Write SMART: How to Create Terrific Writing Goals - And Achieve Them!


Open up your favorite calendar and circle today's date.

Why? Because no matter what day it is, you've been given a wonderful gift: a bright and shiny year ahead to make your writing dreams come true.

What are your writing goals for the coming year? If you don't have any, this is the perfect time to create them. Clear goals help you stay focused as a writer. If you choose what you want to accomplish, you can arrange your time and priorities to get them done.

Take five minutes right now to decide what big things you'd like to achieve this year. (I'll focus on your writing, but this technique can work for any area of your life.)

A long-established acronym, SMART, can help you create great goals. SMART stands for

Specific
Measurable
Action-Oriented
Risk/Realistic
Timed

Here's how each of these words can help you succeed.

Specific:

When determining your goals, be precise. Instead of "I'll write more this year," consider "I'll complete a new chapter every two weeks."

Measurable:

For each goal you choose, make sure you can measure progress. For example, how will know you've completed it?

Action-oriented:

Choose goals you control so they're not at anyone else's mercy. Rather than "This year I'll get a book contract," set goals to complete and polish two novels or mail 30 queries to agents.

Risk/Realistic:

It's always good to stretch yourself. However, if writing ten pages usually takes you several weeks, don't count on writing six novels this year. Unrealistic expectations can get you so frustrated you'll lose momentum. Instead, create goals that motivate you without being burdens.

Timed:

Setting a particular deadline will help you pace yourself to get things done. For each of your goals, establish a completion date.

Next, take these big SMART goals and figure out what smaller steps you'll need to achieve each of them. Design these subgoals to be SMART too!

Once you have a list of goals for the year, put them where you'll see them every day. Print them out and tape them to your computer, your office wall, even your bathroom mirror.

See them, know them...do them.

Writers, I hope this coming year brings everything you wish for. More importantly, I want you to *make your dreams come true*!

Katey Coffing, Ph.D. © 2004 All Rights Reserved

About The Author

Katey Coffing, Ph.D. is a novelist and book coach who helps women delight in writing (and finishing!) their books. Visit her at http://www.Women-Ink.com/.

To receive additional articles and tips for women writers, subscribe to Katey's ezine, The Write Calling, at http://www.Women-Ink.com/the-write-calling.htm.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? Please do, as long as you include the above short bio and blurb with it. (A short note to Katey to let her know would be appreciated! Contact her at https://www.hform.com/form.cgi?1717945)


MORE RESOURCES:
RELATED ARTICLES
The Practice of Writing
Virgil, the great Roman poet, wrote "Practice and thought might gradually forge many an art." From this we can assume that practice comes before thought, and so it is with present day writers.
Writing Press Releases That Get Noticed
Among the various foolproof methods used to boost traffic to your site (ezine advertising, and search engine submitting, to name a couple) one method seems to be forgotten about by many new Internet marketers. That method is writing press releases.
Whose Story Is It?
Whenever you sit down to plot a story (or even to think about a story) one of the first things you have to ask yourself is this: "Whose story IS it?"It seems like a simple question - but your story can succeed or fail depending on how you handle this. Told from the wrong point of view, a story can founder before the first chapter has come to an end.
When I Grow Up
I've just come back to work after nine glorious, sun-drenched days at home. This year, vacation was the week of July 4th.
6 Tricks To Squeeze Your Letters Onto One Page
Anyone who has read any of my articles on the subject of letter writing or resume writing will know how important I believe it is to minimize the number of pages, preferably limiting them to one page whenever possible.And, we all know how tacky it looks when we put the finishing touches on a letter and it overflows onto the second page by one or two lines.
How You Can Find Freelance Editing Jobs
Freelance editing opportunities are out there, you just need to know where and how to look for them. As a matter of fact, there are hundreds of companies that are waiting for you, right now, to fill their job vacancies.
Could Your Book Idea Be the Next Best Seller?
Everyone has a unique story to tell. From explaining business processes to revealing our personal history, we all have a natural desire to share our experiences with the world.
Does Your Story Have A Theme?
Creative Writing Tips -It should.A theme is a one-line explanation of your story.
8 Ways to Improve Your Writing Immediately
Is it possible to improve your writing instantly? The answer, happily, is "yes."While researching a book on famous speeches and essays, I found eight easily correctable mistakes writers often make.
Interview with Suspense Author Peter Abrahams
Peter Abrahams is the author of thirteen novels, including "The Tutor," (Ballantine Books) "A Perfect Crime," (Ballantine Books), "The Fan" (Fawcett Books), and most recently, "Their Wildest Dreams" (Ballantine Books).Known for his sharp wit and incredible gift for keeping readers on the edge of their seats, Abrahams has been entertaining readers for more than two decades--spinning multi-layered tales involving ordinary people who find themselves in horrific situations.
Writing the PDA Way
When we think of writing it triggers many thoughts and visions depending on our framing. It could trigger a lone man with a full astray, unshaven, staring at an old plunking typewriter with white blank crisp paper waiting in anticipation for his words.
Creating Great Business Correspondence
Obtaining the skills for writing good business correpondence is important; a job seeker needs to send customised job application letters. A secretary needs to send out an official invitation letter.
Suspense Novels Need Fast Starts
Suspense novels, unlike any other genre, need fast starts. Fans of suspense novels or their close relatives, thrillers, detective stories and mysteries, expect a fast-paced read.
Who Else Wants To Make $3546 By Simply Pressing a Button!
If you have been online for any length of time you have probably stumbled across many of the incredible claims of online marketing gurus making thousands of dollars just by sending out simple emails with the click of a button.If you are like me, you are intrigued and want to learn exactly how these gurus make more money with a few minutes work, then most people bring home after working for an entire month!To me it just didn't seem fair.
Business Writing: 10 Great Authors
Great business writers combine narrative skills with sound judgment to create classics that help both the beginner and the mid-career professional.Writing's completely subjective.
Proofreading for Profits
How to avoid mistakes that undermine your credibilityYou're probably already familiar with the spell checker built into your software. Some work automatically as you type, others only run when you activate them.
Eight Ways To Write Your Novel Faster
I asked several writers how long it took them to write a novel they wanted published. One woman writer made a frustrated face at me, a couple others just stared at me (their novel wasn't finished yet), and a few just stared.
Writing Internal Newsletters: How to Build Your Network and Your Reputation
To help build your profile and reputation within a large company create or contribute to, an internal newsletter. Your company collegues are an excellent network for you - lift your internal reputation by writing an internal newsletter that people will read.
How to Write Bad Poetry
So you've decided to crown yourself with a title that a million other people (just like you (yes, just like you!)) give themselves every day. Some people believe giving yourself such a title is equivalent to, and just as beneficial monetarily, as naming yourself Queen of England.
Screenwriting - Five Golden Insights
Originality emerges from structure. Once you have a story idea, you can expand the idea into a story by using structure.