The start of a new year is always an exciting time. At Siretona Creative, Colleen is preparing her team for a busy and fulfilling year. On December 30th, we ran a marketing planning day, where authors could get individual support for their books, which gave them goals and strategies they could try.
Today, I want to help you plan your writing life in 2025. You can use these tools at any stage of your writing career.
Question 1: What do you want to accomplish with your writing in 2025?
This question is the foundation all of the other questions rest on. Your aspirations are unique, and your plan will reflect them. Take some time to decide what you would like do.
These do not need to be solid goals right now. You can come up with as many answers as you like. Once you finish the rest of the questions, you can go over your answers again and turn your dreams into goals.
Question 2: What other obligations do you have?
You’re not a writing machine. You have other things that you need to do. Some of those things can and will take priority over writing. They are part of being human.
Write down all of the important things you have to do in your life. Those may include taking care of family, working, daily household chores, and community involvement. Add major events like weddings or vacation plans.
You should account for all of those obligations when you plan your year. We know that authors are more successful when their writing life blends in with the rest of their life. Resist the urge to overcommit yourself. Rushing through the publishing process is not worth it in the long term. Patience is the key to publishing well.
Question 3: Where does your writing stand right now?
Some of you may be at the start of your writing journey. That is okay. Even if you do not have a single word in your draft, you may have some pre-draft work done. You might have done research into your book’s subject matter or imagined scenes you have not written yet.
You might be deep into a project and want to continue work from 2024. In this case, answering this question will be easier. Making note of what you have already done can motivate you and show you what you have yet to do.
I am almost certain you have a message. A message is a simple statement that your work conveys to your readers.
Question 4: How do you write?
There are many writing methods. Some writers have a consistent habit of writing a certain number of words or pages every day. Other writers will write longer sections more occasionally. While some authors like using detailed outlines, others write with no outline at all.
The best method is the method that works for you. It doesn’t have to work – or even make sense – to anybody else.
Understanding the way you write will make it easier to structure your year for success.
Question 5: Who is on your team?
Writing is a solitary experience. Being a writer involves community. Publishers and their teams bring books to life. Fellow authors form communities and teach courses. Friends and family offer more individual support. Naturally, we can’t forget the readers that make any of this possible.
Take some time to think about who your supporters are. Some might be professionals and others may be personal. They can help you in countless ways.
Now that you have answered these questions, you can set goals, create a schedule, and solidify your dreams. Posting those goals to writing groups, like our Book Hatchers group on Facebook, can provide accountability, as can sharing your goals with loved ones.
If you found these helpful, let us know by leaving a comment or by using the messaging system on our website.
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