Monday, August 1, 2016

Writing Goals For This Month



I'm not at all sure where July went. It slid by so fast that I cannot believe that 31 days ago we were looking forward to celebrating July 4th with barbecues, fireworks, and being with family and friends. But there it is--July come and gone.

Today, we say hello to August, the final summer month for those in our northern hemisphere. It's back to school time for many, a final vacation time for others. It's also a new beginning for writers.

I love new beginnings. If I didn't accomplish all my writing goals during July, I can start the list for this next 31 days with the unfinished ones. I will also add a few more. Each time the calendar tells me it is the first day of a new month, I feel exhilarated. It's like opening the first page of a book you will read. You know there is something good ahead and you're eager to get started.

What are my writing goals for August 2016?
  • to check deadline dates for Chicken Soup for the Soul books
  • to work on an ebook I hope to publish someday
  • to do 2 subs and 4 crits at my online group
  • to continue working on a personal essay about trains
  • to get my computer/printer incompatibility problems solved
  • to write the first draft of a poem that has been swirling in my head
That's six tasks for me to accomplish, a bit more than one per week. That's enough. Too many writers make up such a long list of goals for the month that they feel overwhelmed before they begin. Make your goals realistic. Make them possible. Make most of them attractive--you want them to call out to you. No doubt there will be one or two that you dread tackling. Most likely, when you accomplish those unattractive ones, you'll feel the most satisfied. Nobody ever said that every part of being a writer is super wonderful, did they? 

Take some time today to list your goals for August 2016. Then pick one and start working on it.





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