Are you tired of setting writing goals only to abandon them weeks later? Struggling to carve out time for your creative work amid the distractions of daily life? You’re not alone! And you might benefit from an accountability partner. This blog post is based on my Sept. 5, 2025 podcast episode with my own accountability partner, Marcie Colleen. (Marcie is offering her 100 Days Left Accountability cohort starting September 9. Contact her here to register.
In our recent conversation, we revealed the exact systems, mindsets, and strategies we’ve used to help keep each other on track over the last eight years. Here’s everything you need to know about building your own accountability partnership that actually works.
What Is an Accountability Partner for Writers?
An accountability partner can be as simple as someone who checks in with you on your progress toward whatever goal you’ve set. If you set a weekly goal, it might be a weekly check in. If you set a daily goal, your accountability partner could check in daily over text or email, whatever you prefer.
However, in time, your accountability partner could become more of a co-worker, which is what has happened to Marcie and me. As Marcie explains in the podcast, an accountability partner is someone who becomes your “cheerleader, someone who shares in the ups and downs of publishing with you. …We are constantly texting each other this new development, that new development…you’re like my coworker. You’re like the cubicle next to mine.”
Meanwhile, I call Marcie my “water cooler,” the person who provides the daily interaction and check-ins that office workers take for granted but freelance writers desperately need because the writing life can be so, so solitary!
Key qualities of an effective accountability partner
- Shares similar drive and work ethic
- Works in compatible time zone and you have compatible schedules IF you are going to check in in real time
- Understands your specific writing challenges
- Provides both gentle encouragement, grace, but also a kick in the pants when you need it and has the wisdom to know the difference
- Celebrates wins and offers support during setbacks
How Accountability Partnerships Work
Marcie and I start each day with a 5:30 AM text exchange where we share our creative goal for the morning, followed by a check-in around 7 AM to report progress. But, working together in real time is not the only way accountability can work.
Here‘s a broad overview of various models:
1. Real-Time Text Partnership (What Marcie and I use)
- Texts to set goals for the creative work session
- Post-session check-in
- You could also share plans for the rest of the day
- Best for: Writers who can’t meet in person (or if it’s too early to meet in person!)
2. Scheduled Co-Working Sessions
- Meet in person or via video call
- Work silently together for set periods
- Brief check-ins at the start and end of the write-in
- Best for: Writers who need an even higher-level of accountability to get the work done
3. Asynchronous Email Groups
- Weekly goal-setting emails sent to the whole group
- End-of-week progress reports sent to the whole group
- Best for: Writers with varying schedules who prefer less frequent contact
Learn more about different accountability models in our detailed discussion.
The Life-Changing Benefits of Writing Accountability Partners
Creates “Sacred Time” for Creative Work
One of the biggest challenges for writers—especially those juggling client work or day jobs—is protecting time for creative projects. As Marcie notes, “I know that nobody else can touch that 5:30 to 7 o’clock time…I know that that time is kind of sacred in the fact that I work on my creative projects.”
This protected time becomes non-negotiable when someone else is counting on you to show up.
Transforms Isolated Work Into Shared Experience
Writing is inherently solitary, but accountability partnerships provide the community. And they have lots of other benefits, too.
Provides Gentle Pressure Without Harsh Judgment
Accountability partners offer supportive pressure. They’re invested in your success but understand the creative process’s natural ebb and flow. One of the most valuable aspects of my partnership with Marcie is our approach to flexibility. As I explain, “if Marcie has been out rocking late the night before (because she plays in a literal rock band!), and she needs a pass, or one of us has had a rough night and needs to sleep in…We give each other grace.”
When to extend grace to yourself:
- After a sleepless night or during illness
- During particularly stressful life seasons
- When your “creative well” needs refilling through reading craft books, watching webinars, or rest
- When pushing harder would lead to burnout rather than productivity
In the podcast, Marcie shared an analogy of creativity like riding a bus. If you just “stay on the bus,” eventually the bus will circle back around and get you where you need to go.
How to “stay on the bus” during challenging times:
- Maintain communication with your accountability partner even if you’re not writing
- Use rest days for creative input (reading, research, craft study)
- Return to routine as soon as reasonably possible
- Remember that consistency matters more than perfection
Goal-Setting Hacks That Actually Work
The “Adequate Daily Progress” (ADP) Method
This game-changing concept, developed by Marcie’s writing partner, Rana, focuses on realistic daily goals rather than overwhelmingly ambitious ones.
How ADP works:
- Track your actual output over time, maybe a week. How long does it take you to write a spread of a picture book, write 1,000 words, or get a chapter down?
- Identify what you can realistically accomplish daily with the time you have allotted. For example, maybe I know I can write 1,000 words in an hour. And I have one hour I can allot to creative time per day.
- Set that as your standard goal
- Celebrate hitting ADP; anything more is a bonus
Example ADP goals:
- One picture book spread per day
- 1,000 words for novel writing
- One chapter revision
- 30 minutes of research
As Marcie explains, “I used to feel very defeated about my goals, because I would put them on the calendar, and then I was constantly scratching and putting them on another day…because I wasn’t scheduling realistically.”
The 3+3+3 To-Do List Strategy
I also shared a powerful approach from Catherine Price’s book, The Power of Fun, which prevents burnout by ensuring I don’t put too much on my list. My daily to do list consists of:
- 3 main work goals for the day (these are “have to do’s”)
- 3 personal/household goals that are must do’s (doctor appointments, grocery shopping, etc.)
- Up to 3 “floater” goals if time permits that are “nice to do”
Why do I include household task on my to do list? Because we have to make that invisible work visible so that we don’t over schedule ourselves. Personal and family tasks take time and energy—ignoring them in your planning leads to constant feelings of falling behind.
Pro tip: Keep a master monthly list, then select daily priorities from it rather than trying to remember everything each morning.
The “Set It and Forget It” Calendar Method
Because Marcie has a good sense of how long different tasks take her, she can schedule something like a class and then forget it: “I schedule something, and then I put it on my calendar, and then I back up like 2 weeks before, that is, when I start to think about it…once that’s in my calendar, I never think about it until it shows up on my calendar.”
Finding Your Perfect Accountability Partner
The most effective partnerships form within existing writing communities where you can assess compatibility before committing. As Marcie suggests, look for partners in:
- Writing classes – People who invest in craft education show commitment
- Online communities like 12×12 Picture Book Challenge or Inked Voices
- Critique groups – You already know their work ethic and communication style
- Genre-specific organizations – For example, Sisters in Crime, a mystery writers organization, hosts live write ins for butt in chair accountability.
Accountability partnerships can transform writing careers. My eight-year relationship with Marcie has helped us produce dozens of published books, including our recent titles, Happy Friendsgiving and This Is How You Know, and even sustained us through a global pandemic.
Whether you start with daily text check-ins, weekly email updates, or scheduled co-working sessions, the key is consistency and grace. Small daily steps with encouraging support can create remarkable long-term results.
Ready to find your accountability partner? Start by identifying one writer in your existing network who shares your commitment level. Propose a one-month or one-week trial of goal setting and check-ins. You might just discover the missing piece that transforms your writing practice forever.
Marcie’s 100 Days
Want Marcie to nudge you along? Marcie is hosting a 100 Days workshop Tuesday, September 9th at 7 p.m. Eastern to help you set and meet goals from September through the end of the year. Contact her via her website for details.
Watch the full conversation on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts: Ep. 13.5: Accountability & Community with Marcie Colleen.
