Writing Goals and Accountability

by Bethany | Jun 26, 2017 | Blab, Writers Chat

When we think of our writing goals, we often focus on what we actually have no control over.

“I want to be a bestselling author.”

“I want to be published with Harper Collins.”

“I want to sign contracts with this agency.”

Those are great dreams and I hope they all come true for us, but honestly, we have no control over what someone else offers us in terms of representation or contracts. We also have no control over our readers purchasing our books. What we can do, however, is set goals based on what we can control:

“I’m going to do x, y, and z marketing strategies to sell a huge number of books.”

“I’m going to send a proposal to Harper Collins.” (Check submission guidelines — this is just an example!)

“I’m going to query this agent.”

Attack your Goals the SMART Way

The SMART method assures that your goals are actually things you can accomplish.

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant, Realistic
Time-based (deadline)

There needs to be room for WOW, so make sure to hold on to your hopes and dreams!

We had several guests pop in and share their writing projects and goals, and I know I found encouragement (and some great ideas) from what they said! Below the replay you’ll find our guests’ goals and some of the action items they’re using. Enjoy!

 Our Awesome Guests

Randy

Goal:

Have a book published at the end of the year.

Action Steps:

Randy segments his day into four different ways: edit, write/rewrite, learn, and plot in a room with no electronics and transcribes them into snowflake. Also writes 1500 words every week to a mentor who critiques it and sends it back.

Jann

Goal:

(1) Working on a book launch with SCWI.

(2) Either start a new series or continue with her current one.

Action Steps:

Market to the parents. Homeschool groups. Maybe write some curriculum.

Vicki

Goals:

(1) finish writing devotions

(2) editing novel

(3) finish writing proposal

Action Steps:

Breaking her day down into 15 minutes and trying to get stuff done; continually editing

Gael

Goals:

Working on four different projects “Serial Launch Program;” Has been a paid writer for over 10 years. Get the writing done.

Action Steps:

Three different guest writing opportunities. Stop calling her work a “project” — spending an hour and a half working with seniors telling their stories. It will be a training program. Been approached by a geriatric center to implement throughout West Virginia. Scheduled out the implementation for individuals, putting it on Udemy, and finishing the system for the facility.

Matt

Goals:

(1) Protect time.

(2) Write a specific letter to a specific person a week.

(3) Main writing goal: have first drafts of book 3 and 4 in my series done.

Action Steps:

(1) Practice saying “no” and choose to do things that are in his gift-set and relying on his congregation to use their gift set. Through the end of the year, not pick up the stuff he’s let go of during the sabbatical. Have margin.

(2) From Lori Roeleveld’s class at Blue Ridge – Write letters of encouragement to younger people in your congregation – and let them be the best writing you do. It blesses someone directly.

(3) Book launch tonight to sign books. Indie publishing. Goal is four books, so will write the next two books together and publish within 4-6 weeks together.