When I sit down to write, I don't have any real goals except to follow one good sentence with another... I'm not the kind of writer who has a map.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
As for goals, I don't set myself those anymore. I'm not one of these 'I must have achieved this and that by next year' kind of writers. I take things as they come and find that patience and persistence tend to win out in the end.
My goals for myself have changed as my career has evolved and as I've grown as a writer.
If you write something down on paper, it becomes an actual goal. Before you write it down, it's a thought, a dream that may or may not get done.
My goal was, and still is, to write first, direct my own stuff whenever possible and control my own creative destiny.
Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.
When I made the decision to really get serious about my writing, I set myself a goal of 1,000 words a day for seven days. If I got to 7,000 words before Monday I could take a day off, but I had to get there. I had to do that every week.
I truly believe that if you put your goals in writing, speak them out loud and work for them, they will happen.
I was like, 'I have to start writing for myself, to show people what I can do and what my point of view is.'
Every time I sit down to write, I need to commit to a word count goal, otherwise I waste too much time editing and re-editing my previous work, staring dreamily off into space, pretending that I'm thinking profound, poetic thoughts when really I'm just thinking, 'Look at me being a writer! I'm so happy I'm a writer!'
Your mind, while blessed with permanent memory, is cursed with lousy recall. Written goals provide clarity. By documenting your dreams, you must think about the process of achieving them.