It’s still January, and I’m still pulling my 2013 goals together. But I have quite a few writing-related ones that I’d like to share.
If I make them public, I’ll be more accountable to accomplishing them. They are are doable, I haven’t figured out a WIG (wildly improbably goal) like Diane has, but I’ll get there.
For now, my writing goals include:
- Query at least 12 magazines (regional and national) for articles
- Continue writing for my favorite regional magazine, NH ToDo
- Post at least every other week on this blog
- Double my business writing (white papers, case studies, ghost blogging, etc.)
- Participate in an every-other-week critique group for my fiction
- Submit to at least 6 short story contests
- Submit to at least 6 anthologies
- Create e-books for writers and small businesses
- Journal daily
As you can see, not every point is specific (yet), but I’m getting there.
I also plan to read 1 non-fiction book per month – business related or for personal development.
I have more goals, but I’m still figuring them out.
The title of this post include gratitude, and I just want to say thank you to you for reading. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share a part of my writing life with you and hope you find snippets of inspiration that you can adapt into your own writing life.
A freelance writing life is absolutely possible if you want it enough.
Lisa J. Jackson is a New England-region journalist and a year-round chocolate and iced coffee lover. She loves working with words, and helping others with their own. As Lisa Haselton, she writes fiction, co-blogs about mystery-related writing topics at Pen, Ink, and Crimes, has an award-winning blog for book reviews and author interviews, and is a chat moderator at The Writer’s Chatroom. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.
Live to Write - Write to Live 
Good Luck with your writing goals I am sure you will stay motivated 🙂
Especially if you spend a few days writing in your pj’s we have the best works uniform !
Inspirational blog, I will keep reading to keep me on top of things too
Victoria xx
Thank you, Victoria. I’m feeling inspired and like that I’ve told people. 🙂
Yes definatly another year a fresh start , as long as we are positive we should get it back somewhere along the way hey 🙂
That’s the plan anyway !!
Victoria xx
And it’s a good plan!
Ha Ha Yes definatly 🙂
Impressive list. I’m sure you will make it happen! I’m not doing a list for 2013 but have decided to set small goals each week. That way I can feel satisfaction from what I’ve done immediately without feeling overwhelmed. If I don’t meet a weekly goal that can carry over and get tackled the next week.
By the end of the year I will have a list of accomplishments rather than a list of what I didn’t accomplish.
To-may-to, o-mah-to… 🙂
Laura, keeping track of accomplishments works wonders, too. I had a post on that a few weeks ago (success journal). It’s amazing how motivated you feel after you see what you’ve already done!
oops, I meant To-mah-to!
Thank you for your list. It inspires me to write my own and declare them!
Oh, good! Go for it! 🙂
Brava! I, too, posted my (much less prolific) writing goals in hopes of action and accountability. I think that I may adopt yours – I really need to start mailing things out more and especially have to find a workshop. So, here’s to a year of achievement, of getting work read and out there! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
spokesandpetals.wordpress.com
Adopt away. 🙂 Sending/submitting has been a lacking activity for me, so I *will* do some this year!
Hoorah! If nothing else we can get some rejection letters to wallpaper the bathroom in 🙂
rejections slips and acceptance letters are proof we’re working at our craft 🙂
Haha, exactly.
Lisa – i see some common goals. Where do you look for anthologies and short story contests to submit your work to? I seem to find that a challenging part of my 2013 goals process. Good luck as you lay out your goals. i hope you can surpass them and reset your goals in a few months!
Hi Joe – various places. I write mysteries and dark fiction,, so seek those out, and there’s a NH-based anthology I’d like to get into this year. Different keyword searches in bing or google usually work, or I see calls for submissions through various writing groups (like yahoo groups) that I belong to. Does that help?
It does. i need to go to Yahoo and look at the groups again.
I share #3 n the last goal with you. All the best !
Very good goals…incremental, and realistic. I wish you all the best in them and look forward to reading of your successes 🙂
thanks, Julie! 🙂
Great idea to share your goals, Lisa. I think it helps to have specific deadlines, like, “I will query Rolling Stone by January, 31, Martha Stewart Living by February 22…”
Best wishes on reaching all of your goals!
thank you, Deb. I do have to get *that* specific with each goal – and I will – soon!
Oh boy that’s quite a list!! I wish you luck sincerely and lots of success. At the moment it is all i can do to blog!
thanks 🙂 And I can relate to only writing on one venue at a time, it can be overwhelming!