Goals and Deadlines

Today I want to talk about how I set goals and deadlines and use them to hold myself accountable. And more importantly, how I use these goals and deadlines to finish stories, even if I feel stuck. 

Because, let’s be honest, starting a book is easy. Finishing it, on the other hand, pulls teeth and is where a lot of people fail. 

Setting Goals

So how do I do it? 

Well, first, I set realistic daily goals. It can be writing or editing or where ever I am in the process. And it has to be realistic. It does no good if 6 out of 7 days, I can’t reach my goal because it’s too ambitious. 

For me, when writing, I have a goal of 1000 words. Most days, I write 200-400 words more than that, which is awesome, but I need those 1000 words. 

If you do better with 500 words or 2000 words, then that’s the goal you should set. 

When editing, it depends on where in the editing stage I am. Rought editing, I can do a chapter a day or more. Line editing, I do less. 

Once a goal has been set, I keep it. It doesn’t matter if I don’t feel like writing or have a super busy day. There are very few excuses I’ll allow myself for not writing. Family visiting, exams, and other whole-day family events are normally it. Even if I can’t do all 1000 words, I’ll sit my ass down and write as much as possible.

And, if I know I have an event coming up that will prevent me from writing (Like I know I got a family getaway in May for four days), I make sure to add those missing words to the days before or after the event so I don’t get behind.

Realistic Deadlines

My daily goals are then used to make realistic deadlines. 

If I want my book to be 55K words – then I’ll need 55 days to write it. I then add 5 days because sometimes things happen that just make writing impossible. That gives me a deadline of 60 days to write the book. 

Then add 30 days to editing, and I can have a book ready in 90 days or three months. 

Now, why, when I self-publish, are these deadlines important to know? 

Well, it all comes down to marketing. 

Knowing when a book will be done means I can line up beta readers, and ARC readers, do promotions, cover reveal, blog posts to garner interest, and so on. It helps me set a plan that, in turn, helps my work as a self-published author run a lot more smoothly. 

Are you a writer? If so, how do you deal with goals and deadlines? Do you use them? Let me know in the comments.