February Newsletter

Hello fellow writer,

A small Valentine’s aside before we get to business: the holiday we now call Valentine’s Day grew from a tangle of sources—Roman rites (Lupercalia), medieval courtly love traditions, and Christian hagiography. By the Middle Ages poets like Chaucer and later enthusiasts of romantic ritual transformed a calendar date into a cultural shorthand for courtship, longing, and exchange of tokens. The modern candy-and-cards version arrived in the 19th century with mass printing and commercial greeting-card makers. The point I like to take from the holiday’s history is this: what we call “love” is often shaped by form—rituals, language, and attention. As writers, we get to shape those forms.

Which is where your novel comes in.

This newsletter has two short parts: 1) a Valentine’s micro-history (done), and 2) the practical part — a focused plan and toolkit for writing your novel in 2026. Think of the history as a reminder that small, repeated forms change how a feeling is read; the rest will show you how to repeat the small acts that make a book happen.

Part II — Writing That Novel in 2026: A Practical Guide

The landscape in 2026: quick notes

Publishing and discovery: Hybrid publishing continues to thrive. Traditional houses remain selective, but there are more reputable independent presses, boutique imprints, and quality hybrid options. Social-first discovery (short-form video, serialized newsletter excerpts) still helps build readership. Literary tastes are broadening; voice and specificity win.
Tools: AI-assisted drafting, research, and revision are common. The big caveat: make AI a collaborator, not a ghostwriter—use it to brainstorm, vary phrasing, or summarize scenes, but preserve your singular voice and disclose use when required by markets.
Reader habits: Shorter attention windows for discovery, but many readers still crave immersive novels; audiobook growth continues.

A 12-week sprint to a first full draft Goal: Draft the novel’s first complete manuscript or a solid 50–75% draft you can revise during a longer cycle. Week 0 — Prep (one week)

Write a 1-paragraph premise and two-sentence stakes.
Create a single-sheet where you list: protagonist, goal, antagonist (or opposing force), central conflict, setting, and tone.
Set daily word target (e.g., 800–1,200 words/day for writers with time constraints, 1,500–2,000 for full-time sprints).

Weeks 1–10 — Drafting (10 weeks)

Each week: aim for 7× your daily target (one “off” day allowed). That gets you between 56k–140k words in 10 weeks depending on pace.
Weekly routine: two scene-writing days, one catch-up/short scene day, two revision-for-clarity days (soft revising to keep continuity), one research/reading day, one day off.
Use a weekly checklist: scene purpose, POV choice, emotional arc, sensory anchor, 1 line of dialogue that needs to carry subtext.

Week 11 — Stitch and skim

Re-read quickly: note continuity errors, character names, timeline problems. Flag big scenes that need rework.

Week 12 — Read-through & plan for revision

Write a 1–2 page editorial letter to yourself: what works, what doesn’t, and the three biggest structural changes needed. That becomes your revision map.

Craft: Where to show and where to tell

Use “show” for pivotal emotional scenes and anything that reveals character or changes their goal. Save telling for transitions, brief backstory, and time compression.
Practical micro-hack: when you write “She was furious,” stop, and ask: what does furious look/sound/feel like for this character? Replace the label with a specific behavior and a sensory detail.
Build a showing checklist on each scene card: 1 sensory detail, 1 physical reaction, 1 revealing choice, 1 subtextual line of dialogue.

Voice, stakes, and market fit

Voice: Your unique voice is your main market advantage. Protect it: read your pages aloud. If an AI or a template starts to flatten it, tighten your editing to re-assert your cadence.
Stakes: Make the stakes concrete (job lost, secret revealed, child endangered, self-identity threatened). Stakes should escalate; by the midpoint the character must make a costly choice.
Market fit: Know where your book lives (literary/genre/hybrid). Write the novel you want to write, but learn the comp distinctions so you can craft a clear pitch.

Using AI ethically and productively

Use AI for: brainstorming scene prompts, generating alternate first lines, summarizing research, making lists of sensory details, or rewording clunky sentences.
Don’t use AI to: generate a whole novel voice for you; pass off machine-generated prose as entirely your own in markets that require disclosure; avoid doing your revision work.
Practical workflow: draft yourself → ask AI for three alternative openings or three different ways to open a scene → choose and revise to sound like you.

A small marketing-and-platform plan (parallel to drafting)

Week 1–12 (ongoing): Post 1–2 small, platform-friendly artifacts each week: a 300-word scene excerpt, an author insight thread, a short writing tip on Instagram/Twitter, or an excerpt newsletter.
Build an email list (or grow it): weekly or biweekly updates are more valuable than sporadic blasts. Use the newsletter to show process—readers love seeing drafts and the revision path.
Seek early readers: assemble a small circle of trustworthy beta readers (3–8 people) and invite feedback after your first full draft.

Practical tools and workflow suggestions

Drafting: Scrivener (project structure), Google Docs or MS Word (collaboration), Obsidian/Notion (research & notes).
Outlining/structure: Save the single-sheet and scene cards (index cards, Trello, or Scrivener’s corkboard).
Voice-check: Read aloud using your phone or a TTS engine to catch flattened sentences.
Distraction management: Use the Forest app, Pomodoro timers, or timed writing sprints (25–50 minutes) to preserve momentum.

Submission & post-draft next steps (for late 2026)

After revision: prepare a 1–page synopsis, a 1-paragraph pitch (logline), and a 1-page sample chapter packet (first 50 pages commonly requested). Research agents and small presses that handle your genre and voice.
Consider hybrid release: many authors launch with a small press or indie route, then build readership into traditional opportunities.

A Valentine’s-themed micro-exercise (5–10 minutes)

Prompt: Write a 150–250 word scene in which a character refuses to say “I love you.” Don’t use the words “I love you” or the label “love.” Show the emotion through one object, one sensory detail, and one action. Keep POV tight.
Why: This forces showing and gives you a tiny practice in subtext—perfect for holiday-themed outreach or social posts.

Recommended reading (to study showing, voice, and craft)

For showing and restraint: Raymond Carver, Ernest Hemingway.
For precise sensory detail and domestic tension: Celeste Ng, Jhumpa Lahiri.
For lyricism and compact power: Ocean Vuong, Toni Morrison.
For contemporary voice & dialogue: Sally Rooney, Zadie Smith.

Quick checklist to start this week

Write your 1-paragraph premise.
Choose a daily target and block the time in your calendar for 12 weeks.
Create your single-sheet (protagonist, stakes, setting, tone).
Do the 5–10 minute Valentine exercise and save it—use it later as a newsletter excerpt or a social post.

Closing notes You don’t need a tidy five-year plan to write a novel—just repeated, small writing rituals that shift attention from intention to habit. If Valentine’s Day shows us anything, it’s that ritual shapes feeling; if you ritualize writing—daily scenes, weekly reviews, short iterations—you’ll reshape the vague idea of “someday” into a manuscript.

Happy writing my friend.