Introducing the NEW CLASSEMINARS

by Linda Gilden

   When I was a little girl, my father decided that part of our growing-up educational experience should be a road trip across the United States. So one summer we packed the station wagon, loaded the suitcases on top, and climbed in. Before Daddy started the engine, however, he turned around to face us in the back seat.
   "I have a road map for each of you so you can see where we are going. Here is a highlighter and you can mark off each leg of the trip so you can see how close we are to our destination. This is going to be a great family time!"
   It looked awfully far from South Carolina to California, but as the trip progressed, we found that marking off the trip one interstate at a time made the end result seem attainable.

    Setting goals for your writing career is somewhat like taking a trip. First, you must decide where you are going. Then you have to decide how to get there. Third, you have to follow the path you have chosen.
   Setting goals gives direction for your writing, a target to aim for, and self-imposed deadlines. In a busy world where circumstances often seem so far out of control, goals give purpose and help create a time table for your work. Writers often work at home, alone, with limited accountability. Putting a plan down on paper for your writing hours is no different than grabbing a roadmap when you go out the door on vacation. Your destination is already in place and that destination is most efficiently reached if you know the shortest route.
   When setting goals, there are several things to keep in mind.

1. Write down your goals in manageable segments.

2. Writing. Writing doesn't just involve computer time. Research, interviews, and laying a good foundation for the writing process are equally important. Prioritize them according to deadline date, amount of research required, or personal preference. This is your roadmap for success.

Submitting. Set a realistic goal and follow through. If you write full-time, perhaps several submissions a week is realistic for you. If you work, maybe one or two submissions a month is more realistic.
Marketing. Study the markets. Search for new markets for your writing and the internet for guidelines.
Business. This includes correspondence, making sure you have stamps, envelopes, and office supplies.
Education. Writers must constantly be learning. Set aside time for writer's conferences, networking, critique groups. reading at least one writing book a month. Take a course at a community college.

3. Be specific with your goals. Instead of "Write one book this year," list "Send proposal on book Ten Ways to Survive the Current Economic Crisis to Publisher X, Publisher Y, and Publisher Z within the next three months. Knowing exactly what your goals are helps eliminate mental wandering and keeps you from exerting time and energy in the wrong direction.

4. Set your goal high, but not too high. Goals must be attainable. Give yourself the opportunity for success by planning realistically.

5. Post your list where you can see it. Being reminded of where you are going will help keep you on track. And knowing you have a custom plan gives you the freedom to dream.

6. Keep your goals to yourself. No one else should see it unless you want them to. Review your list frequently. Nothing (except maybe opening the check when it arrives in the mail!) gives more satisfaction than putting a big checkmark beside a completed project on your list.
When you achieve a goal, take time to celebrate. Fix a special dinner, play a game with the children, watch a movie you have wanted to see, read a good book (non-writing related!), or go to lunch with a friend. Your self-confidence will be boosted and you will be motivated to move on to your next goal.

After the celebration, review your list. Do things need to be rearranged? Did you learn something in pursuit of this goal that affects one of the others? Did you achieve your goal too easily? Did you discover an area of writing in which you need to hone your skills?
Your goals will change. They are not etched in stone. As you develop as a writer, new opportunities will arise for your list and may preempt another item. Allow yourself flexibility to revise your goals.

Finally, don't be too hard on yourself if you fail to reach a goal. Failure is not an end. Failure can be a great teacher. Figure out where you missed the mark, reevaluate the project, and get back to work!
Denis Watley, author of Seeds of Greatness: The Ten Best-Kept Secrets of Total Success and The Psychology of Winning, says,

"Winners can tell you where they are going,
what they plan to do along the way,
and who will be sharing the adventure with them."

Do you know where you are going? Do you have a "roadmap" for your writing? Just grab a pencil and paper and put on your "dreaming cap." Oh, yes, and don't forget the highlighter to check your progress!

Linda Gilden is the author of Mommy Pick-Me-Ups
and the popular Love Notes series.