Prompts and Prose

I recently watched a lecture on YouTube by Brandon Sanderson about goals. If you have the time, it’s worth a listen at least to watch him get berated by his pet parrot while he talks.

He makes a great point about creating goals for yourself as a writer that are achievable by you. The idea he puts forward is not to have to rely on anyone else to achieve your goals, such as getting paid for your work (achieving this goal is dependent on someone else).

My goals used to look like this:

• Develop my own descriptive style
• Write a chapter of a book or short story each month
• Publish a book

If you don’t want to watch the entire video, starting at around the 16 minute mark is where he talks about creating realistic writing goals and why.

My goals were somewhat on track with his recommendations but could be a lot better. Secondly, from my time as an instructional designer authoring training materials and technical manuals and throughout my time in marketing, I’ve learned that it’s critical to have goals that are measurable.

After thinking about the idea of writing writing goals around what I can control, my revised goals are now:

• Write what I love despite who I think may or may not enjoy it
• Get better with every story, article, or book I write
• Keep writing even when I fail
• Write at least one paragraph each day

By creating goals I can control and I can measure, I feel much better about my own writing process. In writing, uncertainty is a constant antagonist to enjoying the writing process and being productive. The blank page syndrome is a perfect example of that. And having these revised goals is helping me through the tough moments we all face when writing.

Guidance on Writing Realistic Goals for Fiction Writers

Motivation is surprisingly difficult to keep up over time. To get work done and stay motivated, it is critical to set achievable goals, realistic timelines, and acknowledge the progress you have made.

To make your goals more effective and achievable, consider these points tailored for fiction writers:

• Focus on Process, Not Outcome: Instead of aiming to “publish a novel,” aim to “write 300-500 words per day” or “complete one chapter per week.” This puts the focus on what you can control.
• Be Specific and Measurable: Avoid vague goals like “improve my writing.” Instead, try “learn and apply a new writing technique each week” or “revise one short story per month.”
• Break Down Large Goals: If your goal is to write a novel, break it down into smaller, manageable steps like outlining, character development, worldbuilding, and drafting individual chapters.
• Set Realistic Timelines: Be honest about how much time you can realistically dedicate to writing each week. Don’t set yourself up for failure with overly ambitious deadlines.
• Track Your Progress: Keep a writing journal or use a spreadsheet to track your daily or weekly word count, chapters completed, or other relevant metrics. This will help you stay motivated and make adjustments as needed.
• Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge and reward yourself for achieving milestones, no matter how small. This will help you stay positive and motivated.
• Adapt and Adjust: Writing goals are not set in stone. Be prepared to adjust them as your writing project evolves or as your circumstances change.

Writing Prompt: Realistic Goal Setting

Take some time to reflect on your writing goals. Use the guidelines above to create three realistic, achievable goals for your current fiction writing project. Write these goals down, making sure they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (called SMART goals in some circles). Explain why you chose these particular goals and how they will help you make progress.