As I make my rounds of blog friends, Twitter and Facebook, I see tons of posts and tweets about NaNoWriMo. November is almost here for those participating. Writers are offering advice, requesting advice or sharing their exciting plans. They're getting their plots ready, making outlines and setting other things aside for a marathon of writing. And I'm glad I'm not participating.
I have so many things going on now, both with my own writing and some self-imposed deadlines and with other obligations I've been asked to take or have volunteered for. I feel a little left out of the NaNo excitement but I know my limits. I have too many other things to work on and prepare during that month of November. With Thanksgiving thrown into the month, I see no way I could commit to writing that much. I do expect to write 30K during November but it is to complete a book I've already started. My contribution to the spirit of NaNo will be to cheer on and encourage those participating.
My husband and my sons are going south for a golf holiday in November. I could go along and do come beach time but I'm glad I'm not. I'll have the entire house to myself for writing, reading, sleeping in and eating lunch and dinner in front of the TV. I'll do some Thanksgiving preparations but mostly it will be a stay-cation all by myself.
Most of you know I retired from teaching a little more than a year ago. Recently I ran into some of my former students at a football game. They were so happy to see me and assured me that they missed me. A few hugs later and I felt a little melancholy but I'm glad I'm not teaching anymore. The job gets tougher every year though those teenagers are still wonderful. Most parents wouldn't say this, but the teenage years were my favorite for raising kids.
Please visit IWSG blog today and meet a special guest. And here is a link to a cool calendar to keep track of your NaNo progress.
What are you glad you're not doing at the moment or anywhere in the near future? Do you feel about teenagers like I do? Do you enjoy being home alone? Is NaNo your November goal or do you have an alternative one like I do?
Showing posts with label goal setting for writers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goal setting for writers. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Daily Writing Goals
If you google 'setting writing goals' you'll find lots and lots of advice, most from more successful writers than me. I can only share what works for me.
When I first started, I received a lot of advice on setting goals involving word counts. One thousand words a day, five thousand words a week, thirty thousand per month, two books per year, lots of numbers. And I try to make those numbers though that's not how I set my goals day by day or writing session by writing session.
I set goals by scenes or chapters. Sometimes they might be 10K or 1K. By finishing a scene, I feel like I've moved the story forward no matter how large or small the word count. Then I usually walk away, do chores, sleep on it, do some shopping, all the while thinking on that next scene. When I sit at the keyboard again, I'm ready to dive into the next scene. There are occasions when I already have that next scene ready in my mind. Those are days when the numbers really add up.
Some people have a certain amount of time to write and their goal is to spend that time wisely. I'm not sure how that works out.
But if you're not meeting the goals you set for yourself, perhaps you need to look at different styles of goal setting. Not making your word count? Try setting scene goals.
Do you set goals by words count? By time? By chapter or scene? What works for you?
When I first started, I received a lot of advice on setting goals involving word counts. One thousand words a day, five thousand words a week, thirty thousand per month, two books per year, lots of numbers. And I try to make those numbers though that's not how I set my goals day by day or writing session by writing session.
I set goals by scenes or chapters. Sometimes they might be 10K or 1K. By finishing a scene, I feel like I've moved the story forward no matter how large or small the word count. Then I usually walk away, do chores, sleep on it, do some shopping, all the while thinking on that next scene. When I sit at the keyboard again, I'm ready to dive into the next scene. There are occasions when I already have that next scene ready in my mind. Those are days when the numbers really add up.
Some people have a certain amount of time to write and their goal is to spend that time wisely. I'm not sure how that works out.
But if you're not meeting the goals you set for yourself, perhaps you need to look at different styles of goal setting. Not making your word count? Try setting scene goals.
Do you set goals by words count? By time? By chapter or scene? What works for you?
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Creating a Deadline
Successful people set goals. In my day job as a teacher, I encourage perseverance in everything, as well as having a target for your efforts. In writing, giving yourself a deadline can motivate you to sit your behind in front of the computer and get the work done.
The writers' group I used to belong had a clever contest a couple of times per year. I don't recall the exact name but it fifty words for fifty days in a row. Now most of us type out more words when we take the time to write. The theory behind the fifty words is once you make yourself type at least that many, you're more than likely to keep going until the number is hundreds or even thousands of words. Going fifty days in a row helps form the habit of writing every day. Doing it all together offers lots of encouragement and signing on makes public your acceptance of the challenge. The prize was always something simple like a magnet.
I've noticed many blog hops and blog fests that encourage similar things. Setting a goal or creating a deadline for yourself works. If you're working with a publisher, someone else will be setting a deadline for you. I have both types of deadlines. I still have a week to meet my last self-imposed deadline. During the next week, I'll be self publishing Beneath the Mountain, Book #3 in The Futhark Chronicles.
Do you have deadlines or goals you've set for yourself? Do you meet your deadlines or do you need an outside entity like an editor to set it for you?
The writers' group I used to belong had a clever contest a couple of times per year. I don't recall the exact name but it fifty words for fifty days in a row. Now most of us type out more words when we take the time to write. The theory behind the fifty words is once you make yourself type at least that many, you're more than likely to keep going until the number is hundreds or even thousands of words. Going fifty days in a row helps form the habit of writing every day. Doing it all together offers lots of encouragement and signing on makes public your acceptance of the challenge. The prize was always something simple like a magnet.
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| Art work by Gayle Bower |
I've noticed many blog hops and blog fests that encourage similar things. Setting a goal or creating a deadline for yourself works. If you're working with a publisher, someone else will be setting a deadline for you. I have both types of deadlines. I still have a week to meet my last self-imposed deadline. During the next week, I'll be self publishing Beneath the Mountain, Book #3 in The Futhark Chronicles.
Do you have deadlines or goals you've set for yourself? Do you meet your deadlines or do you need an outside entity like an editor to set it for you?
Friday, April 13, 2012
L: Light at the End
L: We set goals and work to reach them. Hopefully, we all do that. Sometimes that goal seems far, far away. If not in a distant galaxy, it's so far in front of us achievement or time wise, we can't imagine being there. I think it's important to set some smaller, shorter goals, ones we can make and then pass on our way to that big celebration at the end.
I expect the saying, 'the light at the end of the tunnel' had been around for a long time. Seeing that symbolic end to our toil, inspires us to work even harder. It's important to be able to see it. If there's nothing but dark in front of us, we may get lost or give up in frustration.
Some of my students set fitness goals. I know a few girls who want to lose weight, for some of them a large amount. They struggle to accept how setting small goals will ultimately help them reach their larger, long term goal. We can get caught up in the same short-sightedness as writers.
So set some short term goals. Perhaps rather than say I'll write a 100,000 page novel by the end of the year, I say I'll write an average of ten pages per week. Perhaps instead of saying I'll sell thousands of books this year, I'll set a goal of a three week blog tour and a certain number of hours spend on promotion per week. Short goals I can accomplish that could help me toward my larger goal.
We all need to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and when we get there, we enter that next tunnel and work toward the next light.
Do you set big goals or do you break it down into smaller ones? Do you write down your goals or keep them in your thoughts?
I expect the saying, 'the light at the end of the tunnel' had been around for a long time. Seeing that symbolic end to our toil, inspires us to work even harder. It's important to be able to see it. If there's nothing but dark in front of us, we may get lost or give up in frustration.
Some of my students set fitness goals. I know a few girls who want to lose weight, for some of them a large amount. They struggle to accept how setting small goals will ultimately help them reach their larger, long term goal. We can get caught up in the same short-sightedness as writers.
So set some short term goals. Perhaps rather than say I'll write a 100,000 page novel by the end of the year, I say I'll write an average of ten pages per week. Perhaps instead of saying I'll sell thousands of books this year, I'll set a goal of a three week blog tour and a certain number of hours spend on promotion per week. Short goals I can accomplish that could help me toward my larger goal.
We all need to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and when we get there, we enter that next tunnel and work toward the next light.
Do you set big goals or do you break it down into smaller ones? Do you write down your goals or keep them in your thoughts?
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The 'P' Word
Writers overcome many obstacles to follow their career dreams. It’s a tough road where one must battle rejection, loneliness, and frustration. The continuing evolution of technology and the changes it brings to the writing industry offers as many challenges as it does opportunities. Writers are expected to design and maintain websites, blogs and have a presence on other social media. It seems everyday a new tool is invented or updated. Promotion, promotion, promotion. And somewhere in those hours we squeeze out to work on our careers, we try to find time to actually write.
So far I’ve only mentioned the distractions created by the various responsibilities a writer faces beyond working on their current manuscript. The other parts of life intruding on a writer’s work time are worthy of their own blog sometime in the future. But there is one more anchor dragging on an author’s creative ship. It often threatens to sink my own. The p-word. Procrastination.
So far I’ve only mentioned the distractions created by the various responsibilities a writer faces beyond working on their current manuscript. The other parts of life intruding on a writer’s work time are worthy of their own blog sometime in the future. But there is one more anchor dragging on an author’s creative ship. It often threatens to sink my own. The p-word. Procrastination.I’ve used all the things listed earlier in this post to put off getting to work on the current WIP. Sometimes the weather is just too beautiful to miss. Sometimes the minutes I have before the next demand on my time are too few to bother opening the word document. Sometimes I really must read over what I sat at the keyboard. Sometimes I have to warm up my coffee or brew a new pot. Whatever the reason, they’re all just excuses to procrastinate.
Setting goals, having critique partners, deadlines, all these things can help you stay on task. If no one is looking over your shoulder, set targets for accomplishments and make promises to yourself. I used to do that on my blog and intend to start again this Sunday. Each Sunday I’m going to make my week’s goals public on my blog and then report the following week on how I’ve done. Starting today.
1) I'm going to do write no less than 15K on my current WIP. Grand plan there.
2) I'm going to promote my upcoming booksigning in State College.
3) I'm going to start putting together a blog tour for the release of Beyond the Gate.
Do
es goal setting work for you? Do you make your goals public or keep them private? What is your favorite form of procrastination?
Saturday, November 21, 2009
It's the Little Joys
Today I made one of my favorite purchases for my writing business. I purchased my 2010 day planner. I have so much fun looking through the different styles, comparing covers, and checking out all the extras. So many choices.
First of all, one must consider the size. The last few years I've gone with the smaller nine by six with a week on facing pages. I have to write small in those spaces though so this year I decided to go either with the bigger, full-sized model or the planner with one entire page for each date. It took me ten minutes to decide on the bigger one with a week on facing pages.
Then I have to look at the covers. I need something that will survive getting stuffed into bags and carried here and there. Last year I splurged on real leather. The same planner in the large style I wanted cost $25. I went with faux blue leather instead for $17.
I had to check out the extras. I don't really need those pretty maps of the world in the back but they were in all my finalists. My final choice had the usual conversion charts and information about other countries, population and units of currency. I need that as much as I need the world maps. Now it did have a wine vintage guide. They didn't mention the local wines I like to sample. Can't figure out why.
Of course I would never buy a planner that didn't have one of those little ribbons to mark my page and this one also has the rip-off corners. Last year's didn't have that so I'm doing that tonight.
Oh the joy of sniffing the brand new faux leather and marking the important dates in my new planner. Everything will be so neat for a while.
On the more serious side, filling in those dates in my planner reminds me of the goals I've set and the future I intend to pursue in my budding career as a writer. I have release dates to fill in for January, The Keepers of Futhark, and for April 30th, To Tame a Tiger. My planner reminds me I'm going somewhere, slowly but surely. And when next November rolls around and I buy a new planner, I'll have a release date to mark for January, 2011 for Beyond the Gate.
Do you love your planner as much as I love mine.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Day Late a Little Short
Didn't quite get all those goals this week. I only missed one though. I didn't get the wall paper done or the fence fixed, but I have a good reason. My husband was home. Now how does that make sense? If you knew my husband, you would know it is impossible to start such a project with him around. He really is handyman-challenged. His patience is less than zero. So this week, I'm putting that goal back on my agenda.
#1. I am going to remove that wall paper.
#2. I'm going to work out no less than four days.
#3. I'm do a little update on my webside.
#4. I'm going to start working on Tiger's Mate, book 2 in the series I have started with TWRP/
I've put my writing goal last this week because I must get that wall paper completed. I usually don't do this, but this week I must. Also, I've already met my June goals for CPRW. Our groups sets these for each month and makes them public. It's a great way to benefit from that peer pressure. I did't make mine in May for the first time this year. I did much better this past month thanks to the encouragement I received here. How important to you think goal-setting is to your writing and in other aspects of your life?
#1. I am going to remove that wall paper.
#2. I'm going to work out no less than four days.
#3. I'm do a little update on my webside.
#4. I'm going to start working on Tiger's Mate, book 2 in the series I have started with TWRP/
I've put my writing goal last this week because I must get that wall paper completed. I usually don't do this, but this week I must. Also, I've already met my June goals for CPRW. Our groups sets these for each month and makes them public. It's a great way to benefit from that peer pressure. I did't make mine in May for the first time this year. I did much better this past month thanks to the encouragement I received here. How important to you think goal-setting is to your writing and in other aspects of your life?
Monday, June 29, 2009
Peer Pressure
I have twenty-four hectic hours to think about my goals for this week. Some are things I must do so there's extra incentive to get them done. A few depend on the weather so I might have to provide alternatives.
I like to put my writing goals first and all the other things second though that's not always the priority they fall realistically. By putting them first I can dream I'm a full time writer.
#1. I'm going to finish the artwork questionnaire for One Good Woman, Book Four in The Solonian Chronicles that I just contracted with New Concepts Publishing.
#2. I'm going to start work on Tiger's Mate, the second book I hope to contract with The Wild Rose Press. It follows the book I have with them, To Tame a Tiger.
#3. I'm going remove the wallpaper from my bedroom walls OR I'm going to put up two new sections of fence around my pool. Whichever the weather allows.
#4. I'm going to finish the cross stitch I've been working on over a year and take it to Michaels to get it framed.
#5. I'm going to vacuum and wash my car until it looks as good as it can look.
I love hearing how other writers set their goals. Add yours to my list and we'll help each other get them done.
I like to put my writing goals first and all the other things second though that's not always the priority they fall realistically. By putting them first I can dream I'm a full time writer.
#1. I'm going to finish the artwork questionnaire for One Good Woman, Book Four in The Solonian Chronicles that I just contracted with New Concepts Publishing.
#2. I'm going to start work on Tiger's Mate, the second book I hope to contract with The Wild Rose Press. It follows the book I have with them, To Tame a Tiger.
#3. I'm going remove the wallpaper from my bedroom walls OR I'm going to put up two new sections of fence around my pool. Whichever the weather allows.
#4. I'm going to finish the cross stitch I've been working on over a year and take it to Michaels to get it framed.
#5. I'm going to vacuum and wash my car until it looks as good as it can look.
I love hearing how other writers set their goals. Add yours to my list and we'll help each other get them done.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Shoot, Score, Goal!
A very busy week has passed since I set my goals last week. The good news is I scored a 4/5 on completing them.
I did finish Beneath the Mountain, book #4 in The Futhark Chronicles from Medallion Press. I did have a lovely over night visit with my mother where we stayed up too late talking and drank too much coffee.
I did work on that last, weedy, messy flowerbed. Looks better and I didn't get any more poison on my legs. Yippee.
I did try a new wine, well, a new Zinfandel. Isn't my favorite but the good news is I drank most of it anyway so I'll splurge for another new one this week sometime.
My lone failure was in working out five days out of seven. I only managed three though I could count the two hours I spent in the pool as a fourth. I used all kinds of muscles to keep my balance on that raft. Okay, it was only three workouts.
I'm going to wait until tomorrow to set my writing goals for next week. I have to thing which project I'm going to do next. In the meantime, I always celebrate finishing a book by reading something from my TBR pile that I've been putting off because I want to read it too much. Big decision. I have about four of them sitting there.
Another thing I always do after finishing a book is clean up my writing area. It's not too messy right now, but I can't really see any desktop either. So while that fourth book is transferring from my AlphaSmart to my computer, I'm going to shove some papers around. Thanks to my friends for the encouragement to reach my goals.
I did finish Beneath the Mountain, book #4 in The Futhark Chronicles from Medallion Press. I did have a lovely over night visit with my mother where we stayed up too late talking and drank too much coffee.
I did work on that last, weedy, messy flowerbed. Looks better and I didn't get any more poison on my legs. Yippee.
I did try a new wine, well, a new Zinfandel. Isn't my favorite but the good news is I drank most of it anyway so I'll splurge for another new one this week sometime.
My lone failure was in working out five days out of seven. I only managed three though I could count the two hours I spent in the pool as a fourth. I used all kinds of muscles to keep my balance on that raft. Okay, it was only three workouts.
I'm going to wait until tomorrow to set my writing goals for next week. I have to thing which project I'm going to do next. In the meantime, I always celebrate finishing a book by reading something from my TBR pile that I've been putting off because I want to read it too much. Big decision. I have about four of them sitting there.
Another thing I always do after finishing a book is clean up my writing area. It's not too messy right now, but I can't really see any desktop either. So while that fourth book is transferring from my AlphaSmart to my computer, I'm going to shove some papers around. Thanks to my friends for the encouragement to reach my goals.
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