Setting writing goals for 2019

I regularly review my short term writing goals, such as planning to pitch an article by a certain date or to hit a certain word count on a longer piece of work. As 2018 ends, I find myself thinking about what I want to achieve in 2019.

Over the holidays I’ve been reading The Positively Productive Writer by author Simon Whaley. It has been helpful in setting myself some pretty ambitious writing targets for the coming year. Unlike many of the writing books on my shelves, Simon’s isn’t about the art of writing itself but, rather, how to be a positive, productive and therefore hopefully more successful writer.

He covers areas such as how to set yourself a mix of short, medium and long term SMART goals, dealing positively with rejection, and organising your writing life. I really want to make a big push with my writing career in 2019, and this book has been useful in planning ahead.

My fiancé, Gary, and I had a wander around Hanley earlier today, weaving through the crowds of post-Christmas sales shoppers to go for a coffee and mince pie at Caffe Nero (it is honestly one of my favourite places) where we chatted about our respective resolutions for 2019 (his music, mine writing), followed by a browse around Waterstones. I picked up a copy of Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook 2019, which is an invaluable guide with lists of magazines, publishers and agents, as well as containing useful articles about various aspects of writing. I’m going to be making the most of the remainder of the Christmas break by reading through this book with a highlighter, finding inspiration for possible places to send my work in the coming months.

What are your writing aims for 2019? What helps you set them?