In less than two months, it will be 2013. Now is the time to set some goals for the new year.

First, take an honest look at what you’ve accomplished in 2012, both in your writing skills and your writing business (marketing).

With that answer in front of you (in writing), answer this: how will you get from where you are to where you want to be?

Get It In Writing

In “writing life” workshops, I’ve used an exercise to help you get to where you want to be. I recommend buying a spiral notebook for these exercises. You want a place to keep your notes and ideas about your goals.

Allow yourself two or three hours to work on these three exercises. Do them alone, or with your writing group. I work on something similar every December as I think ahead to the coming year.

1) Honestly assess where you are in your writing and illustrating career. Consider and answer these questions in writing.

• How many hours per week do you actually practice your craft? (Use a timer.)
• How many books/stories/articles do you read in an average month (of the type you want to write)?
• How many queries per month do you send out, if you’re a nonfiction writer?
• Do you have a daily writing practice of some kind, such as journaling or writing exercises from a list of prompts?

2) Visualize (and write down in great detail) your ideal writing life. Describe a perfect writing routine, the physical writing environment of your dreams, your image of wonderful family support, etc. We all have an ideal image in our minds of the perfect writing life. Write it down. (Mine involves such things as porch swings, hot chocolate, journaling, and reading Jane Austen on breaks.)

3) List three things you would attempt to write if you knew you could not fail. Image yourself in your ideal writing life. There are no risks here, no rejections, no bad reviews or bad writing days. If you knew everything you’d write would sell, what kind of writing would bring you satisfaction and fulfillment? Dream bigger than you’ve ever allowed yourself to dream before.

An old adage says “plan your work, and work your plan.” That’s especially appropriate for goal-setting. Don’t wait until New Year’s Day to get goals. Plan for success in 2013 NOW.

 

[P.S. If this post sounded familiar, it is. I’ve got some kind of bug, so this is a repeat from two years ago. It’s still good advice for this time of year! I follow this plan yearly, and each year my writing life is getting closer to my dream described in Step 2. It works!]