Posted on 02/11/2024 in Dorothy Says
Goal-Setting For Writers
People regularly ask me how I stay motivated when it comes to writing. And the short answer is: ‘because this is my job and I need to do it. I have a goal – usually in the shape of a deadline when the book needs to be delivered – and I have to get on with it.’
I have a goal. A specific goal.
Because when I talk about goal setting here, I’m not talking big ethereal goals such as ‘get a publishing deal’, ‘have my books optioned for TV’, ‘see my book in a book shop’ goals – those are good goals, don’t get me wrong. I’m talking specific, solid goals that nail you down to do the actual hard yards.
For me, noting down a goal in a detailed way allows me to see what I’m working towards in the short- and medium-term, which frees up a lot of head space for long-term plans and projects.
Especially for you, I’ve created a Setting Writing Goals Worksheet to help kickstart you actually sitting down and doing the writing.
The purpose of the worksheet is for you to set out your intentions for yourself. Don’t use it as a stick to beat yourself up with – no negative self-talk allowed or necessary. Use it as a jumping off point, the place where you say to yourself, right, this is what I want to do and this is how I’m going to do it. Make that commitment to yourself and get going. You can do it.
You can download the Setting Writing Goals Worksheet here.
Dorothy x
How to complete the SETTING WRITING GOALS WORKSHEET
My Writing Goal:
Keep your goal short – no more than two sentences. For eg. ‘I want to finish this short story I started. It will be no more than 7,500 words and form part of my short story collection.’ Or, ‘I want to finish this chapter on emotions in business – it will be the backbone of my non-fiction book and be no longer than 7,500 words.’
Why have I chosen this goal?
Be honest about why you’re setting this goal – no one will see it. For eg. ‘This will be the lynchpin to my collection of short stories. I need to get it done so I can get on with other stories’. Or ‘This chapter will let me know if this non-fiction book will work or not.’
What 3 things do I need to achieve this goal?
Again, be honest with yourself about what you need.
For eg.
- Time away from other things I do.
- Self-belief that I can finish it and that it is any good.
- Nail down the plot/ending.
What challenges might I encounter?
Be honest, but don’t talk yourself into a fear spiral. For eg.
- Not finding time to write
- Not loving the story
- Not enjoying the writing process
- Self-doubt about my writing abilities
How will I overcome those challenges?
Be realistic but positive here. For eg.
- Write in my diary specific time work on that story and protect that time like a work meeting I can’t move – Monday 9pm and Wednesday 9pm.
- Finish the story and then decide how I feel about it.
- Focus on the end goal of writing the story and see how I feel about it.
- Read the positive words section to remind myself I can do this.
My writing goal completion date:
Be very realistic but challenge yourself. For eg. ‘3 weeks from now, writing at least 1000 words each Monday 9pm and Wednesday at 9pm every week. More if I get more time.’
Milestones:
Break your goal up into smaller chunks. It’ll be easier to stick to it if you hit more than one milestone before you get to the big goal. For eg.
Milestone 1: 2000 words
Milestone 2: 4,000 words
Milestone 3: 6,000 words
Milestone 4: 7,500 words
Positive words I need to remind myself to keep going.
Be your own cheerleader here. You need one and you’re the best one out there. Banish all negative thoughts in this section, just focus on cheering yourself on. For eg.
- I can do this.
- I’ve done more difficult things.
- I don’t need to worry about anything other than finishing the story.
- I CAN DO THIS.
- This is a story that needs to be told by me.
Now you have the sheet and you have the ways to fill it in, what are you waiting for? Go get ’em, tiger (as they say in original Spiderman).
