You’ll have removed that barrier to writing, opening up mental space to spend on your story. If you create a clear plan for when and where you’ll sit down to write, it’ll be that much easier to carve time out of your day to do so. My recommendation is to develop a routine. However, it is still possible to make writing a priority, even in small ways. Let’s be real-we’re all way too busy! Between work, school, family, and occasionally sleep, it’s hard to make time for writing, and that stress and overwhelm means the time we do have often isn’t very creative. One of the trickiest parts of meeting your writing goals, is actually incorporating writing into your normal life. 🙂ħ Tricks for Meeting Your Writing Goals Create a Routine: With this in mind, take a moment to write down your own writing goal-keeping these SMART principles in mind! Once you’ve chosen your goal, it’s time to talk about seven steps you can take to actually achieve it. Not-So-Smart Goal: My goal is to write a novel this year.
#MANUSCRIPT WRITING SETTING GOALS PLUS#
Time-Based Goal: My goal is to work on my first draft (specifically on writing new words) for two hours every Saturday, plus fifteen minutes every day during the week. Project-Based Goal: My goal is to write 1,500 words of my first draft each day of November, aiming for 50,000 words total by December 1st.
So, here’s an example of two different SMART writing goals, and one “not-so-smart” goal for comparison: Regardless of which type of writing goal is best for you, the principles of SMART goals still apply. Just don’t get distracted and waste your limited writing time. Time-Based Goals: Best for those with busy schedules or who can’t commit to writing a certain number of words, but can squeeze in fifteen or thirty minutes throughout the day. However, these can quickly become overwhelming if you fall behind or overestimate your writing speed. Project-Based Goals: Great for tracking measurable, steady progress over time, especially if you’re confident in how much you can write each month or week. Or, you could decide on a time-based goal, where you focus on how long and when you want to write each day or week. On the one hand, you might focus on a project-based goal where you measure things like word count, chapters written, et cetera. Of course, even within the realm of SMART goals, there are many ways to approach this. Timely: What is the timeframe for accomplishing this goal? When do you want to achieve it? Relevant: Will this goal move you closer to your desired outcome? Will it help you achieve your long-term goals? Measurable: How will you track your progress? What numbers, dates, or milestones can you focus on?Īttainable: Is this goal realistic for you to achieve? Does it respect your existing commitments and writing speed? Specific: What specific outcome are you trying to achieve? What actions or steps will you take to achieve it? SMART goals have their origins in the business and productivity spaces, but they’re a useful tool for writers too. Without some goal in mind, you’ll tinker with your novel forever. After all, work expands to fill the time allotted to it. They’re tailored to you, and they’re specific enough that you always know what’s next. Good writing goals keep you accountable, but they also give you milestones to work towards, ways to measure progress, and the confidence that you’re on track. This is why setting the right writing goal is almost as important as setting goals at all.
On the surface they might look fine, but when you actually try to meet them, you’ll quickly realize they’re just too big to be successful… However, all of these goals have a problem-they’re not achievable. Or, maybe you’re a bit more specific, and plan to revise your second draft in the next six months or send your manuscript to an as-yet-determined editor. Perhaps you hope to finish your novel by the end of the year, outline your new fantasy trilogy, or find a critique partner to help you as you write. Setting goals comes with a ton of important benefits and is a big part of succeeding as a writer. Most writers sit down at their desks with some kind of writing goal in mind-and that’s a good thing! 3 7 Tricks for Meeting Your Writing Goals.
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