Do you set yourself a goal?

[Blessed-one]

Do you set yourself a goal? an aim?

for example, word limit in a week, chapters in a month, a novel in a year?

i tried to set myself a limit of one chapter a week, and a novel in this year, but since uni started, it's been anything but. I guess i'll do some editing in the meanwhile, and continue on once this semester finishes.

 

[Westvleteren]

If I did that, I would live in a constant state of failure.

I write short stories (when I'm not working on novels) and anthologies have deadlines, or I'd never have any structure at all.

But I don't have a "do this much every day" or every week -- my real life is so unpredictable I'd never reach those goals and I'd just come to think of writing as another chore I haven't gotten done that day.

As it is, I write just about as much as I possibly can (when I'm not hanging out on forums like this one ) because I love it so much.

 

[Tissue]

I try to write at least two hundred good, quality words a day. Usually it's much more, but I keep the two hundred word minimum.

 

[IrishCoffee]

Hello! Great topic!

I agree with Westvleteren -- my aims and goals for writing are like New Year's Resolutions, especially if I plan to write every day. (I don't "pace myself" well -- a character flaw, I'm told, but in writing, it presents as #1, write until I fall over, then #2, sleep until the seasons change.) When I first was off work, I determined I would write a book for precocious adolescents, i.e., 7th or 8th grade "gifted" students. My goal was to finish a quality novel and have submitted it within one year. The long-term goal worked for my work capabilities at that time. As it turns out, it was returned without even a letter and I've been "letting it sit" for, oh, five years now. (See what I mean?)

My new thing is to target three magazines with an audience I understand, all of which will publish & pay $15 or $25 for a short item. I have set a minimum goal of one per week, which I believe I can manage without too much discomfort. If I had to support myself, of course, that wouldn't do it.

FloridaMike does support himself writing; I'll pm & ask him what kind of schedule he works on. Here's the catch -- if he's putting in long hours, getting back to me at CF may not be a priority. cb

 

[Westvleteren]

FloridaMike does support himself writing; I'll pm & ask him what kind of schedule he works on. Here's the catch -- if he's putting in long hours, getting back to me at CF may not be a priority.

I've always found it hard to measure myself against people who are supporting themselves writing. You can't put in long hours writing until you can quit your day job; but you can't quit your day job until you put in long hours writing...

Ergh. In the meantime, we write when we can and hope inspiration strikes between cleaning up the supper dishes and falling asleep on the keyboard.

 

[ConstanceB]

I've always found it hard to measure myself against people who are supporting themselves writing. You can't put in long hours writing until you can quit your day job; but you can't quit your day job until you put in long hours writing...

Ergh. In the meantime, we write when we can and hope inspiration strikes between cleaning up the supper dishes and falling asleep on the keyboard.

The age-old conundrum: If you have the money, you don't have the time; the cost for having time, at least for the majority, is not having income. I was frustrated when I returned to college as a wife, mother of three, and full-time worker. And a large frustration was lacking time to write. A wonderful mentor posed the question: "Who told you that you must produce when you're still preparing?" That question has carried me through a few tough times. cb

 

[Everglaze]

It depends on the mood and time...

I'm nowhere NEARly as good as novelists...so novels are out of the question. However, I can write short stories forever...

Mostly, my stories are medium-length though...and I finish them in just a couple of hours after thinking up the storyline, plot, settings and characters in my mind for a few days. There's this "core" that just triggers me to write and when I do, all the ideas just flow together well.

For example, if I feel like writing a full story today...I will if I just know what I want to write about. When it comes to Chapters...I can finish writing one in one day...all I do is pre-plan it all out in point-form and then I write each point in elaborative sequence.

 

[GodFlute2]

I can't recall setting limits like that, but I may have. Either way, I don't any more.

 

[FireKame]

I attempt to set goals. I tried NaNoWriMo, got behind a week in and dropped it. Then I tried to finish the first 'book' of my 'series' by this next May 9th, but that's falling apart due to plot holes. I figure if I submit one thing a month on my deviant art account I'm in good shape.

 

[Lyle]

Goal setting is so important to good wriitng. In order to become a good writer you must first train yourself to sit down and actually write for a given period of time. When I started, exactly two years ago, i shot for 200 words a day. Now i esily sit down and write over 1000 words an hour, but it took like to work up.

 

[Lycana]

My writing comes in spurts, but I actually try to write something everyday. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood, and I find I have to back away from it for a little while. But I always come back to it.

 

[JesseRaymondBassett]

My goal is to have my novel done by mid-August. I hope and pray I make it. I'm on Chapter Two!

 

[Nikoel]

My goal is to write every day. I don't have a limit set (although I'm thinking about 200 now!!)

I am working on a novel, however I only work on it when I'm inspired too! Otherwise I just write, be it a journal entry or a prompt from www.writersdigest.com I try to write every day!

 

[mdhislaer]

I try to write a page or edit 5 a day.

 

[heron]

You might also err in writing too much. If you have a drive to work until it's done, then recognize that you will continue this drive as more ideas come up...and your projects will never be done. Don't be hard on yourself.

I found that some of the basic Christian life principles put practical reigns on the project.

1. Fasting for me means not falling asleep to the television, or listening to the radio during the day, but keeping my head clear of all input so I can hear, think my stories through, and process ideas.

2. Sabbath for my writing is not about Sundays, but forcing myself to take a healthy break once in a while.

3. Tithing is not necessarily money, but giving my time to someone else's ventures. It energizes me to see progress that's not all in my hands. And before I start a project, I take at least a day to write freebies on the web--a first fruits kind of gift.

The problem can be about patience as much as it is about diligence. Make sure you're still living the life you need to while you're writing about how it should be done.

 

[Blessed-one]

The problem can be about patience as much as it is about diligence.

amen, heron. I suppose for someone as lazy as me though, setting a limit is a good way of keeping a habit. It works differently for different individual.

I agree with Westvleteren -- my aims and goals for writing are like New Year's Resolutions, especially if I plan to write every day. (I don't "pace myself" well -- a character flaw, I'm told, but in writing, it presents as #1, write until I fall over, then #2, sleep until the seasons change.) When I first was off work, I determined I would write a book for precocious adolescents, i.e., 7th or 8th grade "gifted" students. My goal was to finish a quality novel and have submitted it within one year. The long-term goal worked for my work capabilities at that time. As it turns out, it was returned without even a letter and I've been "letting it sit" for, oh, five years now. (See what I mean?)

My new thing is to target three magazines with an audience I understand, all of which will publish & pay $15 or $25 for a short item. I have set a minimum goal of one per week, which I believe I can manage without too much discomfort. If I had to support myself, of course, that wouldn't do it.

hey Constance, have you thought of submitting to online magazines? I don't think online ones are dodgy as long as you've done your research right. They have guideline for submission just like everybody else. And get your work critiqued in the polishing stage, but i'm sure you've done it already as a person knowledgeable in the industry.

 

[jesusfreak10537]

I never set a goal. My writing depends on if I get an inspiration that day or not. I am rather sporadic in my writing, but my novel is coming along at very fast clip.

 

[Russ The Fuzz]

I'm not a writer, so I don't set myself a goal, but even if I have a permanent job in the future, I don't think I'll set a goal for myself, we have managers to do that.... deadline, you know