Saturday, March 04, 2006

Goals and Discipline

Most of us, as writers, set goals for ourselves. Daily word counts. Weekly page counts. Chapters written. Chapters revised. Queries sent. Contests entered. You know the drill. They differ for each of us but the end result is the same. Productivity. If we're unpublished, the push is toward publication. If we're published, we strive to meet deadlines and do promotion.

Meeting these goals takes discipline. And that's where the effort comes in. There is always something else you can do besides write. Gluing my butt in my office chair takes effort, I'll admit it. But as I said to a friend the other day, I try to live my "writer's life" as though I am already published so that when that day comes, I'll be ready.

How do you stay on track? What's your biggest time waster? Have you reached any of your goals for this year yet?

6 comments:

  1. Biggest procrastination devices? Blog-hopping and checking message boards obsessively. It's why I leave the house to write first drafts.

    Goals met? Well, I did finish a novella, but it wasn't the one I planned on finishing and it needs a lot -- I mean A LOT -- of rewriting/revising before it's fit to submit.

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  2. My biggest weakness is checking email.

    Goals -- I'll turn in Catch A Mate by the end of the month, I'll type in my first young adult alien huntress book and get that turned in by June. So all is going well goal-wise!!

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  3. Anonymous11:09 AM

    Surfing is definitely a time waster ;)

    As far as goals, I'm on track to meet the ones I set for this year :)

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  4. I set weekly goals, because for me, daily goals just don't work well.

    Biggest time waster? Cybersearching.

    Goals for this year?
    Not yet. I have three WIPs underway, and I'm just listening to the characters. So, I'm hopping back and forth. I teach, so I'm looking forward to Spring Break in a couple of weeks. Hope to finish the two novellas and get a lot done on the novel during that time.

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  5. Time waster? I'm doing it right now. The internet is a dangerous addiction. *lol*

    Goals met? Well, I've submitted my story for contest, although it hasn't won. So I guess I'm halfway there yet in meeting goals.

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  6. I guess we've all been captured in "the net", huh?

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