Creating a New Writing Plan for 2026: What Would Ray Bradbury Do?

Sometimes the right book presents itself to you at the right time. In the final week of any given year, I take some time to reflect on my writing year which, honestly, hasn’t been the most productive. I’m consider adopting a new writing plan. This includes beginning my writing day earlier, digging deeper into my protagonist’s backstory for my current WIP, and rethinking writing time versus wordcount goals. All of this is because I feel like my last twelve months of progress have been too slow. It feels like writing is too often a grinding effort instead of an opportunity for joy. Seeking tips and suggestions, I stumbled up these words from celebrated author Ray Bradbury:

You only fail if you stop writing.

I couldn’t find the exact citation for the quote, which lead me down a Ray Bradbury rabbit hole. There I found myself delighting in several more bon mots that feel worth repeating. Perhaps Bradbury points to a better way to frame my going-forward approach to writing. In his 1990 essay collection, Zen in the Art of Writing, Bradbury frequently comments his passion for the craft, for reading poetry, for being swept into the embrace of character and story.

Writing Inspiration from Ray

A few more Bradbury gems for your consideration:

I believe that eventually quantity will make for quality.

Write. Don’t think. Relax.

If you are writing without zest, without gusto, without love, without fun, you are only half a writer.

This feels like good, refreshing writing advice. Having weathered what, for many, has been a challenging and joyless year, I propose we strive to write for joy.