As new writers, setting realistic goals will help you get started with your writing, and for us more seasoned writers realistic goals keep us on track when the daily grind sets in. Setting attainable goals at times seems like a daunting task. The gap between where we currently are in our writing career and where want to be can seem insurmountable. I try to look at it as a mile run, broken down into small attainable steps.
You say you want to become the next J.K. Rowling or Stephen King, but you have yet to commit the first word to paper. One immediate attainable goal is to read a book on novel writing. You might choose to take a writing course on-line or at a local college or university instead. These are all realistic and measurable steps in reaching your long-term goal to be a novelist.
Your next goal might be to write your first story, write the outline of your novel, or actually write your first chapter. Following that, you might seek feedback, by joining a critique group or by sending your story to an editor. Each short-term goal marks a step toward your long-term dream. Each goal stands as attainable on its own.
When setting attainable goals, we must be honest with ourselves with what we are capable of achieving at this stage in our writing careers. If we have yet to earn a dime from writing, it is unrealistic to set the goal of becoming self-supporting in six months. If we've never written more than a passionate letter to the editor on the litter in our neighborhood, it is unrealistic to expect our 500-page Great American novel to be completed and sold within the year.
Setting attainable goals isn’t always easy. We are in a hurry to obtain success, so we initially are tempted to strive for overly ambitious goals. The more ambitious and unrealistic a goal the bigger chance we will fall short of meeting the goal, become discouraged and quit, resigning ourselves to failure. We must remember these are our goals, solely for our own benefit and not based on others expectations.
Attainability also means recognizing what is realistic in writing markets. If there is an upswing in science fiction, and we don’t write in the science fiction genre, it is unrealistic to expect to be self-supporting writing science fiction stories.
In the end, like running a mile, our realistic and attainable goals start by taking a small step, are tough enough to make us sweat and stretch to reach the end, yet not too difficult to cause us to throw our hands up and quit.
Challenge: List your attainable goals, including the small steps to reach them.
Keep running and writing,
Dara
Friday, February 16, 2007
Friday, February 9, 2007
Measurable Goals
Did you bring your tape measure? We’re talking about measurable goals today. Just joking about pulling out the tape unless you decide your goal is to write six yards of paper a day (that’s 6 ½ pages BTW). For goal setting, a measurable goal is one that is specific and concrete.
Many of us qualify our goals. Some examples:
Our goals are useless when we can’t decide if we’ve actually met the goal. Isn’t it always possible to become a better writer as we grow in our writer’s life? We must then quantify our goals ---goals that have measurable forms of output or results.
Some examples of clear and measurable goals might be:
Many of us qualify our goals. Some examples:
- To be a better writer.
- To be a successful, self-supporting writer.
- To be a good writer who produces interesting and worthwhile books.
- To write five short essays on parenting.
- To spend two hours a day doing something with writing.
- To put down my parenting ideas on paper.
Our goals are useless when we can’t decide if we’ve actually met the goal. Isn’t it always possible to become a better writer as we grow in our writer’s life? We must then quantify our goals ---goals that have measurable forms of output or results.
Some examples of clear and measurable goals might be:
- To write three pages a day for six months.
- To compose and send out two queries per week.
- To write five parenting articles in the next two months.
- To spend two hours each day, four days a week, experimenting with writing fiction, non-fiction, poetry or essays.
- To create a writer’s notebook for a minimum of six months, exploring ideas on parenting and other topics, and to use the ideas to create at least six polished pieces.
- To be self-supporting within 18 months by earning $3000 per month.
Our writing goals should reflect our own values and decisions about our lifestyle, and not the judgments, expectations, or recommendations of others around us. Each goal must be based solely on our abilities, efforts, and desires, not the wishes of well-intentioned family and friends.
Our challenge now is to list some measurable writing goals. Remember you can also list measurable life goals.
In my write mind,
Dara
Monday, February 5, 2007
Meaningful Goals
By now, hopefully you have committed your dreams to paper. While we are talking about writing goals here, these steps can be used to define goals in all areas of our life. So how does one define a meaningful goal?
In reality, it is easy to get off track with someone else’s goals for you, or even suggestions and recommendations for each of us on how we to obtain success. Writing magazines, books, courses, and yes, even blogs all have formulas and keys to successful goal setting. Most fail to mention these suggestions and formulas will not work in every scenario or for every writer. Our job is to research and study what has significant meaning in our writing life.
For each of us to be consistent in pursuing a writing goal it must be valued and make sense to us. A meaningful goal will spur a writer to continue when the drudgery of a writing task occurs. Writers are told to write every day, keep a journal, and to schedule a time to write by getting up early or staying up late. What if you are more productive at night, but can’t schedule any time late at night due to a job schedule where you get off at 2 AM? Or if you are Susie or Sam Sunshine in the mornings, but your mornings are filled with endless tasks of getting lunches packed, breakfast cooked and all three kids carpooled to school prior to working a day job, what then? The journal and assigned writing times are not meaningful or realistic for you. You will have to re-evaluate what works for YOU and implement it into a specific goal which does work.
After defining your goal, be wary of getting sidetracked by what appears to be a worthy goal, but really does not lead you in a direction you want to go. Let’s say you want to become a children’s picture book writer, while a wonderful dream, you are also faced with feeding and clothing three children of your own. What to do? Most children’s writers cannot support their families solely with their children’s stories; so it is easy to postpone writing the picture book. After all one isn’t paid a penny of an advance until after the book is in under contract, but yet there are bound to be more lucrative jobs, which will pay the bills.
Turn these competing projects into a win/win situation. You might spend 25% of your writing time working on your picture book, and the other 75% writing articles for various paying markets and genre, and still work a "day" job. Each writer will have to ascertain what a meaningful balance is; but be care not to pass up an opportunity because it doesn’t seem immediately meaningful and fulfilling. Taking a writing course on researching may seem tedious, but it could be the best investment in reaching a long-term goal.
Our writing challenge is to honestly look at our writing life and define what is most meaningful to us. What can we change to enhance our writing goals leading to our ultimate success?
Be strong; find the meaning best for you,
Dara
In reality, it is easy to get off track with someone else’s goals for you, or even suggestions and recommendations for each of us on how we to obtain success. Writing magazines, books, courses, and yes, even blogs all have formulas and keys to successful goal setting. Most fail to mention these suggestions and formulas will not work in every scenario or for every writer. Our job is to research and study what has significant meaning in our writing life.
For each of us to be consistent in pursuing a writing goal it must be valued and make sense to us. A meaningful goal will spur a writer to continue when the drudgery of a writing task occurs. Writers are told to write every day, keep a journal, and to schedule a time to write by getting up early or staying up late. What if you are more productive at night, but can’t schedule any time late at night due to a job schedule where you get off at 2 AM? Or if you are Susie or Sam Sunshine in the mornings, but your mornings are filled with endless tasks of getting lunches packed, breakfast cooked and all three kids carpooled to school prior to working a day job, what then? The journal and assigned writing times are not meaningful or realistic for you. You will have to re-evaluate what works for YOU and implement it into a specific goal which does work.
After defining your goal, be wary of getting sidetracked by what appears to be a worthy goal, but really does not lead you in a direction you want to go. Let’s say you want to become a children’s picture book writer, while a wonderful dream, you are also faced with feeding and clothing three children of your own. What to do? Most children’s writers cannot support their families solely with their children’s stories; so it is easy to postpone writing the picture book. After all one isn’t paid a penny of an advance until after the book is in under contract, but yet there are bound to be more lucrative jobs, which will pay the bills.
Turn these competing projects into a win/win situation. You might spend 25% of your writing time working on your picture book, and the other 75% writing articles for various paying markets and genre, and still work a "day" job. Each writer will have to ascertain what a meaningful balance is; but be care not to pass up an opportunity because it doesn’t seem immediately meaningful and fulfilling. Taking a writing course on researching may seem tedious, but it could be the best investment in reaching a long-term goal.
Our writing challenge is to honestly look at our writing life and define what is most meaningful to us. What can we change to enhance our writing goals leading to our ultimate success?
Be strong; find the meaning best for you,
Dara
Friday, February 2, 2007
Goals - Intro
Why goals? What’s the big deal, I just want to write we say. Writing without setting goals is similar to leaving for vacation without a destination; we will eventually get somewhere, but most likely after wasting valuable time, energy and money.
One of the greatest challenges for writers is a lack of consistent structure in our workplace, wherever that may be. There normally is not someone there to keep us on task. No one telling us how to write, when we have to do it, and what exactly we have to write, much less if we have completed the task well.
There are many ways to lose sight of a goal. An important point to remember is while acceptance and publication are definitely signs of success, rejections are not ultimate failure. Writers are not in control of editorial decisions and the market factors that determine whose submissions will be accepted. There are suggestions to employ which will increase acceptance. These we will save for another day.
Writers long, dream and even lust for publication. One way to obtain that dream is to learn to set realistic goals. Goals are not our dreams, longings, or lusts. They must be meaningful, measurable, and attainable definitions for our work.
Over the next few weeks, we will explore each step to setting realistic goals in more detail. I have decided to devote one blog entry to each step in setting our goals. Our dreams will be fulfilled, as we map our specific goals to reach them.
If you haven't already, commit your dream to paper; remember to dream big. Start brainstorming steps you might take to fulfill your dream.
Next up what is a meaningful goal?
Here's to fulfilled dreams.
Dara
One of the greatest challenges for writers is a lack of consistent structure in our workplace, wherever that may be. There normally is not someone there to keep us on task. No one telling us how to write, when we have to do it, and what exactly we have to write, much less if we have completed the task well.
There are many ways to lose sight of a goal. An important point to remember is while acceptance and publication are definitely signs of success, rejections are not ultimate failure. Writers are not in control of editorial decisions and the market factors that determine whose submissions will be accepted. There are suggestions to employ which will increase acceptance. These we will save for another day.
Writers long, dream and even lust for publication. One way to obtain that dream is to learn to set realistic goals. Goals are not our dreams, longings, or lusts. They must be meaningful, measurable, and attainable definitions for our work.
Over the next few weeks, we will explore each step to setting realistic goals in more detail. I have decided to devote one blog entry to each step in setting our goals. Our dreams will be fulfilled, as we map our specific goals to reach them.
If you haven't already, commit your dream to paper; remember to dream big. Start brainstorming steps you might take to fulfill your dream.
Next up what is a meaningful goal?
Here's to fulfilled dreams.
Dara
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Red Letter Day Goals
It's your Red Letter Day - open your favorite calendar, and circle today's date. It's the first day of your new writing year. What... you say...it's the end of January. I know, but how many times have we made New Year's resolutions, and never kept them. Today we are going to resolve to set our writing goals and keep them.
If you have not already done so buy yourself a calendar. Make certain it is something your will use. It can be an expensive date book with multiple features or a dime store special, both still have 365 days in them.
You may choose to have one calendar for a master overview, and then do a calendar for each project as I do. With one project I bought a long spiral bound lined notebook for $1.00. I divided each page into thirds and numbered them with days and months. The notebook gave me ample room needed for specific notes, goals, and deadlines for the project.
Clear goals help us stay focused as a writer. When we know and choose what we want to accomplish we can arrange our time and priorities to get everything done. It helps alleviate and manage the stress in our lives.
Many of us are procrastinators; some of are afraid of success, sabotaging it with inaction. Others are overwhelmed with commitments. Some overachievers; some of us are just lazy. The sage advice on how to eat an elephant... one bite at a time, in applicable here. The most effective writers have clear organized goals, which can be baby steps to a long term goal.
Over the next few weeks we will be blogging about starting anew with our writing. We will start from square one, even us seasoned writers can stand a good review.
Today start with a clean slate, outline some realistic goals you want to accomplish this year, and look at your calendar to see how you can divvy up your schedule to take one step at a time to accomplish all of your gaols.
Ready, Set, Go to a great writing year!
Dara
If you have not already done so buy yourself a calendar. Make certain it is something your will use. It can be an expensive date book with multiple features or a dime store special, both still have 365 days in them.
You may choose to have one calendar for a master overview, and then do a calendar for each project as I do. With one project I bought a long spiral bound lined notebook for $1.00. I divided each page into thirds and numbered them with days and months. The notebook gave me ample room needed for specific notes, goals, and deadlines for the project.
Clear goals help us stay focused as a writer. When we know and choose what we want to accomplish we can arrange our time and priorities to get everything done. It helps alleviate and manage the stress in our lives.
Many of us are procrastinators; some of are afraid of success, sabotaging it with inaction. Others are overwhelmed with commitments. Some overachievers; some of us are just lazy. The sage advice on how to eat an elephant... one bite at a time, in applicable here. The most effective writers have clear organized goals, which can be baby steps to a long term goal.
Over the next few weeks we will be blogging about starting anew with our writing. We will start from square one, even us seasoned writers can stand a good review.
Today start with a clean slate, outline some realistic goals you want to accomplish this year, and look at your calendar to see how you can divvy up your schedule to take one step at a time to accomplish all of your gaols.
Ready, Set, Go to a great writing year!
Dara
Friday, January 26, 2007
So You Want To Be A Writer...
Most of us set out with a romanticized idea of what a writer is, winning awards, hob-nobbing with the rich and famous, book signings with lines of fans out the door, insanely large advances, and plots and words pouring from our soul effortlessly. Then we sit down and attempt to write our first great American novel, nothing comes or what does is rubbish. How did this happen? What now? Where do I start? These are all things most of us have experienced. I thought it would be helpful to share some insights I have garnered from my writing life.
First, a bit of my history… I went through a period of total self-doubt. I have been writing stories since I was a kid. I was a very active, somewhat gangly kid. I have always been curious. I loved exploring anything and everything. Books became my solace when others teased me; they also provided an outlet for my insatiable desire for mystery and adventure. I truly had plans to become an Air Force fighter pilot (like my Dad) or a Navy SEAL. Unfortunately, early in my life, my dreams were squashed. I lived in an era where young girls were encouraged to be teachers, nurses, or wives. Not that there is anything wrong with those life choices, but I wanted more.
I devoured books on many eclectic subjects. My favorite subjects were science and math. Yet again, girls were not supposed to like those subjects, so I turned to books. I read books on science, math and geography. I love the mystery and adventure of far away places and how things work. I read probably two biographies a week, too. In addition, you guess it; my favorite works of fiction were mysteries.
How is this relevant to our current writing? A common piece of advice is to write what you know. Sounds simple, but it can be more complicated. I know a fair amount about non-fiction material, but you have to be able to share the info with others without talking down to them, particularly if writing for children; and not be preachy, teachy, either. We can come away looking aloof. With fiction, it can be trickier; we have to make it believable, but entertaining and captivating.
So how does one walk this tightrope? I wish I had a magic wand, potion, or formula, but I do not. I can tell you the first thing we must do is being willing to fail, because we will. We all feel devastated when the first rejection letter arrives. After a few, we usually start doubting our abilities, and feel that everyone who reads our work will soon know we are a fraud. I used to ask my husband, “Who in their right mind would believe I am a writer? They all know I’m a fraud, right?” Fortunately, we had been married long enough, he knew better than to answer those two questions.
So what should we do first? I have found planning is the key. Over the next few weeks, I hope to share some ideas, which have worked for others and me. For now, try writing everyday. I know some people cannot, but even if you write for 15 minutes a day, it is practice. Practice leads to accomplishment, in whatever you practice.
I am learning to play the guitar; if I do not practice, I am certain I will not succeed in playing songs. Trust me, I have healthy skepticism friends will not be able to distinguish what I play as a song even with my practice. With that aside, I do encourage you to write.
Finally, realize other writers do like to hear of your success. It gives them the opportunity to have hope they too will succeed. And with some of us, it may even be … “Well, if she (he) can get published then I know I can!” LOL Seriously, know most writers will be our best resource, even before our family and friends. The ones closest to us tend to tell us what we want to hear.
My challenge for us today is to write for 15 minutes, and commit to paper what our writing goals are for the next 3 months, 6 months, year, 5 years, and 10 years. We will not worry how silly we think they are… dream big! We will discuss goals next time.
Remember we are in our write mind.
Dara
First, a bit of my history… I went through a period of total self-doubt. I have been writing stories since I was a kid. I was a very active, somewhat gangly kid. I have always been curious. I loved exploring anything and everything. Books became my solace when others teased me; they also provided an outlet for my insatiable desire for mystery and adventure. I truly had plans to become an Air Force fighter pilot (like my Dad) or a Navy SEAL. Unfortunately, early in my life, my dreams were squashed. I lived in an era where young girls were encouraged to be teachers, nurses, or wives. Not that there is anything wrong with those life choices, but I wanted more.
I devoured books on many eclectic subjects. My favorite subjects were science and math. Yet again, girls were not supposed to like those subjects, so I turned to books. I read books on science, math and geography. I love the mystery and adventure of far away places and how things work. I read probably two biographies a week, too. In addition, you guess it; my favorite works of fiction were mysteries.
How is this relevant to our current writing? A common piece of advice is to write what you know. Sounds simple, but it can be more complicated. I know a fair amount about non-fiction material, but you have to be able to share the info with others without talking down to them, particularly if writing for children; and not be preachy, teachy, either. We can come away looking aloof. With fiction, it can be trickier; we have to make it believable, but entertaining and captivating.
So how does one walk this tightrope? I wish I had a magic wand, potion, or formula, but I do not. I can tell you the first thing we must do is being willing to fail, because we will. We all feel devastated when the first rejection letter arrives. After a few, we usually start doubting our abilities, and feel that everyone who reads our work will soon know we are a fraud. I used to ask my husband, “Who in their right mind would believe I am a writer? They all know I’m a fraud, right?” Fortunately, we had been married long enough, he knew better than to answer those two questions.
So what should we do first? I have found planning is the key. Over the next few weeks, I hope to share some ideas, which have worked for others and me. For now, try writing everyday. I know some people cannot, but even if you write for 15 minutes a day, it is practice. Practice leads to accomplishment, in whatever you practice.
I am learning to play the guitar; if I do not practice, I am certain I will not succeed in playing songs. Trust me, I have healthy skepticism friends will not be able to distinguish what I play as a song even with my practice. With that aside, I do encourage you to write.
Finally, realize other writers do like to hear of your success. It gives them the opportunity to have hope they too will succeed. And with some of us, it may even be … “Well, if she (he) can get published then I know I can!” LOL Seriously, know most writers will be our best resource, even before our family and friends. The ones closest to us tend to tell us what we want to hear.
My challenge for us today is to write for 15 minutes, and commit to paper what our writing goals are for the next 3 months, 6 months, year, 5 years, and 10 years. We will not worry how silly we think they are… dream big! We will discuss goals next time.
Remember we are in our write mind.
Dara
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Brand New Blogger
I have tried blogging in the past, but mainly for fun and to stay in touch with family and friends. This is my first attempt as a professional blogger. I plan on sharing my experiences and info about our writing profession. Writing is a tough business, definitely not for the faint of heart. With diligence and hard work, we can succeed.
As we progress through the next months, you will see new things develop. I want to offer writing quotes to inspire and ponder. I plan on providing writing tips, hints, and writing prompts shared with me. I also have plans to link us to professional sites and resources.
My goal is to develop a blog we can share with each other....and support our write mind.
Keep writing,
Dara
As we progress through the next months, you will see new things develop. I want to offer writing quotes to inspire and ponder. I plan on providing writing tips, hints, and writing prompts shared with me. I also have plans to link us to professional sites and resources.
My goal is to develop a blog we can share with each other....and support our write mind.
Keep writing,
Dara
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