What's Your 2013 Goals Cocktail?

It's getting toward the time of year that some look at with hope and a renewed sense of purpose, and others will gawk at and hide under their covers...it's time to set your 2013 goals.

Today I want to focus on the three main guidelines I'm going to use this year.

1. What Worked 
2. What Didn't
3. Things I Know I Need To Change

At first glance these might seem like a cop-out as guidelines but there is much depth to these three points that should be explored before any smart author goes into making a new set of goals for writing and for their career. I'm going to put myself out there a little today and go through each step. At the end I won't have my list of goals yet for the year, but I will have all the information I really need to understand to set goals that are more tailored to me and my needs and abilities. I hope my examples will help you take a good look at yourself and your process. With a deep breath, let's start.

1. What Worked

• Writing at lunchtime worked when I actually left my desk
• Setting aside 2 hours min. a weekend worked - there was at least 2 hours one day all for me
• Having my laptop on the couch so I could write while I spent time with hubby "watching" TV 
• Writing at the bookstore 
• Writer Chats - I wrote more, brainstormed more, etc - BUT need to work on time 
• Knowing my average word count and being pleased when I made it
• When my writing area/desk is clean I write more on the fly

2. What Didn't Work 

• Trying to write at my desk at lunch 
• Thinking I could write on both Saturday & Sunday - it happened but was rare
• Writing on vacation - NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN - GIVE IT UP!
• Trying to keep my review blog full time and write too - SO not working 
• Set writer chats - might need to see if we can rotate days sometimes 
• Setting outrageous word goals for myself and then getting depressed when I missed the mark
• Spent too much time on craft books - JUST WRITE 

3. Things I Know I Need to Change  

• Limit Book Review blog to 2-3 Days a week and forget about the other days. 
• Limit myself to 1 craft book every 3 months 
• Don't focus on big conferences - attend smaller regional ones this year 
• Stop letting my office be the catch all for the house - keep it clean 
• Stop avoiding sharing my word counts - or lack thereof 
• SHARE MY WORK - it's time to put on the big girl panties

So that's a rough look at the start of my process. I'm going to take these 3 main areas and add to that my average word counts per week, what months I can look back on and see I NEVER write, what months I'm the most productive, what special events I have coming in 2013, etc. All of that will come together for me to really set an outline for my year and what my expectations should be. And let's not forget what my hopes will be as well - you have to hope beyond the norm.

My 2013 Goals Cocktail?  A shot of reality, a dash of hope, a spritz of inspiration and success being the oh-so-awesome olive I enjoy at the end.

Now it's your turn: Give me at least 1 example from each of the 3 guidelines just to help start you off. How do you go about evaluating how your year has gone before setting your new goals? Or do you never look back and just press on? Don't go hiding from setting goals. It's a cliche  for a reason - a goal without a plan is just a dream! 

So this is the check-in for week two of our April Challenge. Are you still riding the high on how great last week felt, or did you lose a little steam? Surpass your expectations of yourself or in need of a pep talk?

I've been reflecting on three particular things I’ve discovered as essential keys to developing and thriving as a writer. I’m calling it Scapegoat’s ABCs for Writers as I consider these great building blocks for new and seasoned writers alike.

Presenting the “A” in Scapegoat’s ABCs for Writers:

A – Accountability

I need it and I believe, whether they want to admit it or not, most other writers need accountability too. I’m breaking it down to two types of accountability, personal and writing partners/groups. I firmly believe both types are essential to getting your writing groove on and doing your best work.

Personal Accountability:

When I talk about personal accountability I’m sure everyone wants to cover their ears and go “la la la” but be honest with yourself. Admit that whenever you've held yourself accountable to a certain goal, word count, or even BICHOK you’ve achieved more, felt better about yourself, and I guarantee your writing gained momentum.

Part of personal accountability is setting those small, daily goals for you. These aren’t even your BIG GOALS. Accountability is about the small things you do day in and day out for your writing. For organization lovers like me, creating a tracking spreadsheet could be just the ticket, but for others it could be as simple as reminding yourself of what you did while you brush your teeth at night. On social media? What about just tweeting or posting your progress everyday. It’s not about anyone answering back; it’s about owning your progress or roadblocks.

The BIG question: If you aren't honestly answering to yourself about your writing, then how do you expect to move forward or grow as a writer?

Personal accountability isn’t about berating yourself, it’s about learning how to work better, faster, easier and create a book you’ll be proud of.

Group/Partner Accountability:

Partner or group accountability isn’t about Who’s Got The Biggest/Best Manuscript or Who Writes The Most. If you have that kind of group or partner run for the hills!

For some, it’s about connecting with other writers and sharing in the journey together. The focus might be general in nature and focus on how your writing is progressing or questions you have. Basically, it’s your support group that keeps you wanting to have something to contribute and feeling as if you are tied to helping each other succeed.

For others, this can take the form of checking in with weekly word or page counts. Maybe it’s #1k1hr on twitter with whoever joins in or a monthly challenge such as the one Marnee and I recently participated in.

These shorter challenges make you accountable to a group or partner in a way that you might not always get. Something about “revealing your number” can be extremely motivating and allows those who don’t normally feel comfortable tracking their daily/weekly counts to be a little more accountable.

For most writers, I think the most successful strategy is to use a combination of the two. It’s where I’ve thrived as a writer. Since becoming more accountable to both myself, my writing partners, and even to strangers in a writing challenge, my writing has exploded.

Don’t believe me? I made March the first month I was truly accountable to myself and my writing partners and you know what happened? In March I wrote 10 times what I did in January and February combined. Accountability is a key to success.

So when are you going to get serious about accountability? Does the word make your skin crawl or have you discovered this writing super power for yourself? Have tips or tricks for tracking your progress or creative ideas for helping non-organizers stay accountable? What about finding your group or partner, any good advice?

Big Thanks to 2nd Chance for changing days with me! Lifts tankard of rum in salute.

It's officially March. That's three months into the year and three months away from when many of us set new writing goals for this year. They looked so shiny and attainable and full of promise in January but as the days ticked by, they lost a little of their special shimmer didn't they?

It happens to all of us, this slow fade from a promising new year of writing highs to a harsh dose of reality that although you might WANT to improve your writing, it takes more than just setting a goal to affect real change. So here is some great advice for lighting the fire under your goals again and making them work for you!

First, focus on what does work for you. I know you've had that day where the words just flew and everything came together perfectly. Why was that? Was it the setting, the time of day, music choice, setting? Maybe it was because you planned your scenes or even relaxed before starting to write? Pay attention to these small things so you can find what works for your prefect writing environment. How can you recreate those things when you are having issues getting words down?

Secondly, what are your strengths as a writer? And I don’t want to hear you just suck at all of it. We all know better. In fact, I did a blog post not long ago asking you to sing your own praises on something you know you do well. Think back (or better yet check out that post again) and anytime you find writing a challenge or that your story just isn't working, move to a scene that will play to that strength.

Is your strength planning, plotting, etc? Don’t get bogged down in it, but take a few minutes to plan or plot your next scene. Step away and see if it helps to get the juices flowing. Likewise, if character banter is where you shine, skip ahead to a fun scene you can really let your characters go at each other. Let your writing strengths inspire you!

Next, step back from your goals. Yep. I know this is about how to reignite your writing goals but for right now just toss them aside. Instead let’s focus on a new concept, the worst case scenario goal. Set yourself a bare minimum goal for the day or week. Seriously, maybe 50 words a day?Think about that as the absolute worst case, life shot to hell goal. And meet it. Achieve that bare minimum goal and feel great about it. That bare minimum goal is going to surprise you one day with how close its getting you to that BIG GOAL without all that angst and drama that hangs over your head with a big goal. Oh, and make sure you are celebrating these worst case goals. Hell, I’m celebrating BICHOK the past few weeks!

Finally, never forget that basic thing that speaks to you about writing. Why do you love it and what drew you to writing in the first place? Don’t lose those feelings. Find something physical to keep around you to make you smile or give you that nostalgic lovey-dovey feeling for writing all over again. Is it a sticker on your laptop that reminds you of something? Is it a copy of your favorite book placed on the shelf next to your writing desk or the cover of your first book hung on the wall? These physical reminders of your passion for writing can help you focus on even the crummiest of days.

Today I want to hear any tips on how you stay focused on your goals or how you pick back up and refocus after time off. Do you let your goals just drop, or do you redouble your efforts? Will you set a drop dead goal and are you brave enough to share it? Are you someone who's fantastic with goals? Tell us your secret! Let’s talk it out and discover where we can help find the keys to making our goals cry out for mercy.

Hi Crew! Raises tankard of rum in salute. This is my first post for the Revenge so I hope you’ll show me a little mercy and not make me walk the plank just yet.

For a little background on me, I’m in the process of writing my first draft of that first book. And it’s been hard. Really hard. Three years worth of hard so far and I’m getting so close to the end I can smell it. Um…well maybe I should shower more often…

Bo’Sun recently talked about setting big goals and Hellion followed up with a post about breaking that down into smaller 5% size goals. But what I want to talk about is how many goals do you have? I'm not just talking about just writing goals because although we pirates are writers one and all, our lives are filled with other areas we have dreams for.

I have career goals, relationship goals, health goals, etc and I realized that although it’s not bad to have set goals in each of the areas of your life, the key is to find a way to be moving toward your goals in tandem. I’d been treating each area of my life as a separate entity and that made it impossible for me to give any one of those things enough attention. Something always had to take a backseat and for me it was easy for that to be writing when I was doubting myself. Plus, writing really is a time hog!

My health goals, while also a major time suck, are really important to me so I’ve tried to test out ways to make my workout time do double duty. The power of technology allows me to read blog posts, tweet and read books while I’m on the treadmill. Which is great, but none of those things are writing. What to do?

A Treadmill Desk. Yep, you heard me right. After reading some blogs and hearing other writers rave about them, I decided I could make my own cheap (read: $12 total for supplies) treadmill desk that would allow me to write on my laptop while walking slowly on the treadmill.

Now this won’t replace my regular workouts completely, but I will be able to do long slow walks for cardio now and be writing the entire time! Check out the photos to see my lovely DIY skills. I have plans to do some upgrades as I use it more and see what I’d like to add. Attaching a notepad and velcro for a pen are on the list.

The best thing, and what I'm so excited about, is that I was able to take two separate goals and find a way to make them work together. I’m moving forward with both without feeling like I’m sacrificing one part of my life for the other.

What goals are highest on your priority list? How do you set those priorities? Does writing seem to be the one goal that always takes a back seat? Take a look at your life goals/dreams and see if you can come up with some creative ideas on how to merge your time to knock out two goals at the same time.