Keep Your Writing Goals Front and Center

By Karen Cioffi

As a writer, you have to move forward to keep up with the onslaught of books and authors in the book publishing arena. And, you especially need to be sure you're keeping in alignment with your writing goals. This means every now and then you need to stop to evaluate what your core goals are and if you’re actually heading in that direction.

Every marketer will tell you that the beginning of each year you need to create a list of core or major goals. It's important to make your goals realistic and obtainable, and not to burden yourself with too many goals.

Three is a good number of writing goals, not too few, not too many. Then under each goal you can list a few tasks that will you will do on a daily or weekly basis to help you reach your objectives.

In addition to creating and typing your goals down in a document, they need to be printed and kept visible. It's important to put them somewhere you'll be sure to notice on a daily basis. You might put your list on your computer, inside your laptop case, on top of your daily planner, on the inside of a kitchen cabinet you open everyday.

You get the idea, your writing goals need to be visible each and every day. Not just visible though, they need to be read each and every day.

Why is it important to keep your writing goals front and center?

Here's another question to help answer that question: Did you ever hear the expression, ‘Out of sight, out of mind?’

That's your answer.

On January 1st of 'any year,' you may tell yourself, and maybe even write it down, that you will:

1. Write a minimum of five pages of your new book each week
2. Effectively market your published books
3. Submit articles to three paying magazines on a monthly basis

Okay, that's great. But, suppose it's now July and you haven't even written 10 pages of your new book, and you haven't gone past the very basics of promoting your published books.

What happened to your writing goals?

Easy. You didn’t keep your goals list front and center, so you got sidetracked.

While you may have had the best of intentions on January 1st, without keeping those writing goals visible, it’s difficult to stay on course.

Maybe you decided to add the writing of unrelated ebooks to your workload. Maybe you decided to do book reviews and started a critique group of your own. Maybe you devoted too much time to social networking and your online groups.

These additions may not necessarily be a bad thing, but before you continue on, ask yourself three questions:

1. Are these additions to your workload moving you in the direction of your major writing goals?
2. Are they actually keeping you from attaining your goals?
3. Are they providing some kind of income?

If your answers to these questions are NO, YES, NO, then you need to step back, redirect your steps, and get back on track. If you keep your writing goals front and center, you’ll be amazed at how you automatically work toward achieving them.

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Writer’s Block is a Myth

by Robert Medak


Writers talk about Writer’s Block, it is just a term and nothing more.

Some writers may disagree with me. Writer's block occurs because the writer hasn’t paid enough attention to their research, or has a clear conception of their writing project. Before tackling any writing task, it is necessary to have a clear concept of what they are writing, albeit a story, and article, a synopsis, or pitch.

My favorite quote, which I use as part of my e-mail signature, is by Mark Twain that speaks volumes to me is, "The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say."

Before beginning any writing project, the writer should take the time to gather their thoughts about what it is they wish to accomplish with their writing project. This may be a difficult concept for some writers to comprehend, especially the beginning or unpublished writer.

There are different types of writers. I for one am a seat of the pants writer. Writing for me is to have a clear concept of what I want to say, than say it the best way possible for the reader to have a clear idea of what I am saying. I want to engage the reader and offer information that may help them in articles I write.

The bottom line is to have a clear idea of what you are writing, get it written down, then edit it or have someone you trust edit the work for you.

Related articles

• Wishing for Writer's Block (valerieraynerants.wordpress.com)
• Getting Past Your Writer's Block (boldstate.com)
• Writer's Block? No Problem! (coolcatnebula.com)

The Monday blues: Head in the Clouds syndrome: Tuesday Trivia: Wednesday Woes

by Ginger Nielson

They are all related in a way, those categories.  There are most likely several more you could add. They approach each other in varying degrees until they mesh and you and get on with your day of, writing, painting, wringing of your hands, and trying not to focus on things left undone.

One of the great mysteries of life is simply life itself. How do we fit into one lifetime all the things we know we want to do, the things we think we can do and the things

we are desperate to try but have not the energy, physical strength or time to attempt. What happens to the things we HAVE done but have become such faded memories that they fade slowly and inevitably into the past.

There is a secret here that is really no secret at all.  WRITE!  SKETCH!

You may not be planning the next great novel.   You may not be appearing on the Today Show with a silver or gold sticker on your newest book.  You may not be signing endless copies of your most recently published work.   On some level, however, you have it in you to create something wonderful from your writing.

Keep a journal. Write in it every day.  Sketching is a plus.  Then go back and read what you have written in a year or two or even the next week.  Sometimes you can surprise yourself. At times you will find wisdom for the days ahead in what lies in your past.

If for no other reason, your journal can revive some memories that would be lost forever if they were not documented.

If you are a writer or an aspiring writer, this journal of your thoughts, fears, ambitions and creative ideas will serve you well in your future endeavors.

Artists keep their sketch books.  These are another kind of journal of the everyday and the sometimes unique images that generate new ideas from older ones.

Every note, every sketch has value.  Not only is it part of you as a writer or an artist, but it is a valuable tool in your future. 

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