Now that you have established what kind of writer you would like to be, it’s time to talk about your NYWM writing goals.

We know that there are two types – long term goals and short term goals. But what are the differences?

A good way to think about this is by creating several short term goals to achieve one major long term goal. With that said, long term goals generally take days, months, even years to achieve. Meanwhile, a short term goal is brief – there is an impending deadline ahead and by achieving it, you become one step closer to your ultimate long term goal at the end of the race.

Think of where you see yourself as a writer – if you’re a budding journalist, maybe your long term goal is to win the coveted Pulitzer Prize. If you’re an emerging author, perhaps it’s having your novel displayed in window shelves across the world. Or if you’re new to the writing scene, it might be something as simple as getting your short piece published in a local publication.

A great way to tackle a writing goal is by asking yourself this – where do I want to be in 5 or 10 years? Do I want to own my own writing magazine? Do I want to have not one book published, but several? Envisioning your desired possible future not only gives you motivation to strive for your best, but keeps you on track when creating short term goals to achieve your vision.

After doing that, think about what steps you can take in 2014 to be closer to that goal, whether short or long term. Be honest with yourself – create goals that you know you can achieve. As writers, we know that there will be many days ahead where the words we need aren’t coming to fruition, so to alleviate we suggest making a word count per day or a minimum of words to write per week.

It’s important to note you should be reflecting on your writing progress and maintaining ways to stay motivated. Reward yourself every now and then and keep regular journal entries tracking your progress. Best of luck!

If you’re still unsure about goal setting, author Charmaine Clancy has created a terrific post about how to set a writing goal.

Love visuals and need some tough love? Then check out this brief motivational video called ‘How To Level Up’ by YouTube personality Anna Akana.

Opportunities and events

We’re always on the lookout for writers to be featured as part of NYWM. If you’re happy to answer a few questions about you and your writing, please fill out this form.

Ladies, today is the first Pitch, Bitch! This is an informal mentoring resource for women which aims to bridge the confidence gap that many female writers have in pitching their work to editors. It will contain practical advice, real stories and interviews. The website has more information and suggestions for how to get involved.

Applications are now open for the Templeberg Residential Fellowship. Established in 2013, the fellowship send one Australian writer to Templeburg Villa in Galle in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. Flights, transfer costs, accommodation are all fully covered. To learn about the program, check out the post on Writer’s Victoria.

“I don’t need an alarm clock. My ideas wake me.”

—Ray Bradbury, WD