From Edie: Discover 11 things writers should stop doing in 2026, from chasing trends and comparing careers to letting fear, numbers, and distractions take control.
11 Things Writers Should Stop Doing in 2026
by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
I spend a lot of time telling writers what they need to do—from learning the craft to building relationships. I remind writers it’s important to develop an online presence, attend conferences, and write consistently. And that’s just what I suggest. If we do a search for things writers should do the list gets much longer.
While I agree that all of those things are important, I think we can get overwhelmed and end up spinning our wheels. So lately I’ve taken a slightly different approach and asked myself what are some things I shouldn’t do in my writing life.
Now all these things are subjective. Some will make sense for you and some won’t. My point is to give you a jumping off point and permission (if you need it) to NOT try to do everything!
