Setting Goals

The New Year is here and it's time to make new writing goals.

When creating your goals, there are aspects you should consider.

Be specific. Instead of write a novel, break it down to write a chapter a week.

Your goals should be self-attainable. By making your goal to be published, you put the outcome in another person's hands. To reach the goal of publication, your true goal should be to do everything in your power to make this possible. Write more. Submit more.

Reality should also reflect in your goals. A beginner athlete would not set the goal of playing in the big leagues. There are many goals to be accomplished before you would reach for such heights. If you're a short story writer who has decided to try writing a novel, don't make the goal of writing a best-seller. This is not realistic, at least not yet.

Time should be considered an important factor. The woman raising three young children and working outside the home would be asking for failure if her goal is to write a novel in a month. In no way should your writing goals be made around your life, but there is only so much time in a day, adjust accordingly.

I spent much of the second part of last year, adjusting and re-evaluating my goals. Determined to make as much progress as I could, I jumped in head first. After about two months, I burnt myself up in the process. So make your goals, but don't take on so much that it leaves no chances to enjoy life.

If this is your first time setting goals in your writing, I suggest starting small. Make a plan for the week and see if it works out. If you planned too much, cut back a little. Shoot for a monthly goal with what you've learned from that first week. At the end of the month, look back and see if you accomplished everything you set out to finish.

Remember, baby steps are better than giant leaps that leave you flat on your face.

Have you set your goals for the week, month, or year? What are you waiting on?

Happy New Year!

A new year with new goals, what could be more wonderful!

Hope everyone gets a good start and sees progress in their life this year.

Merry Christmas!

I want to take a moment and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I've enjoyed all of your visits throughout the year.

I hope and pray that each of you finds progress within the New Year. May all of your dreams come true!

Writing Frustrations

What do you do when doubt creeps into your head?

You’ve got your story underway and suddenly the thought enters, “What am I doing? This is crap. No one’s going to want to read this!”

First of all, you have to figure out if it’s the evil voice or the logical voice speaking. But, how do you do that? Honestly, I’m not sure of the answer, but chances are it is the voice of the evil monkey that lives in your brain. The monkey doesn’t want you to succeed!

Take a step back from your work in progress. Work on something else, a poem, a short story, or even a shopping list. Take a walk, play with your pet, or enjoy a movie.

Chances are when you come back; everything will be fine once again.

As a writer, you can expect these mood swings. If you can learn to anticipate them, you may be able to jump over the rut before you get there. I haven’t actually accomplished this yet, but I have come to acknowledge that it is a routine that is happening. I get frustrated and depressed. I don’t feel like doing anything at all. But, once the cycle has run its course, I’m back to normal, except I’m upset at the hours I wasted in the meantime.

Knowing is half the battle, now it’s time to fight and win.

Do you go through these cycles? What do you do to fight back?