In 2009, my first published novel released in October. And I found out how slow my writing can be with the push to market my book, another writing project tugging at my creativity, starting a new job, helping my parents move, and a myriad of other things that distracted me. So this year, I want to do much better in my writing life. Here are some ways I hope to accomplish that:
1. I have a list of writing projects I want to finish this year. I need to go through and set deadlines on each, but those will kind of depend on if this manuscript I'm about to send in gets picked up or not.
2. I've decided how many words a week I want to get done and plan to train myself to reach that goal.
3. I'm taking the games off of my computer. Tomorrow. After I win another 20 games or so. :-)
4. I'm promising myself that I can get to those non-writing projects I'm itching to get done (like organizing my very-jumbled cabinets) when I finish a manuscript. It might seem like a warped reward for typing The End, but it does at least three things for me: releases me from stressing about getting it done RIGHT NOW, gives me an excuse to listen to an entire audiobook at once, sometime in near future, and keeps motivating me because my guilty conscience reminds me I need to get the writing done so I can address my other responsibilities. Like my poor house. Or my overflowing inbox. And all that probably doesn't make any sense to you, but I'm pretty sure it'll work for me.
5. I've worked up a schedule to try to get myself into a routine. Limiting my procrastinating and balancing out my writing with other responsibilities. I'm hoping this will also help me to be able to tell people, "No, I'm sorry, I have to work that day," because I will truly have a set writing time that I use effectively.
And that's it for this section...that I can think of for now. :-) What about you? Any work or hobby-related goals for the year?
4 comments:
Those all sound like very smart and managable goals. I wish you every success in implimenting them! :o) I know that's the hard part, but you can do it!
This year I decided to develop my creative side, and I started a blog to document my progress and hold me accountable to continue. It's http://christygetscrafty.blogspot.com/ if you want to check it out in your non-writing time. ;o)
I've also set a goal to finish my current WIP by the end of the year. I've never written a full-length novel, although I've started more than 30. I've broken it down into small chunks that I think I can manage. I figure if I write 25 pages a month, that makes 75 pages a quarter, and 300 pages by the end of the year. And 25 pages breaks down to less than a page a day. That doesn't seem too hard. And after all, it feels much better to exceed your goals than it does to fall short of them.
I wish you every success in your time-management goals! I loved Double Take, and I'm eagerly awaiting your next release.
God bless!
I would like to find the inspiration to actually finish at least one of the writing projects I have started. Or think up a new one.
Cleaning cabinets--ugh. But it's a good goal, and I'll join you in that one. Hoping/praying to move this year, so the less we have to haul the better.
I admire you for stating your goals so clearly, Jenness. I hope you make wonderful progress on them this year.
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