Setting Reasonable and Achievable Writing Goals

By Deanna Martinez-Bey and Elaine Klonicki

Writers are often advised to set reasonable goals for themselves. The key word in that sentence is—you guessed it—reasonable!

If you’re writing an article or blog or are contributing content to a site, you will likely be given a deadline by your editor. External deadlines serve to keep us on track. Even if you write your own blog, hopefully you have established a set schedule and are trying to keep to it so your readers know what to expect.

But if you’re writing a book, especially your first one, you may not have a good understanding of how to structure your time and set appropriate goals to get yourself to the finish line.

Chances are writing a 250-300-page novel will take you more than a couple of months to write. But how long? A quick internet search reveals that, on average, it takes four to six months to write a book (six to eight months for first-time writers). In our experience, it takes most writers, many of whom have full-time jobs, much longer. This does not include the editing and proofreading process, which can take several additional months. For more on what to expect when planning a book, check out this Masterclass article.

No matter what you’re working on, it’s good to have goals, but it’s important to make sure they are suitable for your life. For some, writing several hours every day is a reasonable goal. For others, every other day or twice a week may be more attainable.

Look at your calendar and consider your other commitments, then set your goals accordingly. Even 30 minutes a day is better than going two weeks without writing.

You may have to experiment to see what works best for you. Keep in mind that something is better than nothing. It’s easy to keep the momentum going if you are writing at least somewhat regularly.

Do you have a completion date in mind for your book? Start there and work backwards to see how often you’ll need to work, and for how long, to hit that date. Then, decide when you can fit in time to write. Come up with a monthly plan and then break it down further into weekly and daily goals. Consider creating a monthly calendar to schedule your writing time. To design and print a custom monthly calendar, click here.

Some writers prefer to use page count as a marker rather than time. Either way works. Just be honest with yourself about what you can accomplish. This article has some additional tips for setting achievable goals.

Once you determine your writing benchmarks and figure out a schedule, it’s important to make writing a priority. Strive to be consistent. This is the only way to attain your goals. You may have to forego some other activities, or miss out on a bit of family fun, but just imagine how happy your future self will be at having written a few chapters. It’s exhilarating to watch a book come alive!

Check in with yourself regularly to see how you’re doing. Many writers use an accountability partner—often another writer who understands the struggles. If you allow yourself to be vulnerable, you can share with each other what’s working and what’s holding you back and come up with some workable solutions.

If you get stuck on the organization of your nonfiction project, or a plot or character issue with your fiction work, consider hiring a book coach or a developmental editor to help you push through a blockage or work through a sticky issue. TAF has a number of skilled editors in our membership who work in various genres. If you’re looking for someone to hire, check out our “Find a Freelancer” page here. If you don’t have the funds, a critique group can serve a similar purpose.

Remember to celebrate when you reach milestones. Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back from time to time. Share your news with your writing group or your friends. Writing can be a lonely venture and sometimes a few encouraging words from others is all it takes to reset your energy level.

That said, don’t beat yourself up if you fall short on reaching the goals you have established for yourself. Life happens! Instead, decide to start back up tomorrow and try again.

One way to hold yourself accountable is to use tools as reminders. Think about what would feel most comfortable. Do you need to set an alarm on your phone to cue you that it’s time to get started? One TAF member uses a time management tool known as the Pomodoro technique. The idea is to split work tasks into intervals (known as “pomodoros,” named after a tomato-shaped kitchen timer), with breaks in between. The typical sequence is 25 minutes of work followed by a five-minute rest period. Using a timer and scheduling frequent breaks where you grab some water or do some stretching can help keep you from getting overwhelmed. Some writers record their page count after each interval, and try to increase their productivity by “besting” themselves from week to week. For more details about this technique, including the story of how it was developed, see this article.

Establishing good habits is the key. Anything that trains your brain that it’s time to get to work can help.

To recap:

• Set reasonable goals.
• Figure out a workable schedule.
• Carve out time to write each week.
• Sit your butt in the chair and write.

It really is that simple.

Deanna Martinez-Bey is an author, pastry chef, social media manager, and writer of all things food. With sixteen published books under her belt, articles published in multiple magazines, and a certified cottage bakery, everything she does revolves around food and writing. Deanna believes that people bond over good food and books!

Elaine Klonicki is a freelance writer and certified copy editor. She has been published in The News & Observer, Military Officer magazine, Boys’ Life, Midtown magazine, and WAKE Living magazine. The author of All on Account of You: A True WWII Love Story, Elaine blogs about positive psychology and personal growth at www.TheAuthenticLane.com.