Many people write goals or resolutions during the new year, and one of the most important thing I have discovered in the past decade, is how important setting clear achievable goals are for my career. So I decided to write about my process. I create my author goals by using the SMART goals system conceived by a business psychologist, George Doran. SMART stands for
S – Specific. Set goals with specific outcomes.
M – Measurable. Set that you can track or measure.
A – Achievable. Set realistic goals that you’re prepared to pursue.
R – Relevant. Set goals that matter to you, that will have a positive effect in your life.
T – Time-bound. Give yourself a deadline or as I do, use an event as a deadline. I most often use a convention and work backwards.
BIGGEST MISTAKE: Don’t set goals which are out of your power to achieve.
Don’t say: Write 5,000 word short story for [Awe-inspiring lit mag] and be published by [Awe-inspiring lit mag] by June 2016.
Why? Because [Awe Inspiring lit mag]’s Editors are not within your power. They may not need or want what you are selling.
So Step 1: Set Smart Goal
SMART GOAL: Write, edit, and submit 5,000 word short story to [Awe-inspiring lit mag] by May 1, 2016.
Step 2: Figure out calendar. This will help you measure progress and break it down into manageable steps. For the goal above: this is how I’d do it.
Day 1: Brainstorm Short Story Ideas
Day 2: Decide upon idea
Day 3-15: First Draft Deadline (I don’t worry about my word count in my first draft, but if you do, then break it up into smaller segments.)
Day 20: Read Aloud, Make changes. Fill plot holes.
Day 21-60: Wait (Note: Work on another idea while you wait.)
Day 60-70: 1st Rewrite/Polish
Day 71ish: Send through Critique Group, Beta Readers ETC.
Day 100: Consider Critique and make changes
Day 101-120: Final Rewrite
Day 121-131: Rest manuscript. Research markets, and decide first market you are going to send it to. Write query letter. Whatever you need to do to prepare yourself)
Day 132-140: Final Grammar Edit
Day 141: Submit short story
Special Note: You may be a faster author than I am. You need to set the calendar for what you can do, not what anyone else can do. As you can see it takes me about 141 days to get a short story in marketable condition, but it takes me about a year for a novel. Why? Because the steps I need to take are nearly the same. Some people write short stories because they are fast, but they are not fast for me. So when I write a novel, this is how I create my timeline:
Day 1: Write out Big Idea, Themes, Basic Characters Bios, a few scenes and outline.
Day 2: Put each scene on a 3 x 5 cards
Day 3 – 45ish: First Draft Each day I write out the scenes from 2 or 3 cards. I go crazy fast in the beginning, because I need some words on the page to cement me to the project.
Day 46: Rest
Day 47-107ish: Second Draft I reread manuscript and go scene by scene. Rewriting. Researching. Adding details. Sometimes the characters tell me to change things here.
Day 108 – 137: Wait. Stories are like wine or cheese. They need to age. Work on another idea or consider publication options.
Day 138 – 199: 3rd Draft. Find plot holes and fill them.
Day 199 – 210: 4th Draft. First Grammar Edit and Polish
Day 211-270ish: Give manuscript to First Readers. Wait again! Work on another idea right now or begin considering publication options.
Day 271 -275: Consider Critiques. Look for common themes within suggestions.
Day 276 – 306: 5th Draft. Find more plot holes and fill them.
Day 307 – 321: 6th Draft. Second Grammar Edit and Polish
And I have a marketable novel! Woot. But I’m not done yet…
Day 325: Either send it out to markets
OR
Begin the road self publishing and I write a calendar for everything I need to do to for that.
So that’s how I do it, how do you set goals? Any goals you’d like to share?
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