Writing Goals: They Keep You Writing

So, it’s been a month since my lofty plans to write 50,000 words in July.  Things didn’t exactly turn out like I envisioned them. But, that’s pretty typical – at least for me. I am reading at least a half hour most days.  I did come up with a title and write 5000 words to a fiction novel.  But, here’s the thing, it feels more like truth than fiction.  I mean, I changed names and details and such, but it’s just not going as easily or smoothly as I expected. Maybe I’m not meant to write fiction.  Or, maybe my dominant  left-side of my brain is being  bossy and not letting my right-side create.

I’ve resisted the urge to make charts – lots of charts.  Charts with characters and plots and all kinds of  fun literary devices.  Maybe, in the end, I’ll find that’s really the kind of writer I am – one who has to think the whole book through before I start.  I don’t know.

But, now, for this project, I’m determined to sit my butt in my chair and let my right-brain write.   That means I have 45,000 to write to reach my goal.  I’ve come to the realization that I probably won’t finish  by the end of July.  But, that’s ok.  My new goal is to finish by the end of August.  The short time period forces me to write and to write a lot without worrying about it being perfect. It accomplishes two things, one it gets me writing and two, by writing I am learning to write.

To reach my original goal I would have had to make sacrifices I wasn’t willing to make. There was a time when I would have sacrificed anything and everything for a goal. But, not this time.  I realized I can not write and be a good mom at the same time.  My teens are growing so awfully fast and I am just not willing to miss a minute of being a part of their lives. With school starting in three weeks, I’m wondering if I will have more time to write once we are in a routine?  Since this is our first year, not homeschooling – I’m just not sure what to expect yet.

The funny thing about writing,, is the lessons you learn along the way.  Like the lesson in being ok with not reaching a goal.  Even though I didn’t reach my goal – I got something done – which is more than I would have if I hadn’t made the goal.

Credit: https://kellygriffiths.wordpress.com/
Credit: https://kellygriffiths.wordpress.com/

I was super encouraged by a fellow writer who had a goal of publishing her book last summer. Life happened – and she didn’t get it published.  But, she did get it done this summer.  In the end, it’s published and five or ten years from now it won’t matter if it was 2014 or 2015 when she finished it.

And, as a side note, if you homeschool, are thinking about homeschooling or are just curious about what a day in the life of a homeschooler looks like – check out her book “The Raw Homeschool Mom: 100 Days of Honest Homeschooling.”  Reading it is like sitting down with a friend and having her share the goods and the bads of life.

So here are my new August writing goals

1. Finish 50,000 word fiction book

2. Read for 30 minutes a day

3. Blog post at least once a week

How are you doing on your writing goals?  Did you make the progress you expected? Make some new ones for August and let’s change the world one word at a time!

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