2025 Writing Goals

I wanted to try something a little different. I always have my writing goals for the day, for the week, for the month. They change from time to time, but I use them to try to finish stories and scripts by certain times. Some projects have deadlines, and some don't, so setting some goals helps me to keep up with a good pace.

But why not set goals for the whole year?

It's the beginning of a new year, isn't that what I'm supposed to do?

I have some projects that I am in the middle of, I have some new ones I need to start, some revisions I need to do, and I have goals I want to reach when it comes to the results of my writing. So, I figured I should come up with a good list of many of them, the biggest ones, the ones I deemed most important, and then threw them all together in one list. I know this won't be everything I do, I will work on some other ideas as they come to me. And I know I won't get all of these goals done, but I'm going to try.

So, there they are. Some of these I have total control over, and it's good for me to put them in writing like this, that way I stick to my process. I will be able to finish rough drafts, no problem. They might not be fantastic, but they'll be done. All I need to do is keep writing. They're all outlined, the outline just needs to materialize into the story. The revisions, second drafts and third drafts, yeah that takes a different kind of work. The rereading, note-taking, editing, refining... but again... stuff I have control over. I just have to do it. I'm not sure I will have time to get through all the big projects in the year of 2025, but I can try. I would guess I could come close, because as I mentioned, a couple things were already underway.

However, there are some things on here that I don't have control over. And I really want to make those happen. Like getting published, moving on in a competition, and the big one, getting an agent or manager. All I can do is try, the rest is up to other people. But... I need to try... otherwise it won't happen. I got all year. So, I'll keep at it. I'll keep submitting to publications, to contests, and to agents and managers. I've been doing all those things all the while, for years. Keeping at it ensures I have better chances of making those things happen. Know what else helps?

To keep writing. To write well. To reread, to revise, to edit.

I'd really like to get published in Sci-Fi Shorts again, already have ideas for that one. And I've been published a total of 7 times in my writing career, I'd like more in general. It would be amazing to get a few this year. So, of course, I'll keep submitting to every publication under the sun... and maybe some publications under some other suns... as I have been doing all along.

Obtaining an agent or manager, that would likely be the toughest one. But if I have a good body of work to show, if I've moved on in more competitions, and I remember to keep sending stuff out to them, then I got a chance. All the things I need to have a chance at getting an agent or manager, well, those are the other goals! (See how I did that?) It's a nice reminder to put that goal on there too, so I remember to send stuff out occasionally too.

I have my goals all written out. The way I will achieve them is fairly simple, just keep writing. But at least I have a little organization to it all now.

OK, enough of that. Back to writing.