Growing a Language
A One-Year Writing Commitment for 2026
The New Year will mark my second complete year of raising my French language. I have watched this language go from a simple « bababa! » to beautiful phrases like « Arrête ton numéro, espèce de salope… petit con! ».
Yes, it is a cheeky teenager now. And, as with any parent, we dream of the day our kids turn eighteen and move out of the house. It is the natural progression in Western society, after all. However, there are some delinquent parents who do not urge their kids to move out. Why? Because they are comfortable with the usual arrangement. It gives parents peace of mind knowing that their kids are safe with them. As a result, their language skills never truly grow.
Goals
My ultimate goal with French is to get to a C2 level in all four areas. To integrate French into my life, I want to feel natural while writing in French, being able to express myself as freely as I can in English.
How can I do this?
By taking on a hairy, audacious task that forces improvement while stabilities writing ability. Here is what I mean:
The Challenge
Task: Write in French for approximately 1 hour everyday in 2026.
Details:
Specific Task: Write a novel completely in French
Methodology: Writing will be done by hand using a notebook and then re-transcribed and corrected at the end of the week. One corrected chapter will be posted at the end of each month.
Expected Hours: 400hrs (~1.1 hours per day)
Result: A 12 Chapter Novel
Why a novel?
Great Question!
I have difficulty sticking to journaling, as I find it boring and tedious.
This is something I can do continuously, almost on autopilot, for twelve months while still enjoying the process, since I know exactly what to expect each day.
I will have a tangible product by the end.
I love world-building and creating stories.
The Novel Idea
This story will be called Non Lu (Unread), a drama, comedy, romance novel. The protagonist is Shamar Loi, a nerdy but confident 25 year old single man working for a tech company. The novel will be written entirely in French, using a third-person narrative.
As for further details, I currently have nothing planned. I intend to use this opportunity to test the limits of being a discovery writer, making it up as I go.
Expectations
After completing this 12-chapter novel over the course of one year, I expect to:
Gain over 1,500 new words focused on relationships, emotions, and modern slang.
Master verb tenses and develop an intuitive sense for when to use the subjonctif, the plus-que-parfait, and other complex structures that separate intermediate learners from advanced ones.
Transform my writing into sophisticated, naturally flowing French.
Write complex subordinate clauses without conscious effort, create authentic dialogue with distinct character voices, and switch effortlessly between formal and casual registers depending on context.
By the end, I should be able to produce texts with natural rhythm and style, while expressing nuanced emotions with precision.
Vous voulez m’aider?
French natives, if you see a wrong word or an unnatural phrasing in my story, please do not hesitate to drop me a message in the comments section.
P.S. I am begging the support of my fellow my co-parents: Curlyrise & Aline S. to help me raise this child.
Thank you in Advance!
You can see some of last Polyglot in Progress article here.
Love the idea of writing a novel to further your language skills, Shamar! Bonne chance et attention aux gros mots XD
What an amazing, ambitious, refreshing idea!! I love it! Keeping my fingers crossed for you! And let's see if I can follow with my high-school French and my Italian :))