#writing goals

[defnotmadie]

the one thing i want to be able to do as a writer is make people come back to something ive written. i want that piece of text to haunt them, i want their thoughts to be briefly consumed by this. i want this to be something they remember long after its time. thats the one thing i want to do

[starchilddante]

It is now my personal goal as a writer to create queer stories for all the major stereotypes

Like come on, how have we not had a gay Christmas romance? (I'd sure as hell watch cheesy hallmark Christmas movies if they were gay lmao)

Or a cliche coffee shop meeting between two lesbians?

Or two aroace royalty in an arranged marriage trying so hard for a romance to please the other until they're like oh, dang, we just realized the other is aroace, let's rule this kingdom as best friends instead

Or a transgender princess/prince who is so insecure but turns out their fairy tale lover adores them as they are?

We get the same cliches reprinted over and over with straight cisgender people and while that's fine I want to see diversity in those cliches

I want to see queer normalized

I want in every crevice, every niche because it belongs

Because we belong.

That's my dream as a writer.

[thegodsaredead]

Reblog with your writing goals for the new year!

mine is to finish the first draft of my first novel ^^

[novlr]

Set achievable writing goals

If you set yourself a writing goal, always make sure that it’s achievable.

Choosing a goal that’s unattainable sets you up for failure. Making it achievable means you’ll always have a sense of accomplishment to keep you motivated.

[the-modern-typewriter]

2024 goals; get better at writing and incorporating description! Anyone got any tips?

And I also want to take another writing course, if anyone has any non-beginner course recommendations?

[nanowrimo]

How to Set Realistic NaNoWriMo Goals

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Dabble, a 2023 NaNoWriMo sponsor, is a tool specifically designed for fiction novelists. Today, Dabbler Robert Smith shares a few tips to help you set daily writing goals that will work for you:

November looms, and with it the thrilling, harrowing, and sometimes carb-loaded journey of National Novel Writing Month. As we tie our writer's capes and ready ourselves for a month of intense creation, there's a small matter we need to address: our writing goals.

The Weight of 50,000 Words

Setting goals for NaNoWriMo is like setting a pace for a marathon. You wouldn't expect to sprint a marathon. The same goes for writing. If you try to sprint through, chances are you'll burn out faster than a candle in a windstorm.

However, only doing the minimum can leave you in a precarious position. Because if something comes up—and something always comes up—you’re suddenly behind on your goal, and that can really hurt morale.

So here are some goal setting tips to crush NaNoWriMo this year:

1. Start off strong, so you can end strong.

There is a simple fact about motivation. It starts strong and wanes with time. 

Now to be honest, you won’t be able to write a book with motivation alone. It requires a lot of discipline, and you’ll have to write even when you don’t feel like it.

But a great way to get the most out of that early motivation is to channel it into higher early output.

We all know that 50,000 words split over 30 days is 1667 words a day. But authors who win NaNoWriMo often don’t start there. They shoot for 2,500-3,000 words a day in the first week. That way they build up a buffer for the later weeks where motivation isn’t as high.

Plus, it gives them great forward momentum on their project. So consider setting higher goals early and taking advantage of your early NaNo fervor.

2. Account for daily life.

Even if you've cleared your calendar for November, life has a knack for throwing curveballs. 

Kids get sick. Work projects pop up. You know what I mean. If your word count goal is teetering on the edge of feasibility, any small disturbance can throw it off. 

To combat this, make plans and backup plans. Schedule your writing time around family gatherings. Plan what happens if you miss a day. Set yourself up for success before those situations arise.

3. Use the buddy system.

Find a writing buddy to be accountable to. It could be a friend participating in NaNoWriMo, or even someone you connect with in the NaNo community. 

Check in with each other daily. Celebrate your wins, commiserate over the tricky bits, and hold each other accountable. 

Sometimes, knowing someone else is in the trenches with you can be incredibly motivating.

4. Have weekly check-ins.

Instead of focusing solely on daily targets, also have a weekly goal. This gives you a broader view and allows for some flexibility. If you have a slower day, you can make up for it later in the week without feeling like you've thrown the entire month off course.

5. Actually track your goals.

Obviously, you need to track your goals, but there are multiple ways to do it.

Dabble integrates with NaNoWriMo, so you don’t have to manually submit your word count. And if you fall behind a bit, Dabble will automatically adjust your daily goal accordingly to keep you on track.

But even if you’re just marking off your goals on a napkin at your desk, tracking your progress will help you stay the course to victory.

Now go forth, share your stories, and remember: it's not all about the word count; it's about the words that count.

All NaNoWriMo participants can use the discount code  NANOWRI2023 for 20% off 1 year of Dabble! Offer expires January 31, 2024.

Robert Smith is a Dabbling Writer, and a Writing Dabbler. He likes playing board games with his wife, and deconstructing plots from movies in his spare time.

Top Photo by Isaac Smith on Unsplash.

[girlfromthecrypt]

Soooo I just sent a tumblr ask to my favorite IF author of all time which I didn't dare to for a long time because they're too impressive for me buuuut now it's done and you can watch me be super nervous as I wait and hope for them to see it

I, I don't know it was prolly stupid anyway

I umm

I don't wanna waste their time but their writing is so cool I can't

I'm already regretting this I should have asked anonymously WHY DIDN'T I ASK ANONYMOUSLY

[jacquelynlscott]

🥉 Three Elements for Writing the Setting of Your Story

🔑 The setting of a story is where and when your book happens. Your book setting is important because almost everything your character does will be affected by when and where they do them.

The three elements for how to write your story setting are time, location, and environment.

⌛ Time

Time is the when of your story. When thinking about your book, consider these when’s:

📅 What year? Your time period affects everything about your character. What clothes they wear, the technology and language they use, and their ability to move and interact in the world. A person in 1700 Europe isn’t going to use a cell phone to call someone, just like a person in 2023 United States isn’t going to speak Middle English.

🍁 What time of year? Is it winter, spring, summer, or fall? A character living in a Canadian winter isn’t going to spend time outdoors in a t-shirt and shorts. A person visiting Arizona in the middle of summer likely isn’t going to walk around in a jacket and jeans, no matter how stylish.

⌚ What time of day? This is more significant for scenes than the book as a whole. You can use the time of day to create a particular mood, such as nighttime for a feeling of danger or mystery. You should also consider the time of day for what your character is about to do. For example, someone likely isn’t going jewelry heisting at noon on a Monday.

⏳ Is time passing? Pay attention to how time is unfolding throughout your scenes and story as a whole. You have to account for any time that passes between scenes, when characters travel, or when you insert a flashback. Make sure your reader knows when your scene is happening, or they’ll be lost.

🗺️ Location

The location of your story is as broad as the country and region and as specific as the neighborhood or house. Like the time period, the location of your setting will affect your characters in all aspects of their lives: what they wear, how they speak, if they walk or drive or take the bus, etc.

If your book is fantasy, you will need to do some very detailed world-building work. A fantastic resource for this is The World Building Leviathan from Kittyspace.

🌲 Environment

The environment of your manuscript includes the physical world and social, political, and cultural influences of the time and location.

Take into consideration the environment’s climate and how it impacts your characters. For example, a character living in the tropics will have a vastly different life than someone living in the mountains of North Carolina.

What is the cultural, political, and social environment like in your character’s time period and hometown? These aspects can impact what your character believes in and the different values they hold dear. Societal norms vary across time and place, and it will take a lot of research to make sure you’re getting it right.

🙅‍♀️ Setting Don’ts

Newer authors often think they need a lot of exposition about the setting up front. This is called a “data dump,” and they are often very difficult to read. You don’t want to bore your readers with a lot of information about your world upfront. Rather, allow your setting to reveal itself slowly, either through your character or short bits of exposition throughout.

If you’re writing a fantasy or historical novel, avoid treating everyday objects as novelties. Even if that object is unique to you, it would not be unique to your character. If something is supposed to be ordinary to your character, treat it like it’s ordinary.

Check out jacquelynlscott.com for a free downloadable setting worksheet to help you think through the setting of your book or scene.

[sailorshadzter]

stay.

shout out to this piece because i've officially cracked 900k words on ao3!

my goal was to hit 1mil words by the end of this year, which feels pretty daunting now considering its december 1st tomorrow lol. but we'll see how the month goes :)

He knows better than to take this path.

Yet, there he walks, his feet taking him the ever familiar pathway to her rooms, and he finds himself standing outside her door. From within he hears her muffled voice, perhaps singing to herself, perhaps singing to Ghost, a thought that warms him from his head down to his toes. A shaking breath escapes him and he raises his hand, knocking three times, his usual, she would know it to be him without even opening the door. Her voice silences and from behind the wood he hears shuffling, her footsteps, then the door swings open and she stands there in her dark gray gown of wool, red hair hanging down her back, the pins already pulled free. “Jon,” she says his name softly, blue eyes widening ever so slightly. But she takes a step back, allowing him entry, the door falling closed behind him.

Just as he’d thought, Ghost sits on the rug before the hearth, his tail thumping a greeting before he lays down, head to his paws, red eyes falling closed. “I thought you might be in bed,” Jon admits, turning his gaze from his wolf and back to her, finding she’s already looking right at him. “It is late.” The hour is so late that many of the candles that burn in the corridors have dwindled to little more than puddles of wax. 

She tilts her head, doing her best to keep her face passive as she stares back at the man she feels like she doesn’t even know anymore. Her mind turns back to their argument from earlier that day- did you bend the knee for the North, or because you love her? Have you no faith in me at all? She swallows, shaking her head. “No, I’m not all that tired,” she says finally, the silence between them palpable. “And I thought you might be with her.” She silently curses at herself for mentioning the dragon queen, but jealousy once again gets the best of her.

Surprisingly, Jon does not flinch, rather he shakes his head. 

“I always come to bid you goodnight.” Is all he says, simply, perhaps even defeatedly. 

Now her heart twists, her stomach sinking to her knees. 

“You do,” she responds softly, hands curling into fists at her sides. She can’t really explain why things have become so difficult between them… Except… The dragon queen’s beautiful face flashes in her mind and she sighs, knowing that it’s no more than jealousy on her part. Of course Jon was to fall in love with a woman, a beautiful queen no less. She can’t blame him for that, surely? Yet… She’s angry with him for it. “Jon, I…” His name is still so sweet upon her lips and she wonders why they can’t just fall back into what it was before he left for Dragonstone. But perhaps that was because if he loved another, they could never have back what they had before. 

Yet, he could never have loved her in such a way, being her brother and all. Such an idea was sick, was twisted, a thought that makes her no better than a Lannister. “You don’t have to say anything, Sansa,” he says next, interrupting her whirling mind. “I was wrong,” he goes on, quieter now, taking a single step closer to where she stands. “For not telling you the truth right away.” Her eyes widen with silent surprise, a perfectly sculpted brow arching with the question she doesn’t even have to ask. “I thought I might shoulder the burden of it all alone.” He had thought, in order to keep her and the North safe, that he would tell no one of his plans. But then, Bran had found him after their fight that morning and everything changed. There would be no hiding things from Bran and it was his encouragement that sent him to her rooms tonight, simply so he could be honest with her. And now that he thinks about it, he knows he should have told her it all from the very beginning. 

“We’re family, Jon. You never have to do anything alone.” She speaks passionately, reaching out for him- as always, she’s the one to reach for him. Her hand takes hold of his and squeezes, reminding him of those nights so long ago when she’d climb into bed with him after a nightmare, the feel of her hand grasping his in the darkness, the scent of her freshly washed hair against his pillow. “You can trust me.” 

Of course he can, there’s no one he trusts more in this world. 

Without another word, she draws him across the room, to take a seat at her small table, she sitting just across from him in the opposite chair. He wonders, just for a moment, who had sat across from her like this while he’d been away. “She must think we’re on her side, at least for now.” Jon says softly, as if anyone in the castle could be listening. “I can’t say what will happen after the Night King, but until then, she must be our ally.” Sansa nods, listening, thinking, deciding. “We can’t win this without her.” Another nod and she’s still holding his hand. 

“She’ll expect us to ride South for her,” Sansa predicts and Jon nods, a thought he’s had himself. 

“Aye, but we can’t worry about that now.” Right now, all that mattered was if they would come through alive after the fight with the Night King. “I missed you,” he says next, surprising her once more, but in an entirely different way. “Every day and every night that I was gone, I missed you.” He isn’t certain where the courage comes to say these things, but somehow, this moment feels right to speak the other truth he’s kept inside. This time, he is the one to give her hand a tender squeeze. 

“I missed you as well,” she says softly, slowly, blue eyes dark and damp.

Jon swallows, uncertainty between them, a feeling of what could be, what should be, but she’s smiling then, a beautiful sight. It gives him hope he’s not had in all the time he’s been away from her. “I should go…” He says quietly, knowing the hour was late, she needed rest, she needed sleep. But her hand keeps him in his place, shaking her head.

 “Stay,” she urges, a simple request. 

One which he’ll readily give into. 

One which he’s always longed to hear.

[colubrina]

July Reading/Writing Goals

Read a book

Finish that Dark Angel fic chapter

Maybe write a short story

Write something (even if only a single word) every day

[writingwithfolklore]

Throw Out Your Daily Word Count Goal

                (Unless it works for you, of course.) But I’m beginning to realize that having a daily word count goal is really unhelpful for me. The main reason why is that I either shudder over the challenge and stall out and don’t write at all. OR, I get on a good roll, write my goal, and then stop myself there so that I can theoretically “pick up” on it again the next day and have another easy writing day. Then, the next day the words just aren't there like they were before--or I've forgotten where exactly I was going on said roll.

                Either way, it just wasn't working for me.

                Of course, word count goals can allow you to just get words onto the page when you wouldn’t have otherwise—and if you find it helpful, you should absolutely continue to use it.

                For me, what I’m finding way more beneficial is to let myself off the hook more. Instead, my goal is to write at least five days a week. It counts if it’s five words, it counts if it’s 2000, it counts if it’s just editing the last chapter I just did. I get two days off if I need it to recharge/read/step away from the project for a bit, but there’s limited pressure.

                Instead, the ‘pressure’ (or rather, motivation) comes from having a writing buddy to follow the project through. This is another thing that’s not going to work for everyone, but I need someone to be reading my work throughout. My writing buddies give me feedback, ask questions, but most importantly, create a sense of ‘responsibility’. I have someone to write to—a reason to finish the chapter.

                The best writing goal is the one that gets you to write, and to enjoy it while you do it. What kind of goals do you guys set that work for you?

[ettawritesnstudies]

February goals 2024

This was a really busy month for me! I traveled two weekends for family events, battling bad weather both ways, celebrated my birthday and anniversary, and though I don’t share any of my personal goals on this list, there were a number of time-intensive items on February’s roster as well. I’m pretty tired, but incredibly satisfied with how much I’ve accomplished this month, and I’m looking…

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

[theboarsbride]

2024 writing goals🤭✍💛

[lionofchaeronea]

One of my chief goals for 2024 is to write the historical novel I've long contemplated. This may sound frivolous, but I'm genuinely determined to make it happen. I have all this knowledge bouncing around in my head, and I want to put it to good use.

[novlr]

Set achievable goals

When making writing goals, focus on specific, achievable goals. Rather than resolving to "write more" or "improve your writing," try setting a goal to complete a certain number of words, or to complete a full edit.

Having a specific goal in mind will help you stay motivated and on track as you work towards improving your craft.

[home-ward]

🕯️: nighttime writing, daytime outfits