If you’re reading this, I'm assuming you already have some goals: fitness goals, goals for your family, maybe even a goal of writing a book or to become a better writer.
But how do you write goals that actually work, that actually help you accomplish the things that you set out to do?
In this guide, I’ll share the step-by-step goal writing process that I've used to finish fifteen books, publish over 2,000 blog posts, hit the Wall Street Journal bestseller's list, and reach over twenty million people with my writing over the last ten years.
No matter what your goals are, I believe this process will help you get clear on what you want to accomplish this year.
Prefer to watch the video? Click play here:
How I Set My Writing (and Other) Goals
Each year, around New Year’s Eve, I block off three days, get out my whiteboard markers and note taking app, and start to check in with myself and my family. I start by reflecting on how the last year went and what I want to accomplish in the year ahead.
New Year’s resolutions sometimes get a bad rap, but research backs them up. In fact, you are ten times more likely to achieve your goals if you make resolutions than those who don’t.
This time of reflection and goal setting is the best part of my year.
More than Christmas candy and New Year’s champagne, this creative process helps me relax and refocus. In just two or three days, it sustains my work for the following year by giving me the direction and motivation to accomplish meaningful work in the untouched months ahead.
But for you, you don’t have to save this kind of process for the New Year.
If you can carve out a few hours—or even a few minutes—to think about your goals, it will be worthwhile. I promise.
Want to share your wins as a writer this year? Check out this thread in our Pro Practice Workshop Cafe.
This article will also give you the tools you need to make this planning process easy.
Let's start with the four types of goals you might consider setting.
The Four Types of Writing Goals
Before I get into the process I’ve found works best, what types of goals should you set?
I believe there are four main types of goals, and each of these goals builds on each other. After I explain each type, I’ll ask you questions that you can use to think about your goals.
1. Lifetime Writing Goal
What is on your bucket list? What are the things that you want to accomplish before you die or else feel like you’ve missed something important? What will you regret if you never do? This is an ultimate goal.
Maybe it's having a writing career and making writing your day job. Maybe it's winning a coveted award. Maybe it’s flying first class or starting a family.
These objectives are central to who you are and who you want to be. Maybe it's to be an author of bestselling books. Or to become a full time author. Or even just to write one book.
If you're not sure what your lifetime goals are, here's an exercise to find them:
Imagine yourself twenty years from now. You're supremely happy. You've accomplished everything you wanted to and more.
What does your life look like? What have you accomplished?
Whatever they are, write them down.
Lifetime Writing Goals Don't Have to Be Attainable . . . Right Now
Give yourself time to dream.
Set some future goals that seem outlandish, even crazy.
Sure, creating SMART goals that are measurable and achievable is a good idea.
But if you really want an extraordinary life, you have to allow yourself to dream something extraordinary.
Only once you have an image of where you want to go, can you then work backward from there. Building smaller goals that you can actually accomplish is the way to move you up the ladder, as we'll talk more below.
2. This Year's Writing Goal
What projects are you going to accomplish this year? Or at least make progress on? While project goals are smaller than lifetime goals, you may have a few project based goals on your bucket list, including:
- Write the first draft of your book
- Get something you’ve written published
- Get 100 rejection letters from agents or publications (hat tip to Sarah Gribble)
- Go on a family vacation to a national park
- Make $1,000 off your side hustle
- Create a successful blog, podcast, or YouTube channel
- Get your first project as a freelance writer
- Write a new short story every week for a year
- Find a writing community that supports your work
- Learn how to give strong feedback to other writers
- Revise the first draft of your book
You can’t accomplish everything all at once, but be specific. If you only have a vague goal, you'll never hit it.
Instead, break up your lifetime writing objectives into smaller chunks so that you can think through the steps it will take to make your dreams actually happen.
When big goals are broken down into smaller, more manageable steps, the likelihood of succeeding all your goals becomes a reality.
Moving from Dreaming to Focusing On What Can You Control
As you’re thinking of your project goals, think of them in terms of what you can control and avoid goals that rely on things outside of your control.
For instance, what if we changed the example goal above, “Get something you've written published,” to “Submit a query letter to 100 agents”?
You can’t control whether agents will like your book and sign you, but you can focus on how many well-researched, hard-written query letters you send out.
When you focus on what you can control—on a measurable goal—you not only set yourself up to actually accomplishing it, but you avoid feeling frustrated and resentful if that goal doesn’t come true.
Better yet, you design a goal that is likely to come true as long as you stay motivated.
And prioritize it.
3. Weekly Writing Goals
Once you have your project goal, go one tangible step further.
Think about what you can accomplish each week to make that goal happen.
Here are some smaller goals you might set to help you achieve your bigger writing goals:
- Write the premise of your book and pitch it to ten people
- Write 5,000 words per week on your book
- Publish one blog post per day
- Send five people pitches for guest posts or articles
- Email twenty people who would like to read your book
- Establish a weekly writing routine where you work a certain number of minutes or write a specific number of words in one place
- Listen to an audiobook while exercising for one hour three times per week
- Finish one new writing project, like a short story
- Give feedback on the work of at least two writing partners
Here, you're moving from grand dreams to simple, measurable goals that are within your control and that can be accomplished within a specific time frame with hard work. We're moving from the lofty goal to the achievable goal, the actionable goal.
Achieving your dreams comes from imagining giant leaps but taking baby steps.
You can’t control what other people do, but you can control how much time and effort you spend accomplishing yourweekly goals.
When setting large writing goals like finishing a book, you can't expect to achieve this over night. Instead, you need to break down your writing goals into smaller, weekly milestones. Think of these as the building blocks that eventually construct a sturdy pyramid.
If you want to write a book, but you don't know the process, check out The Write Planner, our elite planner that walks you step-by-step through the book writing process, the same process we've used to help thousands of writers finish their books.
Get your copy here.
Use it to designate your smaller, weekly writing goals in addition to its other many organizing benefits.
And remember, you don't need to know every weekly goal (or goals) for the entire year on the first of January. Knowing your project goals is your first step, and then breaking this down into manageable, smaller goals will give you a strategy on what you need to accomplish first.
If fifty-two weekly goals seems daunting, breathe, and then start small.
Start with the month of January. And then February.
And then March.
You can do this on a month-by-month basis, or all at once.
Just make sure your weekly goals are set before the week starts—knocking out a chunk of weekly goals at a time can give you a head start to accomplishing all of them.
4. Daily Writing Goal
Having a daily goal is especially helpful for writers, but it’s good for anyone who has long term projects that require daily effort.
Whenever I’m working on a book, I create a daily word count goal, usually around 1,000 words, so that I can make my larger goals more manageable.
I also set aside writing time daily, usually in the morning for me, but sometimes in the afternoon or late at night. If you don't set aside time, your writing won't get done!
You have to prioritize your writing if it is important to you.
Five Steps That Will Help You Actually Meet Your Writing Goals
Now that we’ve explored the four types of goals, let’s talk about how to actually accomplish them.
By the way, if you haven’t gotten it yet, make sure you download and print the goal setting worksheet here.
1. Reflect
In the past, what has worked for you as you’ve set goals and tried to do what you’ve set out to accomplish? At the same time, where did you struggle?
You reflect for two reasons:
- To learn how to make your future better. (By thinking about your writing successes and shortcomings, you refine your process and improve your chances at making your future efforts work.)
- To appreciate what you’ve accomplished.
Reflection is also an end in itself.
As Roy Bennet said:
Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue your goals. If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more?
Take time to reflect on your previous goals.
Evaluate any goals you set the year before, and if writing about these reflections helps you process them, write a few sentences about each event.
2. Reconnect With Your Desire
I don’t know about you, but I don’t really believe in New Year’s resolutions. Why would you want to create goals around things you don’t want to do?
Instead, I like to start the goal-setting process by reconnecting with my desire. What do I really want to do in the next year? What do I really want to accomplish?
Most importantly, how do I want to grow, and who do I want to become?
There isn’t time in life for half-hearted dreams. Instead, focus on your deepest desires.
Believe in them, and then make them manageable.
As You’re Doing This, Consider ALL Areas of Your Life
We often focus on one area of our lives when brainstorming goals in this way, especially when thinking about goals that govern our professional lives. (Day and night jobs.)
However, you are a whole person. Writing is probably a big part of what makes you, you, but neglecting those other parts will be damaging.
If you succeed in one area of life but fail in all the rest, you’ll be miserable. That’s why it’s so important to spend time dreaming about what you want in all areas of your life.
The four major areas of your (writer's) life that you need to respect include:
- Work. What do you want to experience, accomplish, and quit in your work?
- Writing. What do you want to experience, accomplish, and quit in your writing?
- Relationships/Family. What do you want to experience, accomplish, and quit in your relationship with your spouse? With your children? With your friends?
- Self. What do you want to experience, accomplish, and quit in your personal life? This includes fitness, hobbies, and personal goals.
3. What Will You Quit?
There are always obstacles that keep us from living our best life, whether they’re a job, a bad habit, or a task. What if you could overcome them? How would that transform your life?
How would that turn our writing goals into writing accomplishments?
You can’t add more to your life without getting rid of something. We have to let some goals go in order to make room for new, manageable ones.
What will you quit this year?
Here are some examples of things you might want to quit or spend less time doing:
- Distracting App. Check your phone's Screen Time history and delete your highest used, most distracting app (here's how to check your screen time history on iOS and Android).
- Social media. Maybe you, like me, find that you're easily distracted by social media when you should be writing your book or working on your goals. Take a break from social media, maybe even deactivate your accounts for a bit.
- Video games. If you don't want to quit gaming completely, consider cutting out the game that distracts you most, or a different game that takes a lot of time each month.
- Television. This may or may not include YouTube videos. If you can't cut it out completely, consider quitting certain streaming services, like Netflix or Hulu. Use that money saved on something to support your writing process!
- Late night hang-outs with friends. You can always spend time with them when you finish your writing goals. Designate days for friends, but save the others for finishing your writing endeavors.
You might not be able to responsibly quit these today or tomorrow, but figure out what you want to quit and then make a plan. (Maybe part of your weekly goals is cutting your choice out a little more at a time.)
You may not accomplish everything you want to, but I find that when I connect my desire and consider what I want to quit, I am much more successful at accomplishing my goals.
Stop focusing on what you should be doing this year.
Instead, spend time thinking about what you want to be doing.
You may learn something new about yourself, and you will definitely have a fuller, more meaningful year.
4. What Will You Choose to Fail At?
After you've decided what you want to quit, it's good to choose what you want to fail at.
So much of accomplishing our goals is about prioritizing, choosing the things that are most important to you, sometimes at the cost of other great things.
For those things you can't quit, what could you choose to fail at for a season, to not always accomplish at your standards so you can focus on your top priorities.
Here are some ideas for things you might choose to fail at:
- Keeping your house perfectly clean. It's good to keep your house neat and tidy, but maybe for the next season you need to deprioritize having the perfectly tidy house so you can focus on your goals.
- The dishes.
- Washing your car.
- Cooking. Cooking at home is usually the most affordable and healthy option, but perhaps you could increase your budget and eat out a little more to free up time for your goals?
- Grocery shopping. Could you order your food through Instacart for a season? It might cost a bit more, but how much time could you save while you focus on your goals?
Two things you probably shouldn't deprioritize:
- Sleeping. When you focus on your goals, getting enough sleep is often one of the first things to go. The problem is you're much less likely to actually accomplish your goals if you're tired all the time. It's ok to quit things or choose to fail at some things, but
- Family/Friends. Loneliness has been shown to make humans live shorter lives. While you might be able to spend a little less time hanging out, don't deprioritize family and friends completely. We need each other!
Remember, choosing to fail is for a season! This doesn't give you license to be an irresponsible slob, but it does give you a chance to focus on your goals for a season.
5. Pick Two Writing Goals (NO MORE)
After brainstorming all the things you want to accomplish over the next year, you will likely have many things you want to do.
But here's the thing: the more projects you take on, the less likely you will actually accomplish them.
Instead, do this.
Pick your top two writing goals—e.g. the two things that would make the biggest impact on your writing career.
You pick just two because you don’t have time for mediocre goals and aspirations. A year really isn’t very long, especially when it comes to achieving your deepest desires. The more you focus on the few things you most want, the more of a chance you have at achieving them.
When I first tried this exercise in 2012, I tracked each of these things carefully for a few months. Then I got busy with other things and got out of the habit.
However, a year later I found my list again, and I was shocked to discover that I had accomplished both of them.
They didn’t look exactly how I planned, but each one was an important part of my life. Knowing I met them all felt great.
So choose carefully! What you choose will change your life!
Also, when a goal is important to you, you are more likely to find a way to prioritize it.
6. Set a Deadline and Create a Consequence
Now that you know what you want to do, here’s how to actually do it.
Start by setting a deadline. When do you want to accomplish this by?
Hint: Always set your deadline a little shorter than you think you can accomplish.
As Leonard Bernstein said:
To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time.
If your goal is writing a book, for example, I recommend setting your deadline no longer than four months.
If it’s longer than that, you’ll procrastinate. A good length of time to write a book is something that makes you a little nervous, but not outright terrified. Writing a book in about 100 days is not only possible, it's preferable.
Tons of writers have benefited from our 100 Day Book Program and will testify to it.
But setting a deadline alone isn’t enough.
You also have to create a consequence.
What is a consequence?
A consequence is a bad thing that will happen if you don’t accomplish your goal by your deadline.
For example, in 2016, I wrote a $1,000 check to the U.S. presidential candidate I most disliked, gave it to a friend, and told them to send it if I didn’t finish my book by my deadline. I was the most focused I’d ever been and finished my book in time!
Big Deadlines = Big Consequences
Little Deadlines = Little Consequences.
And get someone you trust to hold you accountable.
It's that simple.
This will lead to fulfilled writing goals and other success.
As you’re setting your goals, remember the four types we talked about earlier. Personally, I like to create one big consequence for your project goal and a few smaller consequences for weekly goals.
For example, if my goal is to write a book in 100 days, then my big consequence will be the $100 check—but my smaller deadlines might be deleting my favorite game on my phone or buying ice cream for the people working with me.
This is especially important when you're getting started with a new goal.
After all, getting started is the hardest part, but if you know that you're going to have to delete your favorite game on your phone until you finish your writing project, that might be enough to scare you into focus. (This is also why having someone hold you accountable to your consequence is super important.)
Accomplishing your goals is hard. You need to make it harder to not accomplish your goals if you're going to achieve them.
I believe this free goal setting worksheet will help.
How to ACTUALLY Accomplish Your Dreams: Find Your Team
To sum up, here are a few final questions to spur your dreaming:
- What do you want, really want, over the next year?
- What do you need in order to accomplish that want this year?
- Who do you want to become?
- How will meeting your goals help you become this person?
- Why is it important for you to accomplish your goals?
- This time next year, when you look back at what you did, what stories do you want to be able to tell?
- And how will it feel once you accomplish your goals?
Imagining how you'll feel after accomplishing your goals, and using that to motivate your actions as you plan and begin to tackle them, matters! This might be enough to push you forward.
The process I've outlined above will get you started. It's worked for me!
But one aspect of this that most people neglect is having a team, a group of other people who can encourage you and hold you accountable to accomplishing your writing goals, even if it's just one accountability buddy.
One of the biggest reasons I see people fail to improve their writing skills and finish their books is that they don't have a team.
This is the exact reason I built 100 Day Book, the only writing program that will give you a $100 if you finish your book in 100 days.
Whether you want to write a novel, a non-fiction book, or a memoir, I know 100 Day Book would help you finish it, just as it's helped thousands of other writers.
If you want to write a book, but you don't have a team, we would love to pair you with a mentor, surround you with a group of encouraging writers all experiencing the same process, and help you finally finish.
You can learn more about 100 Day Book here.
I hope you accomplish all your goals and dreams. Most of all, I hope you enjoy the journey.
Good luck, and happy writing!
Goal Setting Worksheet
To make your planning process easier, I’ve created a downloadable and printable goal setting worksheet for you to use as you go through this process.
It’s free, it’s printable, and I believe it will help you make your goals happen over the next year.
What are your four goals for the next year? Leave a comment and let me know!
PRACTICE
Let’s practice setting your goals for the next year.
If you haven't yet, start by downloading our free goal setting worksheet here. Then, set a timer for fifteen minutes and begin going through the process.
When your time is up, take a break and let us know the four goals you picked by sharing in the Pro Practice Workshop.
If you want to continue planning your writing goals, you can do that, or continue at another time.
Good luck, and let this be the start to a great (and successful) year!
Setting daily goals helps us going on and planning long-term strategies – it hasn’t got to be a big deal, even a little step further is helpful 🙂
My long-term goal?
Well, I’ve got quite a few short stories on my desk, so… I could create my first e-book, for example.
That sounds great! Having lots of stories to choose from is never a bad thing. You have plenty of options.
I am trying to have them, at least 🙂
My goal for 2025 is to write the draft and start the process of a non-fiction book
One of my long-term goals is to write a large piece of work. Originally, I thought novel, but it seems the more I think about it, the more daunting it seems. So I thought about some other ways I could achieve something similar. I thought about a novella or novelette. I thought about a short story series. I’m still working out the details, trying to see what would work best for me.
In the meantime, I’m focusing on writing in my journal daily and writing a short story a month. Yes, I really need that time to write something compact. I recently recommitted myself to participate in writing exercises this blog offers. It’s been very helpful in spouting my creativity.
I love novellas! Sometimes all it takes is finishing a shorter piece to realize that you’re actually very capable of something longer. Other times it inspires you to write more short pieces. Whatever sparks your interest, you should chase after that. 🙂
Many thanks for this post!
Short-term goal? Polish my ebook and form a daily writing habit 🙂
Long term goal? Help in the transformation of people using words, not yet sure as to its form though.
I love those goals. 🙂 Daily writing habits are so important. Thanks for sharing!
Yes! Failure to set achievable, concrete goals is part of what holds so many writers back. With no sense of direction, aspiring writers end up wandering the earth talking about the book they will write “some day.”
As for daily goals, the word count goal has never worked for me. I wish it would, but I just can’t write that way. Instead, I look at my schedule for the day, see how much time I have to work on writing stuff, and then set a priority. Sometimes that is an actual word count, other times it might me to finish a scene, revise a chapter, or simply do a blog post.
What is important, however, is that we do try to accomplish at least one thing everyday toward building our writing careers and working toward achieving that big lifetime goal.
Some people can get scared off by word counts, so writing as much as they can in a fifteen minute chunk works better. I’m glad you found something that works for you! Every little bit helps.
Goal: wanting to do e-novel … no potential collaborators/publicizers to build any promise of momentum … although I had thought of that in particular …
I already have 16 pages, but it’s been over a number of days. Afraid the actual period in my working title is much too close.
Sub-sub-sub-goal: maybe just maybe, I can write 6 more. In one day.
Sub-goal: Then, I could build up a momentum – yeah, my mindmap outline, etc., etc. is abandoned for this, for now … until a … whole lot of pages are added.
I maybe have only a couple dozen pages worth of packaged scenarios as of now.
My drunken imaginary muse has taken to insulting me. “You one of those a**holes who thinks they are going to write a book … hah, I give you the courage, but you don’t listen to me!!” and, “Be very scared. Somebody is going to do your e-novel instead of you!” … and then the demon rum makes her pass out …
Yeah—in my world, that’s motivating.
Update: the imaginary drunken muse did get me writing. So far a little over 3 pages were added. I have been a teetotaler for the past dozen years or so, and did not get drunk in reality. But I’ve been drunk in my life. It had gotten me feeling quite amiable and never, ever aggressive/insulting or any shades of this aforementioned lady. So this muse really is quite imaginary …
2nd Update: … a little more abuse from my muse. So, far, now an additional. almost ten pages followed.
“Be very scared. Somebody is going to do your e-novel instead of you!” One of the things that motivates me is the realization that if I don’t write my story, NO ONE will!
That sounds, to me, that you are not driven to write your work by paranoia (or any other hang-ups). But I – with plenty enough foibles in that regard – have taken my bad mood [for writing], and turned it into something else.
I am a firm believer in “use whatever works.” If paranoia, hang-ups and other foibles get it done for you, harness those tools and go for it!
I have a horrible habit of starting and then not continuing. I get busy with work and school and slowly just stop. I want to write so much and get discouraged easily so I allow myself the excuse to stop. I’m going to make it work this time!
Daily goal: Write a minimum of 500 words
The long-term goal: Write a short story by Dec 2016
Life-time goal: complete a novel that I have been working on since I was fourteen.
http://elizabgosc.weebly.com/blog
These are fantastic goals! Starting is easier than finishing. It takes a lot of hard work to see a project through. Thanks for sharing these with us. 🙂
Hey The Magic Violinist,
Your post really helped me reassess my goals. Not that I don’t have one in the first place but I’ve never though about a clear division of a daily, long-term and life long goals.
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Anh
Thank you! 🙂 I think a lot of people have vague goals to start, which is wonderful, because then you can examine them more closely and get a plan set.
I have a manuscript that was acknowledged by the Library of Congress and my plan for 2025 is to get my book printed and bound it n book form to leave for my family.l so I would only get no more than 10 copies.
From my WIP. I had a lot of false starts.
She had managed to find a place to sleep. It was not as uncomfortable as the culvert in Monterey had been, but it was a long way from a hotel bed. She had spent the past six nights here. She needed money, and had managed to land a job picking grapes at a local vineyard. The man who hired the workers was skeptical a blind girl could pick grapes, but the work was straightforward enough: find a cluster of grapes, cut the stem with the shears (be sure to leave enough stem), place the cluster in the basket (gently, so as not to bruise the grapes). The man always paid the workers cash, and never asked questions about where they were from. His biggest consternation had been Akiko’s insistence he pay her in singles. He did so grudgingly.
The hard part of picking grapes was the actual work: being in the hot sun for ten hours a day (with thirty minutes off for lunch) was arduous enough, but the constant bending over was brutal. By the end of the day, she could have easily slept in a culvert.
Thanks for sharing! You do a nice job of introducing the character right away and what her situation is. It’s easy to skip over details like that.
Thanks. This is from the middle of chapter four, so she’s been introduced, but thanks.
My goal for 2025 is to get my book published. It’s finished and has been edited. I just cannot seem to get any interest from agents. Maybe it’s the cover letter maybe it’s bad writing, maybe it’s the plot, I don’t know.
The title is strangers in a truck. Rick Marcum is going to go on a dream vacation driving from Portland Maine to Lompoc California. A week before leaving his ex-wife talks him into taking a friend of hers. They have a flat, get stuck in a snow storm. Sam leaves Rick before they get to California to fly back to Portland for an interview. Sam flies back to Ventura to see her mom and meet Rick. On the return trip they get harrassed by a Highway Patrol officer thinking they are running drugs. A few hours after leaving the highway patrol officer Rick is shot by someone trying to steal his truck. They get home and start a relationship.
Woah! What an adventure. I love it, especially because I grew up in Santa Barbara, around the corner from all of those places!
Daily Goal, Long term Goal, Lifetime Goal. That sums it up and easy to remember, This will be very helpful.
Thank you! 🙂 I’m glad it helps!
My goal is to finish the rough drafts of my five novels in progress
FIVE! That’s so many, David! One tip if you’re open to it: focus on one at a time. One of the BEST ways to NEVER finish a book is to try to write two (or five) at once. Good luck!
My writing goal for at least the early part of 2025 is twofold: I will submit the fourth novel in the Echoes in Time series, WITCH, which I’ve been workshopping in TWP, and continuing work on the fifth and penultimate book, HECTOR. Ambitious, but a stint in 100 Day Book set me up with a work plan that will hopefully help that lofty goal. Wish me luck; I’ll do the same for all of you.
I think you’ll do it Monica. Cheering you on!
A series of essays and a nonfiction title for inspiration.
Love that Asha. Have you seen our guide to writing memoir? Might be useful for you. https://thewritepractice.com/how-to-write-memoir/
To complete the novel I started last year and unable to move forward
Good plan. It’s very normal to get stuck, but it’s definitely something you can accomplish. We’re teaching this little course right now that I think would be a huge help: https://thewritepractice.com/ready-prep-write
I want to be able to write full articles. I always get stuck halfway.
I get that Bilal! What if you just shipped what you have? Or got it as close as you’re able to and then ship? I think that idea of shipping (from Seth Godin and, before that, Steve Jobs, is really important—more here: https://goinswriter.com/shipping-a-seth-godin-ism). You’ve got this!
After approval from the United States Government, the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Security Agency and others, I want to publish my memoir.
Do I need to copyright my manuscript before finding an editor?
Do it Steve! And no you don’t need to copyright your mansucript before finding an editor. You don’t need to copyright your book at all, but it isn’t a bad idea to do it right before publishing. Personally, I’ve never applied for copyright on any of my books. It’s not really necessary for most cases.
To make extra income from essays, poetry, or short stories for publication.
Start a blog.
Continue with my first novel.
Amazing plans Holly. Have you seen our class on how to make money as a writer? I think it might help! https://thewritepractice.com/resources/make-money-as-a-writer-class/
Good luck this year!
My goal is to submit my inspirational historical to an agent by the end of this year.
Nice! Have you used our query letter writing tool by the way? https://thewritepractice.com/query-letter-generator/
Might help!
I want to have a strong content portfolio on ALL fronts.
Sounds fun (if very challenging!), Emmanuel. What mediums? Social? Articles? Books?
Complete a rough draft of my novel.
You should do it, Erica! Did you see the class we’re teaching btw? https://thewritepractice.com/ready-prep-write
My goal this year is to finish my novel before the end of 2025. I’m still in the brainstorming stage though so it’s going to be a challenge
Very possible, Rachel. You should definitely sign up for this to help! https://thewritepractice.com/ready-prep-write
I intend to revise several scripts and to start at least 2 more
Fun! Film script? Have you seen our screenwriting guide? https://thewritepractice.com/screnplay-process/
Good luck!
This year I want to publish book 1 of my series, finish book 2 and begin book 3..
YES! You’ve got this, Mariellen.
PUBLISH the book. Successfully.
You will Tony! Excited for you.
I aim to finish at leasst publishing Book 1 of a sci-.fi saga in 3books. It is sortof finished (with 140,000 words and a complete story and all details are linked and connected logially), but am running through tight edis now.
140k words is a lot of words! Great work Michael. Are you planning on self-publishing? Have you worked with a developmental editor yet?
I plan to complete a short children’s illustrated book in rhyming verse.
That’s a great plan, Marion. Are you going to do the illustrations?
In 2025 I will finish a fiction manuscript.
Great goal Susan! Good luck. I hope we can help. 🙂
Last night my husband and I went out for dinner. He commented that I did not look happy. As well as being married we are also best friends. He can read me like a book. I finally told him how I was feeling and why. This led to a discussion on how long I have been writing. He said he does not care whether I write 10 pages, 100 pages or 1000. Just write and finish. He does not read fiction but he is my biggest cheer leader. This gave me the courage to say I am going to work hard, stop procrastinating and finish my novel in 2025.
Sounds like an amazing partner for your book writing process. Finish that novel!
My goal is to write a historical fiction.
Do it, Lakshmy. Any time period in particular?
I want to write my spiritual book and a screenplay
❤️ Great goal. Good luck, Vanessa! I hope the goal setting process will help you accomplish it.
My goal is finish a sci-fi book
Awesome, Alicia. I hope the process above helps you create a strong first step. Good luck!
I want get my writings underway and get better at it
Great mindset. We’re ALL getting better. I’ve published 12+ books and I’m STILL getting underway and getting better. It’s important to have that mindset.
I plan to release book 1 in a new epic fantasy series. Cover is done. I’ve started writing and as long as I stay true to my daily writing goal of 3000 words per day. It will get done. The book will come out in 2025.
3,000 words a day is a big but doable goal if you stay focused. Don’t forget about rewriting and revising though! Here’s a good post on that: https://thewritepractice.com/after-book/
My 2025 goal is to have a completed first draft of my fiction novel. I think it’s feasible, but then again, we’re over a week into ’25 and I just finished page 1 so who knows!
Finishing page 1 is an important first step. Now go finish page 2! 🙂
My intent is to retire for the final time the end of June and focus on writing and other goals. This year, I will start with essays and some poetry. I have already jotted down several pages of possible content for my fictional novel based loosely on my life.
Very exciting Deborah! You should take 100 Day Book this summer! https://thewritepractice.com/writeabook
My goal for 2025 is to publish my first compilation of short story. I’m working on my third draft and hopefully, I should be done by February.
That’s very exciting, Anastasia. Congrats on getting so far in the process. Are you hoping to self-publish?
For 2025 I have decided to rewrite all my short stories. Why? Too many characters in all of them. I will also be working on my first novel. From there, I am not sure.
Those are great goals, Ellen! I like keeping things as minimalistic as possible. If you need help getting started on your novel, this free course we’re teaching might help: https://thewritepractice.com/ready-prep-write
My goal is to finish revising the first book in my fantasy series enough to be ready for publishing.
You need to do it Tammany! Have you seen our editing guide? Might help! https://thewritepractice.com/how-to-edit-a-novel/
My goal is to finish my first book and to write more humour and satire on my Helpless project and get it online in Swedish first.
Those are fun goals Tommy! Rooting for you.
I’m working on a multi-volume epic. If I choose my 151k first endpoint, my goal is to have the first volume published. If I go with my 91k first endpoint, my goal is to have two volumes published, preferably three.
Wow! Big project. Sounds so fun. If you’re thinking about traditional publishing, 91k might be best, but you need to figure out what’s best for your story, of course. More on word count here: https://thewritepractice.com/word-count
I want to just get started on practicing and improving my writing! I have a great web address and not enough content.
We’re huge fans of practice here! We have a bunch of articles on blogging if you want to check them out here: https://thewritepractice.com/audience/blogging/
Good luck!
I would like to finish my autobiography before the end of the year. At the pace Im going now, it should be done by then!!!!
Awesome Marc. Good luck! Have you seen our memoir guide (not quite the same as autobiography but might still be useful): https://thewritepractice.com/how-to-write-memoir/
Write a first draft of my second manuscript, titled “The Suitcases”. Do a second draft of this manuscript. Develop an Author’s website which is http://www.mauriceoconnell.com
Get a writing critique of my first manuscript “The Spider’s Web” by year-end.
All good goals, and great start to the website, Maurice! Hope we can help. 🙂
My goal for 2025 is to start writing on the book that I’ve been plotting for over three years, so that it can eventually become a movie one day if it gets successful enough.
I love it. You should definitely sign up for this Vivienne: https://thewritepractice.com/ready-prep-write. This is the year!
My book is finished, it just needs to be published. I need a publisher, a cover (which I found may be easier and cheaper with A1 including accomplishing AudioBooks). I would love to write a mystery screenplay. Maybe become a Ghost Writer. I would like to finish all of my Shavasana’s (meditations) for my Yoga website).
Congrats Maria! You should honestly sign up for our classes membership. We have a class on publishing and ghostwriting that might be perfect for you: https://thewritepractice.com/classes
Either way, good luck!
Comment My goal is to finish, edit and publish one book, possibly two.
You should, Cindy! Hope we can help!
My goal for 2025 is to publish three books. I have started one to be published in mid March. The others four months apart.
So many! Cheering you on Adrian!
My goal is to find the courage and self belief to start writing again.
Self-belief comes from action. What small action can you take today?
My goal for 2025 is to, at least, get a first rendition done. Baby steps.
My Writing Goal for 2025 is to get the final book in the Wielder World series completed and ready for an editor. One book a year is a big deal for me and I’d like to do my part. The editor and publishing will be on its own schedule but having it to that point, ready for the editor, is all in my control. Cheers to everyone and their goals!
Great goal. What are the biggest obstacles in the way of accomplishing that?
My writing goal for 2025 is to finish the draft of my first historical fiction novel in a series and get it polished enough to start sending it out for publication or consider publishing it myself.
You’ll do it, Amy. I believe!
Yes, I will finish my book.
❤️
Comment *My writing goals for 2025 are to complete my gospel stage play, “Be Careful What You Pray For”, and my comedy TV series, “Next of Kin.”
How fun Shirl. If you ever need an extra. 😉
Comment *Submit for publication the edited draft of my memoir “Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda”
Good luck Peter! You’ve seen our query letter tool? https://thewritepractice.com/query-letter-generator
My goal for 2025 is to write and publish four (4) books. This will complete a 6-book sweet clean romantic fiction series I started last year.
Wow! So you’ve already published 2? That’s amazing Patricia. Good luck!
My 2025 goal is to finish a final draft of my fantasy project and start querying it!
You’ll do it, Julia!
Publish a second volume of poetry and finally finish my novel.
Great goals! How long have you been working on the novel?
Comment *My goal – a series of short articles tied together in one purpose – discovering your true nature by applying the commandments of Jesus internally. I have my title and parts of the book.
That sounds lovely, June. Rooting for you!
Comment *My writing goal is to finally put pen to paper. To start and finish my manuscript that’s erupting inside me like a volcano for over 40 years. To walk through fear and not let fear hold me back to accomplishing my dreams. My goal is to write my book
Wow! You need to do it! Make sure you join this: https://thewritepractice.com/ready-prep-write
It’ll help!
I want to try my best to complete my first novel; using my experience of writing a failed one with 223k words. This time, I will try to create something enjoyable and engaging, not worrying about distractions on the route.
223k is so many words Ali! I think that’s a great mindset though. Hope we can help. 🙂
My goal for 2025 is to start editing Book 1 and to write a series of short stories, I already have a few started, and maybe a commercial or two. Also to keep learning the craft of writing. Maybe even getting good at it!
Fun, Don. Have you seen our short story guide? Might help: https://thewritepractice.com/how-to-write-a-short-story/
Comment *Finish the first draft of my novel, and write some short stories.
Good goals, Laura. We’re teaching a free series on first drafts you should check out right now here (https://thewritepractice.com/ready-prep-write) and if you haven’t see our short story guide you might find it helpufl (https://thewritepractice.com/how-to-write-a-short-story/)
I will write my epic science fantasy book this year.
When I hear epic, I usually think “long.” So, how long?
I want to finish my fiction I started posting in 2018. I’m on the last chapter and will post by the end of January. Then I would like to start my first novel and have it finished within a year.
Wow! That’s awesome Jayel. Congrats!
I have written my first book and my goal is to finish editing and get published this year!
Nice Sanya. Here’s a good guide on editing, if you haven’t seen it yet: https://thewritepractice.com/how-to-edit-a-novel/
My goal is to actually get started. I want to get all of my ideas on paper, then spend 30 minutes a day elaborating on each one.
Great goal, Lisa. I will say though (if you’re asking) that the idea is MUCH less important than making a choice and getting started. I’d highly suggest signing up for our Ready, Prep, Write class if you haven’t yet! (https://thewritepractice.com/ready-prep-write
Yes, I want to finish my book this year !
Comment *a series of personnel stories
Last year, I started writing an autobiography in form of short stories. This year, I need to scale up on this.
My goal for 2025 is to complete a rough draft of my first novel.
Comment *Hi, my writing goal for 2025 is to finish my first draft of my memoir novel, to register for David Daniel’s awesome, awesome class so I can polish the second draft and to publish my poems.
I will finish writing my first original TV series pilot and pitch. I will submit to at least one contest/festival and revise based on feedback.
My goal is to get the first novel in my series published.
My writing goal for 2025 is to post consistently on social media, specifically X and LinkedIn.
I’m going to finish my Evangelion fanfic first and then start on my fantasy novel ‘Twilight Siblings’, so outline, first draft, and so on.
My goal is to start and finish a screenplay.
Comment *Keep writing poetry, short stories and enter sever writing contests,
A.Quill
Finish a first draft, structured adequately, and I hope be matched with a developmental editor-in-training who has pro-bono time to check it.
I want to get started with writing, and thought I’d try a fanfiction first. I’ve started, but I’m my own worst enemy and now I’m stalled. My goal is to finish this story.
I am writing and posting 200 blog posts
I will complete the editing of my novel and find a publisher or agent.
Comment *Finish editing – remove 20k words from book 1. Then cover etc & publish.
Edit, cover, publish books 2 & 3
Finish writing & publish books 4 & 5
Finish writing then publish holiday book.
My 2025 writing goal is to enjoy the whole process of writing an engaging and coherent novel.
Comment *I want to start a blog about my life in the Lord and share music especially hymns
I will create an author website and have at least six articles published to the site by the end of 2025.
I am excited to start the year 2025 with a bang. I am making my own ebook covers, and I am geared up to fill them with my favorite topics. I have started writing projects in the past, however I didn’t complete them. I’ve learned much more over the years and I am more ready then ever to be an Author….
Thanks for the reminders, right on time. I am good on writing and rereading goals, but very weak on sharing them, I mostly keep things to self and find ways to hold me accountable.
My goal for 2025 is to start a short fiction business.
Start writing.
My goal this year is finally to have my story published. I have had many setbacks, but this is my year!
I am going to write and edit my first fantasy novel, write a Star Wars fanfiction, and write at least one blog post every month
Comment * A series of essays describing my life to my adult children when I lived cross-country from them and only had minimal contact.
I plan on completing my developmental draft revisions that I need to make by the end of March. Have it rewritten by the end of May and to Beta readers. I’d like to be able to start those revision by the beginning of August and send it off to an editor by the end of Sept. and publish by Nov. I’m over half way through the revisions I need to make on the developmental edit. I’m also working on a suspense novel when I’m stuck on the revisions to give my brain a break.
Comment *I want to finish writing a book about my mother and all the horrible things she went through and what kind of person she was and what she accomplished despite all the bad in her life. I started writing it last year and stumbled, stalled and got stuck several times.
Sell Book #1. Polish Book#2. Begin Book #3
my goal is to edit my novel and start a series of personal essays
My writing goal for the year is to have a manuscript for the first part of my novel
I’d like to: find a writing community that supports my goals of writing something everyday, and write at least one short story a month.
I know we’re biased, but if you haven’t checked out our Write Practice Pro membership here, we’d love to invite you to join us. Most members are pursuing their goals by posting a practice, story, or chapter of their work each Friday, then encouraging each other with specific feedback.
Comment *3 books this year to finish/publish. 2 have 25k pages already. thanks for all your help
Comment * Goal for 2025
Write and publish my 2nd volume on astrology: Aspects and Configurations
Comment *My goal is to obtain an agent and publisher for NOT YOUR MAMMA’S GRANDMA, which I completed in the 100 Day Book Program. A Critiquer was recommended by Sarah, who is reading the piece as I type…as I have been told.
just want to write a book on a vision I had in the early 90’s, but I don’t even know where to begin or how.
Hi Jack! I often work with writers who feel the same way. It may help to check out this article on writing a premise. Joe breaks down how to take a vague idea to something much more specific and actionable. Good luck!
I will continue to write the stories I have written for years despite knowing that the only person I cared to have read them is gone.
They will be different stories, with different endings, but I will write them because they are …
All that is left.
Complete (in book form) the workshop I present to (mostly college-age) women on discovering their purpose in life. It’s currently faith-based and once that’s complete, I want to create a “secular” version, as well, since it’s helpful advice for anyone.
Comment *My writing goal for 2025 is to finish my first draft of the first book in a series.
My writing goal for 2025 includes:
1. writing and finishing more stories, and get published.
2. increase writing my knowledge base and functionality.
It’s too bad that my health and financial situations limits my ability to spend much to accomplish my goals. But, I am determined to make a best effort.
I’m going to get all my published works in good shape on KDP
Comment *
A memoir called “The masks wear wear.
The discovery that we are not the thoughts that define or describes our authentic selves.
Finishing my rough draft for my sci-fi book. And for the short novel set in its universe.
I’m going to document my experience at Delancey Street!
I plan to write my 2nd book this year, maybe a 3rd!
My writing goal this year is to consistently publish a series of personal essays on my blog.
Finish revisions & polishings. Determine how & where to get my short stor(ies) and poetry pieces actually published. Write a bit more in a few different genres at least once a week. Actually submit writings to Opinion Columns &/or Letters to the Editor. Continue comment writing within surveys. Never stop writing something every day. Really. Every day. Especially ekphrastic pieces.
My goal is to start writing a first draft for my novel.
Series of personal essay
Comment *My goal for 2025 is to self-publish a collection of short stories.
That’s cool Eva. Have you written the stories yet?