Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

WdC’s weekly writing goals on FB

Aren't they great!   

So far, they have let me set up effective goals. I found out, when I make my objectives public, I feel the need to live up to my goal-promises.

One week, I thought I overscheduled, but I was wrong. I kept to them. Yay!

Still, the goals should be measured and attainable. They should also carry some meaning for the writer. If a writer is afraid of and inexperienced with writing formal poetry, he or she should think twice before saying, “I’ll write two sonnets and a sestina each day.” That would be shooting too high. On the other hand, a well-versed poet in formal poetry could pull it.

Then, if one has a large family to care for or has tough work hours or both, the goals should be easier to meet. In extreme cases, a paragraph every other day or even once a week is better than nothing.

Whether I write on schedule, ahead of schedule, or fall behind, I really appreciate the weekly output of goals. The timeframe is not too long or too short. If they were daily goals, they would be impossible since I have crazy days. Monthly goals could give too much slackness to my system of working.

Then, making goals add structure to writing regularly. The more specific the goals, the better. Saying “I want to write” is something, true, but promising oneself distinctly, such as two poems, a story, an article, reviews, a chapter, research on a subject, or editing a story or novel puts a writer’s aim inside a framework and in public, too.

One thing we all do or did once is to think that as soon as we hold the pen for the first time, we’ll produce prize-winning work. That may happen but very rarely. Getting hit by lightning has more odds to its favor. While we write, there will be attention slips, difficulties, and even unexpected problems.

Staying flexible with the process but keeping to the discipline helps a lot, and WdC’s weekly goals on Facebook are teaching us just that: persistence and elasticity. So, I suggest we log on to FB on Sundays and write doable goals for the week.