Seeing this is my first Dames post for the year, I thought I’d chat about something I do every year about this time.
I set myself writing goals.
I’ve written for most of my life, but only started getting serious about it after my daughter was born. I was determined to get published and naively thought it would only take a few years…little did I know the long and difficult path ahead of me. lol. But the focus of my muse would wander. After all, what did it matter if I started one book, two, or even three? Wouldn’t it be better to have lots of different ideas to present to the editor?
Okay, you can stop laughing now. Remember, this was twenty years ago. I didn’t know jack about the publishing world back then.
Then I discovered the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild and the Romance Writers of Australia. And learned that editors wanted writers who could actually finish a book. And not just one book, but many–time after time after time.
It was a scary moment. I mean, I had the ideas, but could I go the distance? I had finished stories. Short ones. Eventually. But a 100 000 word novel? 400 pages worth? Nada. Hadn’t happened.
But if I wanted the dream, I knew I needed to be disciplined. I needed to concentrate. Which meant I had to give myself something achievable to aim for, because the whole ‘get published’ deal was just too vague. So my goal that first year was to finish a book in 12 months. It didn’t happen–that book actually took me 14 months to write–but that didn’t matter. Setting a goal gave me something to focus on, and the following year, my goal became to not only finish that first novel, but to complete another. Which I did.
Having something achievable to aim for made the muse focus, and while I’m not claiming any of those first books were great (they weren’t. In fact, they sucked), they were at least finished. I’ve been setting goals for myself ever since.
So what are my goals this year?
Well, the first couple are easy, because they’re ones I’m contractually obligated to do:
1–finish the first Risa Book.
2–Write the second Risa book.
Now, here’s my wish list–the ones I want to try and achieve:
3–the book of my heart (working title Tiger) gets beyond the first chapter and is actually finished
4–I finish the short I started last year, and maybe even sell it.
And here’s the ones I have absolutely no control over, but would absolutely love to happen:
5–I get contracted for more books.
6–Moon Sworn hits the top five on the NYTimes.
So there’s my goal list. What about you? Do you believe in setting yourself writing goals, and if so, what are they?
Be warned, I intend to post about this next year, and ask how many of your goals you actually met!!
Related posts:
I have just one goal:
Submit The Wild Hunt to e-publishers.
Simple? Nope. It is a lot of work since I need to revise it first and write query letters.
Definitely believe in setting goals in whatever you intend to do.
I have only finished my first novel last year(it seems so long ago already lol)thanks to Nanowrimo. Since I read alot I know that my first book is no prize and it has some major issues but I’m proud of the fact I’ve finished something.
So my goals this year are to fix up the novel I wrote and write a second one, possibly a third. All the while working on improving my writing. My other goal would be finishing my Novel writing course which has been pushed to the side to write my novel.
I wish everyone luck in reaching their own goals
2010 Goals (from my LJ account):
1. Get a Job and keep it
2. Find someone to date, even if it isn’t serious (personal romantic subplot, if you would)
3. Finish Power Novel #1 (writing and revising)
4. Submit Power Novel #1 to an agent or publishing house
5. Finish Short Story and Submit to mag or contest
6. Move out of parents basement again (will probably be in the last few months of 2010)
7. Finish Mirror story (even if it doesn’t get to the revision stage)
8. Get 2 more dragon paintings done
9. Come up with a 10th goal
10. Accomplish list of goals? (woot! already have #9 done)
I also have a target of 4k words/week (5 days of 800 and 2 days off) as well as a goal of 150k words per year (to give me time to edit). I have a spreadsheet to track my writing and weekly LJ updates to make some accountability. I have a plan to review the goals monthly or quarterly.
Having accomplished that request of yours I have a question:
At what point did you know those early novels “sucked” (in your own words)?
My writing goals for 2010 are:
1) To finish revising my NaNoWriMo novel by my birthday and (eek!) start querying it to publishers.
2) To post a story a week at my website. (And hopefully gain readers who comment on what I’ve done well and poorly!)
3) To write daily.
4) To keep reading the blogs of successful writers for encouragement and tips!
[...] Setting goals. « Deadline Dames [...]
My main writing goal this year is fairly simplistic, but, it’s always the hardest not to mention the same as last year:
Make more time to write.
I’m ashamed to admit that as passionate as I am about my writing and even with fibre in me screaming to get behind my laptop and start banging out the workds, I tend to always have something else to do.
This year that’s going to change.
My second goal is quite simply finish the story I’m writing, fingers crossed before June.
Then I have the hardest task of all, and the one I’ve never been brave enough to do until I found websites like this…attempt to get said book published.
I’d just like to thank all the Dames for all the tips, and support you have given, it has meant alot to me, not to mention finally giving me the backbone to try and go pro.
Mikaela, good luck with the revisions and the submitting! Can I ask why you’re submitting first to e-pubs? Why not try traditional pubs (or agents) first?
Melissa, congrats on finishing your first novel–that’s an amazing achievement and you have every right to be very proud of it. Good luck with the goals and the course!
Axisor, you’re putting me to shame! lol
Anthea, be wary about posting too much on the web, esp if you want to sell it later. By posting on the web, you’re basically using first publication rights, and that’s what publishers buy.
Emma, sometimes life can make it difficult, and sometimes we can make it difficult for ourselves. It’s those little demons of doubt working away in the background–you know, the ones that tell us we’re no good or we’re never going to make it. Yours sound a little more subtle, but nevertheless making themselves felt. Set yourself a target each day–even if it’s only a page (250 words). Writing is a matter of habit, and the more you do it, the easier it becomes
whoo boy.
My first goal is to learn to drive our manual trans car so that I can accomplish a couple more goals.
Such as, go to the gym regularly and work out at home.
Maintain healthy eating and work on eating less – just because almost everything I eat is healthy, the calories still add up!
Get a job I am comfortable with. (This is way more complicated than it should be due to my health.)
Finish and submit a novel. I haven’t finished one since 2008, when I wrote two. I don’t know if I burnt out or what, but now I’ll get halfway through and seize up. I have no idea how to fix it, either.
eeek – I haven’t looked at my goals this year. The end of last year was very busy with family health, so I suppose goal 1 = recover
But setting my goals (like you have done – longer & shorter) is something I need to do so I can organise my time more efficiently and effectively.
Oh and I hope Moon Sworn reaches the top 5 too!!
Thank you for the reminder, Keri!
I do realize that by posting stories publicly, I’m essentially publishing them myself. I have a lot of fears and blocks regarding writing, and most of why I’m doing my story a week challenge is to get over those – including the fear that I’ll run out of ideas!
The (non-monetary) payment I get for posting them online will be the practice writing, the practice letting others read what I write, the feedback I get, and the extra motivation to establish a daily writing practice of knowing friends are waiting for this week’s installment. And hopefully all of that will help me to write well for publication (and cope better with rejection) later on
Thank you again!
Thanks for a great post, Keri. I keep clinging to this vague “write more” goal, but your post has given me a kick up the backside;D.
So here goes:
1) polish my first novel (finished last year, squee) and query agents (squeak, once I’m ready)
2) write a second book that’s been nagging at me
3) write 3 short stories that have been ghosting around my brain
4) finish a shorter (60-80k words) novel I’ve started
I hope I can do this and good luck to everybody else!!!
If you’d like a tool for setting your goals, you can use this web application:
http://www.Gtdagenda.com
You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use
checklists, schedules and a calendar.
A Vision Wall (inspiring images attached to yor goals) is available too.
Works also on mobile.