned into blog posts, newsletter content, or even compiled into a book. (Yup, you just accidentally started your next project.)
Fine Print (But Still Fun!)
Expect Edits: Some editors barely touch your piece. Others… may want to mold it like creative Play-Doh. Go with the flow (and read your contract carefully).
Understand Your Rights: Don’t give away “all rights” unless you really want to. And yes—you can absolutely use ChatGPT to help decode those contracts! Ask it to flag non-standard terms and suggest tweaks.
Watch Lead Times: Print mags often work 4–6 months ahead. Online ones are faster. If your piece includes seasonal or time-sensitive content, plan accordingly.
Bottom Line: Magazine writing is a fun, flexible, and totally doable way to make money and build your platform—all while repurposing the knowledge and stories you already have.
So tell me: What kind of article are you going to pitch first? And when it gets published (because it will), I want to celebrate with you.
Check it Out!
Ever wonder what it’s like to work with me? Watch me evaluate pitches on The Dialogue Doctor podcast!
Want more content like this? Click here to subscribe to my newsletter.
If this blog adds a little spark to your writing week, would you consider buying me a coffee? Your support helps me keep creating practical, joyful resources for writers.
Buy my bookHow to Turn Your Screenplay into a Novel! Turn your scripts into books and start earning money today!
