Writing Goals – 4 Examples of a Professional Writer’s Goals
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“I don’t care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don’t harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there you’re never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants.” ~ Zig Ziglar.
The power behind setting goals – actually writing them down and reviewing them regularly – is that it helps to harness your energy in a specific, focused way. Are you a writer who sets goals easily but struggles to actually write? Consider investing in writing software. Dragon NaturallySpeaking takes your spoken words and converts them to the screen — giving you no reason not to write!
Now for a few examples of writing goals, to keep me accountable and motivate you to achieve your own goals…
Writing Goals – 4 Examples of a Professional Writer’s Goals
1. Finish my fifth “Quips and Tips” ebook. I think I love writing ebooks! This one is on pet loss, tentatively titled 75 Ways to Survive the Loss of a Family Pet. This ebook seemed like a no-brainer because I had a painful-but-valuable dog experience last year, and my pet loss articles on Quips and Tips for Achieving Your Goals are incredibly popular. This writing goal, I plan to achieve within one week from today (it’s been in progress for two months).
2. Hire more writers for Quips and Tips From the Working World. Paying bloggers to produce content for Quips and Tips From the Working World is one of the riskiest, most exciting writing goals of my career! I invest money in my blogs by buying WordPress themes, paying $100 a month to HostGator for VPS hosting, and using eJunkie to sell my ebooks ($5 a month, which is a bargain)….but I’ve never actually hired bloggers to write for me. So far, three bloggers have submitted articles to Working World, and by the end of this month my goal is to invite 10 more writers to work for Quips and Tips.
3. Write more “writing skills” articles for Successful Writers. As a professional writer, I need to keep learning how to be a better writer. And one of the best ways to become a better writer is to learn, practice, and teach writing skills! So, one of my writing goals for 2011 is to dig deeper into specific writing skills (eg, transitions, active voice, imagery, symbolism) and share what I learn. If you follow Quips and Tips for Successful Writers, you can expect to start learning how to write better! I’ve already started implementing this goal — my last article was on editing and proofreading your writing.
4. Sign on with a different literary agent. One of these days I’ll write about the train wreck that occurred when my literary agent, my See Jane Soar book idea, and my plans for a series of “Quips and Tips” books collided. Until then, suffice to say that my goal for the next few months is to pitch several literary agents and embark on a whole new stage of my writing career. I love blogging, but am ready to venture into a different world. I plan to achieve this goal by the summer.
Hey, I just realized that this is the first time that I’m not setting financial goals for my blogging and writing career…hmm…hope my income doesn’t plummet…
Have you written your writing goals for 2011 yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Write ‘em down below, blog about them, write them on your fridge, write them in your journal, write them on scrap pieces of paper when you’re driving…and read your goals every day until you’ve achieved them.
If you’re struggling with your writing career, read Want to Be a Writer? 10 Tips for Achieving Your Writing Goals.
Category: Inspiration & Creativity, The Writer's Life, Writing Jobs and Careers, Writing Tips
I’ve found that my articles are best when I let them “cook” for a little while before posting them, giving me more time to think about the topic and the research before making it public for the world to see. I try to have at least ten articles in production at any one time.
Unfortunately, building up a surplus of articles does take dedication, and sticking to a routine. Practice and planning bring perfection, I say.
Thanks, Daria! Yes, teaching what you’re learning about is a great way to solidify those skills.
My problem is that I want to write fast, and publish blog posts immediately. Maybe my first writing techniques article should be on the value of slow writing…which goes against everything internet-based!
“45 seconds? But I want it NOW,” said Homer Simpson.
I agree about the third point! I started one of my blogs (about SEO and blogging) exactly for this reason. I think it’s a great idea to blog about something you’re learning yourself — you learn better, faster, and more regularly. In a way, it’s also easier to come up with a consistent blog content development plan, because you’re learning and revising the basics for *yourself* as well, so you instinctively know what to write about and in what order. Hope that makes sense, lol!
I’m looking forward to your grammar/style/punctuation posts — it’s something I should seriously work on myself, haha!!!