New Year, New Adventures: Setting Writing Goals and Sticking to Them

Ah, the start of a new year—a time for fresh beginnings, renewed motivation, and a stack of untouched notebooks that I promised myself I’d fill with profound thoughts. Yes, it’s that time when I dust off my keyboard, sharpen my pencils (metaphorically, of course, who uses pencils anymore?), and set writing goals that I swear I’ll stick to this year.

Goal #1: Write Every Day

As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, I proudly declare, “This year, I will write every single day, no excuses!” Fast forward to January 2nd, and I’ll find myself binge-watching dog videos on YouTube, convinced that I’ll find inspiration in the way Rover destroys a squeaky ball. 

Goal #2: Finish Whining in Wolfland

Oh, the novel that I’ve been pecking away at for the past two years. This is the year I vow to finish it—no matter what. I’ll create a writing schedule, print out a motivational poster with Bela Karolyi screaming, “You can do it!”, and embark on the literary journey of a lifetime. Two weeks later, I’m still stuck at the halfway point, and Bela’s voice is haunting my dreams.

Goal #3: Silence the Inner Critic

This year, I’m determined to defeat the infamous inner critic once and for all. I’ll stock up on all the essential writing tools: a magic quill (yes, that’s a thing), a special writing hat (it boosts creativity, obviously), and a collection of inspirational quotes from famous authors. Yet, when faced with a blank page, I’ll find myself staring into the void, wondering if I should reorganize my makeup drawer instead.

Goal #4: Attend Writing Workshops and Conferences

I’ll sign up for every writing workshop and conference on both sides of the pond, convinced that attending these events will transform me into the next literary sensation. Armed with a notepad and an overpriced pen, I’ll sit in the back, nodding sagely at the speaker’s words. By the end of the workshop, I’ll have collected more business cards than actual writing tips, but hey, networking is half the battle, right?

Goal #5: Start a Series of Blog Posts About Writing

I’ll commit to posting a blog a week about the craft of writing Urban Fantasy and Cozy Mystery novels, and quicker than a dragon can scorch char a chicken, I’ll be off on another tangent. The first step is in the works though, I have a page set aside for all things writing – that has to count for something, right? The Writer’s Snug – keep an eyeball on it.

Setting goals is like embarking on an epic quest. There will be dragons (inner critics), unexpected plot twists (procrastination), and moments when I’ll question my sanity (every time I hit ‘delete’ instead of ‘save’). But I’ll try to remember that the journey is the destination, and every word I write is a victory in itself. So, here’s to a year of new adventures, uncharted creativity, and maybe, just maybe, finishing that novel before Bela Karolyi shows up on my doorstep to personally motivate me.

All joking aside, these are my goals for 2024:

What are your goals for 2024, writing or otherwise?

Comment below or send me an email to let me know. Whatever they are, we’ve got this.

Happy 2024, Y’all!