What better way to start a New Year than to set writing goals! This could be the year you start writing. Or the year you finish your manuscript, or the year that you get published. Whatever your ambitions, writing and editing an entire novel can be a daunting task. The best way to complete your book is breaking down your project into smaller daily goals.
Here are three ways to set your goals and get writing:
- Set a Word Count
Example: I’m going to write 1,000 words every day this month.
The publishing world works in word counts. Your friends and potential beta readers may ask how many pages your book is, but agents and editors will only be interested in the word count of your manuscript. With this single number, an agent will know if a book’s length makes sense with the genre and the market. Therefore, working towards a word count goal is a good way to know where your novel stands and if it needs to be edited down or written up.
May be best for writers that are numbers orientated. Also showcases the progress you are making toward a novel length work.
Get out of writer’s block by reading a variety of your WIP’s genre. Beautifully written books can inspire you. Badly written books can motivate you to make something better. Reading in general gives you the tools to create your own story.
- Set a Timer
Example: I am going to write for one hour every morning/night.
Note the time and then get writing. Put everything you have into that hour of free time. As soon as that timer rings or the clock dings you can complete the other important things on your to do list.
May be best for writers that have complex schedules and have to fit in writing with their other responsibilities.
Get out of writers block by changing the setting. Try to adapt to writing in new locations. Have twenty minutes before dinner? Grab your computer and type. Are you sitting in traffic? Set your phone to record you and dictate ideas for the next scene aloud. Sitting in a waiting room? Don’t surf social media for the tenth time. Jot down ideas in a small notebook.
- Pick a Scene
Example: Today I will finish chapter 4
Focus on a conversation or setting that you know happens next or will happen at some point and dive into that particular moment of your manuscript. Devote the day to finishing the novel one chapter at a time.
May be best for writers that inherently imagine their work in scene segments and/or chapters. Good for editing and rewriting goals too.
Get out of writer’s block by changing up the order in which you write. Always writing chronologically can be frustrating and hamper your daily goals. Switch it up and see where that leads you. It’s also good for some writers to stop their day in the middle of a scene so that you have something engaging to come back to the next day.
Parting note: Maybe none of these ways will work for you. Maybe you need to find your own method. I spend some time everyday editing and rereading parts of my work to bring the voice of the piece back to life. Depending where I am in the writing stage I also use different goals. In first drafts I use word counts. Second, third and fourth drafts I pick a scene and rework it. I use the timer method on busy days where I have to squeeze in time to write. Not everyone works the same way with their craft, but that’s the glorious thing about writing – it’s the creation of something new.
Happy Writing!
I like the set a timer technique. Also called the pomodoro technique. Set the timer for 25 minutes, I think a person would have to build up to an hour. Be sure to eliminate all other distractions, get highly focused and work. At the end of the time, reward yourself. You are offering some good ideas, keep at it.
Thanks