Have you ever paused at the midpoint—or tail end—of the year and thought: Wait, what did I even write this year?
That was me last week.
I found myself staring at a folder of drafts, half-finished scenes, challenge documents, and random snippets titled things like “fire kiss rewrite???” or “ALT chapter 3 angrier” and realized… I needed to backtrack.
So I did something simple:
I went back through my writing—month by month, scene by scene, even brainstorm by brainstorm.
What started as a casual reflection turned into a surprisingly powerful ritual. Here’s what I uncovered and why I think every writer should try backtracking through their writing year.
1. You’ve Written More Than You Think
I didn’t feel very productive going in. Life, health, chaos—it all happened. But when I opened up my folders and writing apps, I found forgotten short stories, early drafts I’d set aside, and even some blog posts I never published.
Once I tallied it all up—rough drafts, revised chapters, writing challenges—I realized I had moved this year. I’d grown my word count, even if it didn’t always feel like it.
➡️ Tip: Look through old notebooks, note apps, and saved files. Don’t just count “finished” work. Count every spark.
2. Your Voice Has Evolved
I reread scenes from January and compared them to July’s work. What I noticed wasn’t just better pacing or cleaner sentences—it was voice.
My characters felt fuller. My themes felt braver. I was writing with more emotion and less fear.
Sometimes you don’t notice you’ve grown until you hold the “before” and “after” side by side.
➡️ Tip: Choose one scene you wrote early in the year and rewrite it now—just as a creative experiment. See how it shifts.
3. The “Messy Middle” Holds Hidden Gold
You know those projects you abandoned because they weren’t working? Backtracking helped me see some of them differently. A subplot I cut in April? Turns out it’s the perfect basis for a new novella. A scene I struggled with in March? It reads beautifully now with fresh eyes.
➡️ Tip: Don’t delete those discarded scenes. File them under “possibilities.” Revisit them with the softness you give other writers.
4. Tracking Emotion Tells a Bigger Story
I also realized my writing mirrored my seasons. The heavy, slow scenes I wrote in winter made perfect sense when I remembered how exhausted I felt. The lighter, more chaotic moments in summer? Also a reflection of my real life.
This gave me grace for the gaps, the slowdowns, and the shifts.
➡️ Try This: Create a timeline and label your writing phases with emotions, life events, or moon phases (if you’re like me and enjoy journaling with cycles). It brings clarity and context.
5. Reflection Can Spark New Goals
After backtracking, I knew what I wanted next:
- More consistent scene dumps (even messy ones).
- A better system for tracking character arcs.
- Monthly check-ins with myself—not to pressure, but to reflect.
I wasn’t making new goals from guilt. I was making them from insight. That’s the difference reflection makes.
Want to Try It Yourself?
Here’s a quick end-of-month or end-of-year Writing Reflection Ritual:
- Open all your writing folders or notebooks.
- Skim through drafts, notes, and voice memos. Don’t judge—just observe.
- Highlight what made you proud, surprised you, or still stirs something in you.
- Jot down lessons, growth, or patterns you notice.
- Set one gentle intention moving forward.
Final Thought:
Backtracking isn’t about reliving regrets—it’s about reclaiming progress. It’s about realizing you are a writer, even on the days it felt like you weren’t moving.
So if you’re feeling unsure, stuck, or just curious…
Go look at your own trail. You may be amazed by what you find.
Have you ever looked back at your writing year? What did you discover?
Share your reflections in the comments—or try the ritual above and tag me when you post your results! Let’s celebrate the journey together.
Sara's Writing Sanctuary 