Goal Setting: The Difference Between Push Goals and Pull Goals

Earlier this week, I read an interesting piece at Make a Living Writing on motivation and goal setting. What? Why am I talking about goal setting in September? Couldn’t I just leave this alone until December 30th? I could, but Marcia egged me on when she wrote about rebooting your writing life.

A few days ago, I posted a message to my accountability group. (Hi, Ladies!) As I was doing this I noticed, I hadn’t even bothered to post about goals in months. I’ve just been toodling along, doing my own thing. 

Some of this toodling was very much writing related. I took Madeline Dyer’s class and learned about narrative structure. I wrote a new piece of auto fiction. I’ve drafted two new picture book manuscripts, one of which is so close to being finished. But I haven’t looked at my goals in months. 

You’ll find other posts here about writing goals. We’ve discussed how to set SMART goals and the need to periodically reevaluate our goals. As I read about push goals vs pull goals, I found myself evaluating my goals. 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the terms, push goals are external. If you have to push yourself to meet a goal, that’s most likely a push goal. They tend to be a lot of work and can feel forced. You set these goals because you feel that you should and many of them have to do with perfecting yourself. “If I could just lose weight, I would be the perfect size.” “If I wrote a NYT best selling novel, I would be the perfect writer.” Whatever. 

Pull goals are more internal. Think of these goals as the carrot vs the stick. These goals don’t feel like as much work because you are passionate about something. 

In the piece at Make a Living Writing, Carol Tice includes a potential list of pull goals. What are the carrots that will tempt you forward? There are all kinds of possibilities. You can reward yourself with time off work to spend with your family when you get something done. You can engage in retail therapy. A vacation might be in the cards if you earn enough to pay for it. Or you might simply reward yourself with a trip to your favorite bookstore. 

You can also use your writing as a pull goal. You want to work on your memoir or your novel or a group of poems. Setting a goal to work on items like these will pull you forward. This is the writing you are passionate about. 

You need to make a living. If you are lucky enough to do that with your writing, you may need to set some push goals. These might involve updating your website, finishing a contracted job, or querying. 

As with so many things in life, the key is balance. You’ll probably need a combination of push goals and pull goals. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to combine a few – signing a contract to write about something that fascinates you. 

 --SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 35 books for young readers.  To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.

The next session of her new course, Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work will begin on September 4, 2022).  Coping with rejection is one of the topics she will cover in this course.

Sue is also the instructor for  Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins September 4, 2022) and Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins September 4, 2022). 

Read More »

4 comments accomplishing goals, goals, pull goals, push goals, setting goals, writing goals

Setting Goals in 2022

I’m an idea person. It might take me a moment to get started, but ask me for ideas for a blog post, a picture book, or a series and soon I’ll have a column of ideas on the page. They won’t all be great, but they will be many. 

I have a similar problem when it comes time to set goals or resolutions for the coming year. I’m going to finish a novel, a graphic novel, and a memoir. I’ll submit my work to two agents a week and . . . on and on, I go. 

I’m not denying the importance of goals, but they have to be goals that work for you. We are each wired differently.  We each have different circumstances.

Me? I’m a full time writer. I write work-for-hire for the educational market. This means that I work under contract for up to three months and then . . . nothing. That nothing might be for a day, a week, or a solid month, but the work will come again and when it does come there is usually a lot of it.  My goals go by the wayside.

So I’ve decided that this year I’m going to attempt smaller goals. This month, I have four. 

1. I am taking Melanie Faith’s class on writing graphic novels. You can find information on that WOW class here. It starts on the 14th. 
2. I’m taking part in Storystorm, generating 30 picture book ideas in 31 days. So far I have 6 ideas in my notebook and probably another four or five that I’ve e-mailed to myself. 
3. I’m working on an educational series pitch for Kane Press. This is in the early stages. I’m currently reading their books and looking at what other publishers have done. 
4. I’m writing Act 3 of my middle grade novel, tracking my word count on NaNoWriMo. You can set up a project any time which means that you can work for a week or three months. You also set your word count goal and the program helps keep track of your progress. 

I have to tell you, stopping at four goals was tough. Why? Because I could also submit to two agents and send in my resume to two more educational publishers. I could finish cleaning off an organizing the bookshelves in my office. I need to work on my mystery. Those picture book ideas will need drafting, and… Once the ideas start to flow, they flow.

I may be a goal oriented person, but if the list is too long, I know I won’t be able to get it done before another assignment comes along. Smaller goals are more manageable for me and the way that I work. 

What works best for you? 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 30 books for young readers.  To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.

The next session of her new course, Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work will begin on February 6, 2022).  Coping with rejection is one of the topics she will cover in this course.

Sue is also the instructor for  Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins February 6, 2022) and Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins February 6, 2022). 

Read More »

5 comments goals, idea generation, meeting goals, setting goals, Sue Bradford Edwards, writing goals

Can You or Can't You?

 Hello December!

As a musician, farmer, and mother of six, the month of December is filled with concerts, appointments, schedule changes, and lots of busy-ness. It is also a time of great reflection and anticipation of the new year. This month in particular seems to fly by (which reminds me, I need to order a planner for 2022 for my desk at work). Today I'm reflecting on the challenges 2021 brought for our children. One child in particular comes to mind as she started her freshman year of highschool in September. During a recent parent teacher conference, her teacher mentioned "she needs to be kinder and gentler to herself and stop saying she is stupid". I of course agreed, yet how often in my own life have I spoken negatively to myself? I think we all have a tendency to use negative self talk and be incredibly hard on ourselves. 

I mentioned to my daughter that her swimming coach had mentioned something similar in context of her swimming mentality. She would say: "today probably isn't going to be my best day for breast stroke" instead of cheering herself on with positive affirmations and thoughts of setting a new personal record. I've requested my daughter pick up a copy of the audible book I'm currently enjoying titled:  The High Five Habit . We had a great conversation about being our own cheerleaders but how we are blessed with a large family and the opportunity to not only cheer ourselves on, but to cheer on our siblings as well! Connecting with a teenage daughter (at least in my experience) is somewhat hit or miss. We ended the conversation on a high note and went on with our days.

This morning on my way between jobs our youngest was watching the movie Boss Baby in the vehicle while I was driving (and before you gasp ... I had once thought 'I'll never be the mom who lets kids watch a movie in the car - I want to talk to the little angels and not have them engrossed in television'... 6 children later and my parenting approach is much different...gasp and judge away). If you aren't familiar with the movie, it's fine because I haven't actually seen it, but I can hear the audio while driving and something caught my ear as I heard an old Henry Ford quote:

"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right!"

Once I got the youngest dropped off by my mom and settled in at the office, I sent my freshman daughter a text:

This begs the question - and yes, now I'm talking to you dear reader:

CAN YOU OR CAN'T YOU?

As we approach the new year, where is your thinking going to be? Can you finish that novel? Can you get a publishing deal? Can you make time for self care? Can you commit to being your biggest cheerleader? Can you commit to writing in your journal 5 out of 7 days a week?

Make a list of goals you want to accomplish for 2022 and make sure there are items on there about positive thinking! I'm going to go order that planner before I forget, and your job is to leave a comment with one of the following:

- share your favorite quote that you refer to often in your day to day

- share a book that you think others will benefit from reading in the new year

- share how positive thinking has influenced your life

- share what your current self would say if given an opportunity to chat with a younger version of YOU

Cheers and Hugs Ya'all!

xoxox

Crystal

Today's blogger is Crystal J. Casavant-Otto who is a hot mess of a momma and dairy farmer enjoying her little corner of the cornfield in frigid Wisconsin this winter! 

Read More »

3 comments affirmations, goals, high five habit, new year, self talk

Planned Neglect (Or How I Met My Nano Goal Without Even Trying)

Not to toot my own horn, but here it is, the next to last day of November, and I’m put-a-fork-in-my-manuscript-done with Nano. 

Um…I guess that is tooting my own horn. But I’m going to share how I accomplished my specific goal for this annual writing challenge and if you give my method a try, you’ll be tooting your own horn, too.

THE GOAL

Unlike the Nano standard 50,000 words by the end of the month, I tweak my goal to fit my specific need. This year, I had nearly 28,000 polished words of a cozy mystery. I wanted to add 10,000 words in November and develop a doable habit of producing the same per month (approximately 500 words a day). Keep in mind I’m editing and writing so that by the end of November, I wanted approximately 38,000 pretty sparkly words. 

THE PROCESS

Some of you may be familiar with the concept of “planned neglect.” I came across a reference to it in September, and though there are several versions of the story, the one I read had to do with a concert violinist. 

The violinist was asked the secret to her success and she responded, “Planned neglect.” She went on to explain that instead of doing all the daily tasks that demand attention and then practicing her violin, she flipped her routine. She neglected all those pesky chores and practiced first, thereby insuring that she always did what was most important every single day. 

Now, if you’ve ever read anything I’ve written about my writing process, you know that I make lists and set goals. It’s a process I apply not only to writing but also to the general running of…well, my life. And though I’m fairly good at prioritizing my daily goals, I realized something, thinking about my To Do List. Namely, that working on something that I really enjoy but that has no guarantee return (say, a paycheck) tends to be last on my List of Things I Actually Do. 

Oh, dear. 

Of course, it’s important to pay bills and meet work deadlines, but I was giving my best hours of the day to stuff I could do anytime and fitting in my writing when I was often tired and brain-dry. And so I reversed that paradigm; I found my optimum writing time and everything else had to fit around that time. Or get neglected. 

I’m not going to lie. Forcing myself to leave piles of junk mail or dirty clothes till the weekend made my hands sweat. Neglecting my inbox till 10:00 at night made my heart race. I’m a wee bit compulsively neat and organized so the whole planned neglect thing made me anxious. But only in the beginning. Very soon, something wondrous happened. 

THE RESULT

My creative juices began to fill those spaces where the mundane had taken up residence! I woke up thinking about my plot, my characters, bits of dialogue. Throughout the day, my manuscript rolled around in my head and so without even trying, I’d sit down to write and the words spilled onto the page like water from a fire hydrant! 

By November 17th, I hit my goal. Before Thanksgiving, I hit 41,000+ words; I’m only on hiatus now because of research I need before moving forward. But more important than the word goal was the new habit created. 

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Try this method. Take a look at what and when you’re spending your best hours. Plan what you can neglect in order to give your writing the best of you. Follow the plan and your priorities every day. You’ll be surprised how quickly you can form a new habit. 

And honestly, I’ve found that I can live comfortably and downright happily with my planned neglect. (But just for the record, I’ve worn clean underwear every day this month.)

~Cathy C. Hall

Read More »

6 comments Cathy C. Hall, goals, NANO, NaNoWriMo, Planned Neglect, prioritizing

NaNo Planning

I know that NaNoWriMo (NaNo for short) is kicking off in just five days, but better late than never when it comes to planning, right?

And this time, for once, I’m not joking around. Planning is crucial if you’re jumping into this annual November writing challenge. 

So for those new to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo/NaNo), let me explain what it is (or just borrow from their website as they put it so well):

 “NaNoWriMo is a non-profit that believes in the transformational power of creativity. We provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.” 

Which in practical terms means this: 

Every November, writers from across the globe hunker down to write a novel, with the goal being 50,000 words completed by the end of the month. This roughly translates to 1667 words per day, and while these writers are putting in the work, they’re also able to network and gain support online and in-person. 

I’m a fan of NaNo and generally participate because I’m motivated by a challenge. But I have never completed 50,000 words, and I’m fine with that because I have achieved the goals I’ve set for me. 

Well, most of the time. And that’s why planning is so important. 

Before starting NaNo, I recommend taking the time to think about your writing goals. Because here’s the beauty of this challenge: it can be about writing whatever you want but it works best if you know what you want. 

Do you have a completed novel that needs serious revision? NaNo can help you do that. 

Do you have 25,000 words of a novel you’ve been working on all year and want to push yourself to get to 35,000 words by the end of November? NaNo to the rescue!

Do you want to write 10 poems, or three articles, or five essays in 30 days? Yep, NaNo can help you with those goals, too. 

And of course, it can help you write 50,000 words of that novel that’s been stuck in your head forever. It’s a writing challenge, and you get to choose what and how you need help. 

Now, because it is all about novels, you’ll find a ton of information specific to novel-writing but that doesn’t mean it won’t translate in some way to what you’re writing. Check out all the writer’s resources, starting with NaNo Prep (and yes, it’s modeled on starting in September but you only have five days. Read fast!). Not only does NaNo Prep give you a calendar, outlines, exercises, and other tools, but it also gives you more in-depth information about how you can get involved and get that accountability that you might crave. 

But if that’s too overwhelming, check out a couple of Pep Talks, guaranteed to get your writer motor running. 

Finally, I know that some writers like to just sign up for NaNo and write by the seat of their pants. “Words on the page!” is their motto. And though I heartily agree that one must have words on the page, I’m not keen on wasting my time. If I’m going to challenge myself to write every day or thereabouts in November, I want the finished product to be a decent effort. 

But that’s me. I think about what I want to accomplish during NaNo and plan how I can get ‘er done. Sometimes I succeed mightily; sometimes, not so much. And like I said, I’m fine with that. As for you, dear writer, you do you. And good luck!

~Cathy C. Hall (who coincidentally has about 25,000 words in her latest WIP and would REALLY like to get to 35,000 by the end of November)

Read More »

10 comments Cathy C. Hall, goals, NANO, NaNo Prep, NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, Pep Talks, writing challenges

What to Do with All the Unfinished Manuscripts?

On our Facebook page, I recently asked how many unfinished manuscripts our community had on their computers. We received many different responses from Naomi Blackburn writing, "I have 4 in various stages from concept to first edits. All will be finished," to Sophie Giroir putting the laughing while crying emoji and writing "easier to count the folders."  

It's much easier for me to ask that question than to answer it myself. My word of the year for 2021 is FINISH, and so far, it hasn't been going so well...but that's all about to change--I'll save that for a different post.

What I wanted to talk about today was reasons why unfinished manuscripts exist in a writer's world and what you could do (or not) about them.

1. Some unfinished manuscripts are not meant to be finished. Some of my early picture book drafts or half-finished novels are just not meant to be completed. I don't think any of these are a waste of time, and maybe some day one or two of them will turn into something more--now that I know more about writing and marketing and my audience than I did when I started. But you can probably point to at least one manuscript that's in draft form on your computer or in a notebook in your desk drawer, and it doesn't need to be finished. It was written for a certain reason at that time, and it's served its purpose. 

Tell yourself that's okay! It's all part of the learning process, and that's true.

2. Find a writing partner or critique group. Sometimes, what you need is a writing partner or critique group to help you finish the manuscript. Basically, a writing partner or critique group can keep you accountable and keep you writing. Some members of my critique group meet online a few days a week and write together. I know some people are in a group that is strictly accountability--so there's no critiques--just encouraging each other to stick to your goals.  

3. Find a writing class or coach. One of our Facebook followers said she hired a coach to help her finish some manuscripts. That's definitely something a coach can do. They can help you figure out what is blocking you from finishing and set goals to complete what you want. A writing class with regular assignments can also help. The class I teach for WOW! about writing a novel with a writing coach is designed so that writers are turning in a section of their novels for critique every week. Many writers like the design of the class because it makes them work on their novels on a regular schedule every week.

4. Get a routine. No matter if you have a class or an accountability partner or a writing coach, the biggest thing about finishing manuscripts is having a routine where you write on a consistent basis. Your routine does not have to look like anyone else's! But if you have a routine, this will help you finish manuscripts that you want to finish. 

So what about you? Do you have unfinished manuscripts on your computer? Do you plan to finish them? And how will do you this?

Margo L. Dill is a writing coach, teacher, and author living in St. Louis, MO. Sign up for her Writing a Novel with a Writing Coach class which starts on September 3. Find out more details here. Read about Margo here. 

Read More »

4 comments Finish Manuscripts, goals, Margo L. Dill, writing inspiration

The One Thing You Need to Do

It’s that time of the year again. As December flies by, we find ourselves bemoaning what we didn’t get done. And let’s face it. 2020 was a sucker punch for us all. No one had the year they expected, so it isn’t surprising that many of our goals have gone unmet. Many of my writing friends are tweeting and posting the same question – how can I get back into writing in 2021? 

Want to know a little secret? No, I’m not going to sell you a ten step program guaranteed to put you on the New York Times list. But I am going to tell you what one thing you need to do as a writer. 

You need to write. 

You probably see a lot of posts telling you what how-to books you need to read. Or they are recommending writing classes, online conferences or Zoom webinars. 

And if any of these things are what you need to do to get the words flowing, fine. Sign up for my classes. I won’t stop you. Attend a webinar on creating scenes. Whatever. 

But the one thing you need to do is write. 

Not sure what to write? Here are 4 suggestions. 

For the compulsive list maker: 

Make a list of the movies you’ve seen. Or list the books you’ve read. List your favorite book characters. List 10 settings you would like to utilize. List the poets/paintings/ice cream flavors that inspire you. If you are making a list, you are writing. 

For the writer with little or no energy who is aching to start a specific story: 

Write the first sentence. Make it compelling. Capture your setting. Fiddle as needed but stop at that one sentence. Unless you really need to write on. Whether you craft a sentence or a paragraph, you are writing. 

For the lover of fairy tales: 

Play with a favorite story. Retell Goldilocks from the point-of-view of Baby Bear. Or give it a new setting. What if Hansel and Gretel weren’t roaming through the woods but a gated community with a designer coffee bar? Play and have fun. Even if you just take notes, you are writing. 

For the Instagram fan: 

Scroll through your feed. When you find an image that grabs your attention, use it as a story starter for a micro story. No, not a 300 word micro story. Is that really even “micro”? Seems a bit excessive to me. What can you do in 50 words? 25 words? 10 words? 

A writer writes. Sometimes a writer writes something long and lyrical. Sometimes a writer writes something short and sharp. But the one constant? 

A writer writes. 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 27 books for young readers.  To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.

Sue is also the instructor for  Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins January 4, 2021) and Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins January 4, 2021). 

Read More »

9 comments goals, how to get started, list making, micro story, settings goals, Sue Bradford Edwards, write, writing, writing prompts

Advent for Writers

Advent is more than the season before Christmas. It is a time of preparation. This post is my challenge to the Muffin community to shape December into your own Writing Advent. Use December as a time to prepare for writing in 2021.  

Step #1. Acknowledge what you wanted to accomplish in 2020. 

We all had goals for 2020. Mine included: cataloguing my social media accounts; updating them to create a look/brand; approaching an agent/month; finishing a draft of my cozy; finishing a draft of my graphic novel; and working on my memoir. What were yours? 

Step #2. Let go of what you didn’t get done. 

I know I’m not the only writer who found this year challenging. Time and time again in the last month, I’ve heard comments from my fellow writers: I failed to get my site up; I didn’t do the writing I wanted to do this year; and I have been completely unable to write. Me? I took stock of my social media, created a brand look which didn’t work, recreated it, recreated it again, put together a new site, and finished a draft of my cozy. The rest? Pfft. 

Unfortunately it is easy for us to become attached to what we didn’t do. We think of it again and again when what we need to do is let it go! 

Recently a friend taught me a meditation to help with this. Sit quietly. Light a candle if that helps. Breathe in to a count of four. Then breathe out to a count of four. As you breathe out, picture one of these concerns. Let it go and watch it drift away like a falling leaf. Inhale. Let another one go. 

Do this every day for a week if that’s what you need to do. When you’ve quit holding fast to your failures, move on to Step #3. 

Step #3. Write for fun. 

Play with something you don’t intend to sell. This is when I write poetry. Or meditations. Write up a memory. Write something that plays with the sounds of words – picture book writing and poetry are both fun for this. Me? I just drafted a new picture book on Monday. 

Do whatever you need to do to have fun with your writing.  

Step #4. Consider what you really want to write. 

When you’ve let go of the baggage of 2020 and rediscovered the fun, it is time to contemplate what you really want to write. Why did you get into writing? Is it what you’re doing now? If not, do you need to reevaluate what you write? 

Many people feel more than a little used and abused by 2020. Use 2020 as a time to pivot. Come away from this year with a notion of what you really want to be writing. After all, if not now, when? 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 27 books for young readers.  To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.

Sue is also the instructor for  Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins December 7, 2020) and Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins December 7, 2020). 

Read More »

8 comments goals, meditation, self evaluation, setting goals, Sue Bradford Edwards, writing goals

3 Reasons Character Motivation Matters

Recently I read a Tweet from an agent. “Make your character’s motivations come through loud and clear in your query.” It seems that too many authors query, stating the character’s goal, but not the motivations behind the goal. 

Without motivations being stated loud and clear in the query, the answer was consistently “good luck placing this elsewhere.” Why is motivation such a big deal? 

Motivation Makes the Goal Matter 

Think about a book that pulled you in and wouldn’t let you go. Character goals vary from attempting to win the Triwizard Cup to trying to win a beauty pageant. Without motivation, you hear a character’s goals and think what is that and who cares? Motivation is what makes a goal meaningful. 

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry has been set up and has no choice but to compete. Failure could mean death to himself or his friends. Finding out who set him up alone is a powerful motivation. Add a struggle to survive and his goal is even more compelling. 

In Dumplin, Willodeen may be chubby but she’s comfortable with who she is until she starts dating a handsome private school boy. She can’t believe he loves her for who she is and her self-esteem plummets. She decides the best way to bolster her flagging confidence is to enter the pageant. 

Life or death. A girl struggling to rediscover her self-esteem. Motivations like these make readers care. 

Motivation Provides a Bridge to Believability 

Motivation is also what makes your characters believable. Me? I’ve never battled for to be a Triwizard winner and getting me on stage would take a miracle. These just aren’t goals I can identify with. But struggle? Most of us have battled, even if it wasn’t life-or-death, to meet a particular goal so we understand struggle. And at some point in our lives, we’ve lost faith in ourselves and our own abilities. We get wanting to find self-worth. I get that. I get wanting to believe in yourself. 

Your reader’s life may be completely different from your character’s life and that can make it hard to build reader interest. Fortunately, the right motivation can provide the bridge your reader needs to enter your character’s world. You do this by utilizing motivations and emotions with which your reader is familiar. 

Motivations Make Your Character Complex 

Last but not least, motivations are another way to create a complex character. All you have to do is set up conflicting goals. How do you do this? Give your character a goal that is in conflict with a core value. A character who values law and order has to break the rules to achieve their goal. A character who values her independence above all else has to work with others to achieve her goal. A character who values might has to turn to cunning. 

Motivations are essential when attempting to create believable characters, accessible stories and complex worlds that readers are eager to explore.  

And? Don’t forget to express these motivations clearly in your query letter. 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 25 books for young readers.  To find out more about her writing, visit her blog, One Writer's Journey.

Sue is also the instructor for  Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins November 2, 2020) and Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins November 2, 2020). 

Read More »

3 comments believable, bridge, character motivation, complexity, goals, motivation, query

6 Ways to Jumpstart July and Write

As of yesterday, July 1st, we are half way through the year. I don’t know about you but I have been slacking off in the writing department. I know. I know. Give yourself space. Give yourself grace. Treat yourself with loving kindness. 

That’s all well and good. But I need something to do other than check Facebook. I’ve been crocheting and I’ve got plans to knit tonight, but I’m generally much happier when I write. 

If that sounds familiar, here are 6 ways to jumpstart July and get back to your writing. 

Brainstorm 

One of my favorite writing challenges, Storystorm, takes place in November. I tend to do it now and again throughout the year. The goal is to brainstorm 30 writing ideas in 30 days. This is a good one if the kids are missing camp, you or your spouse are working from home, or you are otherwise up to your hips in the glory of 2020. It doesn't take a lot of effort. When you see something that sparks an idea, write it down. 

Camp NaNoWriMo 

In April and July, participants sign up at the NaNoWriMo web site for Camp. They set a month-long goal for themselves and get to work. This is great if you need external deadlines. That writing project you’ve been talking about doing in 2020 but haven’t started? Why not sign up and set a July goal for yourself?  I'm there as Nonfiction Writer. 

Something that Won’t Be Published 

If you are a working writer who happens to be out of work at the moment, you probably spend a lot of time thinking about writing that will sell. This challenge can help you rediscover the fun and the play of writing. Craft something you won’t market.  For me, this means poetry. Earlier this week, I played around with an In One Word poem. You can find a wide variety of poetry types to play with at the Poetic Asides blog.  

30 Queries 

Maybe you are someone who has a vast number of completed manuscripts. Or you’ve been talking about finding an agent. All Freelance Writing challenged writers to send out 30 Queries in 30 Days. Imagine that – 30 agents, 30 magazine editors, 30 editors, or any combination. Me? I need to query agents. Click through above and you’ll even find a tracking worksheet. 

30 Blog Posts 

Or you might be a blogger who has let things slide during the uncertainty that has been 2020. If so, try writing 30 Blog Posts in 30 Days. That’s another All Freelance Writing challenge. It can help inspire you to update your blog’s content or just to plan ahead so that you aren’t scrambling the night before a post has to go live. 

Run with Something 

New Maybe, more than anything, you need to run with a manuscript that is shiny and new. Instead of working on my novel or querying an agent, I spent two days roughing out a new picture book. I could say that I made this choice because it is a story about identity and isn’t that a timely topic. But really? I just needed to work on something new. 

We are half way through 2020. Don’t let that panic you. It’s been a stinker of a year all around but the redemption arc should come into play any time now. Right? Right?! 

--SueBE

Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 25 books for young readers.  To find out more about her writing, visit her blog, One Writer's Journey.  

Sue is also the instructor for  Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins  July 6th, 2020) and Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins July 6, 2010). 

Read More »

9 comments goals, Sue Bradford Edwards, writing goals