If you want to go anywhere in the business of writing, it is imperative you set goals and then meet them, particularly when you’re starting out. If you’re someone worried about deadlines, here’s a handy way to prepare yourself now. Think of it as strength and endurance training for an upcoming race.
Realistic Goals for Writers:
- A weekly (daily, monthly) word count goal. Or it could be a chapter goal. When I’m writing on deadline, it’s 2000 words a day for five days, or 10K a week. That means I can complete a first draft of a nonfiction book in 5 weeks, a novel in 8.
- A financial goal (usually monthly). Pretend your goal is $1000 a month. If you set this, you’ll have to logically think through how you will make that work. If you write books, this is a difficult goal because the book writing business is sporadic. You might get a 7000 dollar advance one month, then make nothing for a year. So if you would like consistent income, you need to flesh out the goal more. How many online articles will it take to make that amount of money? Advertising revenue? Speaking? Teaching? This will force you to go after new options, and, if they arise as a result, it’ll give you the opportunity to meet a deadline. This is called reverse engineering, and it works.
- A production goal. If you want to make consistent income, you must set a production goal, particularly in the query department. Make a goal to write 5 queries a week (one a day). Whenever you get a rejection, recycle that query to another publication. If you don’t query, you won’t land assignments. If you don’t land assignments, how can you practice meeting deadlines? This works also for querying literary agents. Do your research first, though. Be sure the people you query accept the kind of work you do. Most of the queries I reject come from authors not doing their homework about what I acquire. In terms of social media, you could make a posting goal, like one a day every weekday.
- Make a relationship goal. For instance, a few years ago, I concentrated on forming relationships with online editors. When one had to scrap one of her stories, she asked if I could turn around an article in one day (1000 words). I said yes because I knew one of my goals was to develop positive relationships with editors. I worked hard, then submitted the article. We developed a good working relationship, and she consistently asked me for stories (instead of me asking her through a query). This entire relationship began with one query that eventually sold. I proved myself consistent over time.
- Make a professional goal: go to the conference you’ve been pining after. This will force you to create that book proposal you’ve been postponing. Or decide to take a risk and attend a critique group, and ask them to hold you accountable to your own deadlines.
- Make a project goal. Finish that novel. Write that proposal. Really learn how to write stunning query letters. Concentrate on your instagram or youtube or twitter account. Inaugurate a website. Give yourself a date you MUST complete this. That’ll strengthen your deadline muscle.
So, don’t be shy. Set a writing goal for November, and then leave it in black and white in the comment section. THEN MEET THAT DEADLINE! I mean it! I’d like to see YOUR goals in the comments.
An Ongoing Grammar Rant
Yes, I have a writing goal;
it’s not that which it was before,
but a Christmas-stocking lump of coal
has led me to a shining door
through which I pass to thank and praise
Almighty God, the King of Kings
through the sorrows and dismays
and the pain that cancer brings.
I have all reason to rejoice
and know this is my writing-track,
for God has given me a voice
and privilege to pay Him back
for the gift I thought as coal
that in truth is solid gold.
Jesus, please bring healing, I pray.
Thank you for the window you provided us. Finding peace in immense pain is a gift. Thank you for grabbing hold. May God continue to grace you with His presence—hovering over you like He did above the earth on creation day.
Wahoo! Goals are what first moved me from dreaming of writing and only doing so when the muse slapped me in the face, to writing every day. I write a goals list every year, but consistently they include: attend at least one writer’s conference, pitch to at least 1 editor or agent and 1 magazine editor, exchange at least one (often more) manuscript with my critique partner, write a completely new novel in November for NaNoWriMo, revise and submit at least one manuscript to an agent or editor, and enter one to three writing contests. This month, my NaNo goal is 50,000 words made up of five or six completely new chapter book manuscripts! I’ve finished three of them and am plugging away on ms. number four. So, what do you think? Will it take five or six chapter books to meet my goal?
These are great goals, Kristen! Good (potential) job on nanowrimo!
Mary, I am so thankful for this post. Life for my family has been full of upheaval this year. But, I’ve gotten to the point where I stopped setting goals because I could never meet them with all the crazy of our year. But, November . . . my personal goal is to hard edit 20 scenes of my manuscript. I’m halfway there. I intend to meet this goal. 🙂
That’s a great goal, Jeanne.
My November goal is finish three chapters of my novel (checking in with accountability partner), finish my storyboard layout, and finish and post my new blog. I. Will. Do. This.
20 Scenes is a great goal, Jeanne!
The manuscript I’m working on is challenging me. So my goal is to write one scene a day. And sometimes in between scenes, I allow a day to brainstorm my way.
That’s a doable goal, Shelli!
Patti Lee, I am SO PROUD OF YOU!
I am committing to finishing my manuscript by December 31. That is working among and between holiday hosting, medical testing, and a family trip. But I have it scheduled by days available and I am on track so far! For November, that’s 6,000 more words.
Hooray, that’s a tangible goal!!!
Thanks for sharing your ideas to spur one another on, Mary! My November goals are to 1) Create text for more pages of my website, kellybrinkmann.com, 2) Prep to teach five classes next month with follow up flyer for every student, 3) Research 10 more pubs to query in January, 4) Write thank you notes to recent contacts, 5) Finish Design My Day goal setting for 2022 including marketing notes for NWCWConf, 6) Write press release re: becoming new podcast co-host for A Wife Like Me in 2022, gather new media bling for website and book proposal, confirm new spring speaking booking.
I love how specific these are, Kelly. Well done!