goals Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Peter Lyle DeHaan

Last April I shared my five writing goals in the post, What are Your Goals as a Writer?

Goal setting is both recommended and wise, but alas, I did one thing wrong: I failed to specify the time for completion. This was a serious omission that stymies most goal-setters. Here is how I did:

To complete my dissertation: The “final” version has been submitted. The best-case scenario is that there will be a batch of “corrections,” followed by my oral defense.
To complete a biography I am writing: This is done! (But may need to be revised.)
To redo and update my author website (www.peterdehaan.com): This is a work in progress—I’ll keep you posted.
To begin building my platform as a writer: This journey has begun.
To find an agent—and a publisher: No progress. (This was bad goal setting on my part for two reasons: it is actually two goals in one and completion is largely outside of my control.)

Though I can offer excuse and explanation for my less than ideal performance, the reality is that I fell short. While I refuse to wallow in guilt over my shortcomings, I now have greater motivation to complete the following batch of goals and to do so by year-end. They are:

To fully and totally complete my dissertation
To unveil my revised website
To complete the first draft of one book
To start book two
To query agents

While I will share noteworthy news on these throughout the year, check back in 12 months for the results.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

Writing, as with most worthwhile things in life, benefits from a bit of occasional introspection.

Succinctly queried, what are your goals as a writer?

After all, without goals, how will you prod yourself to write and by what measure will your evaluate progress?

Here are some common motivations of writers:

To pen something I can share with family and friends.
To compose an “heirloom” piece that can be passed on to future generations.
To provide a creative outlet for myself.
To organize the plethora of thoughts swirling around in my brain.
To pursue an enjoyable and worthwhile hobby.
To become a published author.
To bask in literary acclaim, become popular, and be respected by society.
To make lots of money and live a life of ease.

With the exception of the last two items (which are unrealistic and improbable), the rest are worthy and legitimate pursuits. Most are also reflections of my personal ruminations on the subject. However, my overarching purpose in writing is to publish books that will help and encourage others.

Once an overall vision for writing is established, then specific goals need to be developed towards that end. Here are some of my writing goals:

To complete my dissertation.
To complete the first draft of a biography I am writing.
To redo and update my author website.
To begin building my platform as a writer.
To find an agent who will help me develop my career as a writer and find a publisher for my books.

What are your goals as a writer?

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.