As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve been working on some new writing goals. I love the fact that my freelance writing career has been very diverse. However, I feel like this diversity has also caused the problem that I haven’t made or met a lot of writing goals even though I’ve been writing professionally for nearly ten years. I’d like for that to change.
Part of my line of thinking is this:
I would really like to take a one-year sabbatical from freelance writing to pursue some personal growth and make some other life goals. I don’t know what will happen in that time. Although I assume that I will come back to freelance writing after that, I don’t want to bank on it. So … if I were to never return to freelance writing after that, what would I have liked to accomplish during the time that I worked as a freelance writer.
A few of the goals that I’d like to meet in the next three years are:
- Catalog of Work. I have a pretty good portfolio that links to a lot of my work. However, I’d really like to get a clear catalog of all of the work that I’ve completed. I want to be able to see all that I’ve accomplished in a clear manner.
- One Dozen Magazine Publications. I have been published in a few magazines but I have not pursued this as much as I would have liked over the years. I’d like to achieve the goal of being published in one dozen different magazines during the course of my freelance writing career.
- Finish a Personal Book. I have worked as an author on multiple books. However, these books were all commissioned or suggested by the publisher. I have several books that I’ve started on my own which I have not completed. I would like to complete one.
- Complete 5 Collaborative Writing Projects. I really love collaboration and I haven’t done enough of it. It doesn’t matter what the projects are but I’d like to complete at least five of them with writing as my part of the project.
There are some other goals that I have in mind but I haven’t figured out the details of them yet. These are the ones that I’m certain I want to complete in the next three years.
What are your writing goals? Are you ready to put them out there for the world to see?
My Writing Goals has 4 Comments
Support me with Flattr!
July 10th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Kathryn,
You helped me a year or two ago get involved in Hubpages. So, first of all, thank you for that. But I wanted to list my goals here to, as you said, put them out there.
I’ve been pursuing fiction writing for several years. My first novel was read by four agents (none of them in NY, one even under investigation for not properly paying her clients). My second novel was read by 6 or 7 agents (almost all of them based in NY or with impressive credentials, many of whom said it was a near miss). Having just finished the third draft of my third novel, I have two basic goals:
1) Get an agent.
2) Sell the novel.
3) Start the next novel.
I also have some freelance writing goals. Recently it has become necessary to supplement my income as a high school English teacher, so I may increase my attempts to get some freelance work. During the period that I pursued freelance when you helped me with Hubpages, I was averaging about $100 month, which I thought was pretty good. So getting some more freelance work would be another goal.
Thank you for your “Real Words” blog. It really helps to check in and see what’s going on with someone who freelances for a living.
Dan Tricarico
@Dan – Thanks so much for the update on your writing and for putting your goals out there on my blog. Persistence seems to be one of the most important things for writers to have so I’m glad to hear that you’re sticking with the writing. Best of luck finding and agent and getting that novel published! Re: freelance writing – HubPages is the best site that I’ve worked for so far but there are lots of other content sites to try as well. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help!
July 18th, 2009 at 11:55 am
[...] something to think seriously about anyway, especially since I’ve been changing some of my writing goals and may want a new site to reflect that. I suppose that I don’t have to make a decision until [...]
August 2nd, 2009 at 10:08 am
Yes! I’ve definitely begun to rethink my writing goals, and it’s very helpful to read someone else’s thought process on this. Thank you. I also hope to be published in magazines, and I’d like to have a couple blogging jobs that are enjoyable and pay a wage that makes me happy.
@Mary – thanks for sharing your goals. Best of luck in making those a reality!
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:11 am
[...] mentioned here a few times that I’m working on establishing and accomplishing a series of new writing goals. Those [...]