We’ve all heard the age old saying, “Writer’s Write” but unless you’ve already arrived you’re probably trying to find a way to be a writerly writer whilst balancing a full time job, family and dare I say it sustaining friendships? It’s not always easy to find your groove and some days your Muse is taking a nap. I get it and this article is chocked full of the pot and kettle schtick today because i too struggle with setting time aside for my craft. We’re gonna jump right in anyway and attempt to glean some insight on how so many other people have “managed to do it”.
When I worked in sales on this super peppy pyramid team they’d advised us to set goals that we’d wanted to achieve that year. At the top of my list was find a better job which i was able to do, but my better job has never been the job I wanted. I want to be a famous author, fund literacy programs and make millions off of my shows and books without having to leave my bedroom. Instead I work at a call center, and spend my days trying to cram writing spurts in between phone calls.
It’s daunting at times, but writer’s write. So even on days when you’ve stared at the same line for the past 20 minutes and all you’ve added was a comma remember that you at least took time to sharpen the blade that is your writing skill. For all other days, there’s a wonderful thing to be said about goal setting. I personally am always proud of myself when I get to scracth another task off my list.
To get started let’s use the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting model. Because it’s the easiest to track. Writer’s goals like all other life goals should be measured based on Specific tasks, that are Measurable in nature, reasonably Attainable, Relevant to achieving an overall goal, and Time – Bound to ensure it can be completed. I’ve used this method in planning for other aspects of my life but this will be the first time modifying it for my writing needs.
For the sake of keeping busy i attempt to plot out 3 main objectives I’d like to accomplish, breaking them down into the SMART goal format just ensures i get them done. For the purposes of this post, i’ll be mapping out 3 objectives for the Blu Moon Fiction blog.
