Day 1: Three Things to Know About Setting Writing Goals

Oh, man!  You’re here.  I am so excited to see you.  Welcome to Day 1.  Now, Let’s get down to it.  Here’s three things to know about setting and keeping goals:

#1:  Research Shows that Writer’s March is a Good Idea

cue sad attempt at key metaphor…

In 2011, Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychologist from the Dominican University, conducted a study to find out how setting, writing, and communicating goals affected goal outcome.  One hundred and forty-nine educators, artists, vice presidents, bankers, and a slew of other occupations (aged 23-72) from Japan, England, Belgium, India, and the United States were divided into the following 5 groups:

• Group 1: Participants who did NOT write down their monthly goal (they communicated it verbally)
• Group 2: Participants who wrote down their monthly goal
• Group 3: Participants who wrote down their monthly goals AND identified steps to achieve this goal (steps such as daily goals…)
• Group 4: Participants who wrote down their goals, identified needed steps, AND communicated this information to a friend.
• Group 5: Participants who wrote down their goals, identified steps, communicated their goals to a friend, AND updated that friend (weekly!) on their progress.

(Did anyone else feel like they were reading a menu from a Vietnamese Pho Restaurant?)  The results?

1. Group 5 kicked ass.  Why?  Because 76% of its participants were able to achieve their monthly goal (compared to the 41% of Group 1).
2. Writing friends kick ass.  Its probably not news to you, but when we tell a friend a goal, we are more likely to achieve it.  Perhaps we are afraid of letting the friend down?  Or, perhaps our friends are good at kicking us in the pants.
3. Writing down your goals (also) kicks ass.  It is important to note that every other group did a whole lot better than Group 1 (the verbal goal communicators).  Writing down those specific goals really does makes a difference.

So its official: this Writer’s March thing is a scientifically-certified* endeavor.  The next time you talk to someone who is not participating, know that YOU are 30% more likely to get more writing done this month than they are.  Feel free to rub this in their faces.

#2:  The “Best” Goals Are Measurable, Attainable, and Meaningful

There are a number of different websites that will give you all kinds of advice on setting goals.  I like the one offered by Moira Allen mostly because it is the most simple:

1. When setting your goal, be sure it is measurable.  Not sure what yours should be?  Think in numbers:  ”I want to write ___ words by the end of the month.”  “I want to write ___ pages every day.”  “I want to write ___ poems/day.”  “I want to write for ___ minutes/day.”  Don’t have a big goal?  Remember that the monthly goal can be the daily act of writing itself.
2. Break down your goals into attainable steps (daily goals).  In teaching, we call this backwards planning.  In football, they call it making the first down.  Allen points out that “attainability also means recognizing what is physically possible in the world of writing.”  She advocates to be “honest” and “realistic” with yourself.  Thus, if you are not already in the habit of writing daily, perhaps starting with 5 hours/day is a bit much?  Don’t be afraid of starting simple.
3. Finally, and this is my favorite: the goal should be meaningful.  It sounds straightforward, but believe me, by day 27, sometimes remembering that the task at hand means something is the only thing that gets me through.

#3  We Aren’t so Much Different Than (Pavlov‘s) Dogs

They say that it takes 30 days to build a habit, so go easy on yourself as you work through the month.  For me, the aim of this endeavor is not perfection but the habit forming process.  And so, as we start the March, here’s some tips for building habits:

• Use a trigger.  Pavlov rang a bell and his dogs salivated.  The bell became synonymous with the approach of food.  Why not use this knowledge to your advantage.  Some people light a candle to signal writing time.  Others drink wine.  Many writers advocate strongly for an egg timer (set it for 15 minutes and go!).  Personally, I like toast and coffee.  Find something you like.  Use the thing to trigger the writing.
• Write at the same time, in the same place.  Your environment can act as a trigger as well.  Why not use…a desk, a coffee shop, the angle of the sun…to train your psyche.  I’m also a fan of leaving all  non-writing tasks OUT of that space (that goes for you teachers and yer shtinkin’ grading…).
• Take away temptation.  For writers, the Internet can mean death to your work.  Perhaps you disconnect your Internet (which also might be a trigger!).  Maybe you take a 1-month hiatus from Facebook.  If you are someone who likes to clean instead of write, maybe you clean the house/dishes at night so you can wake up and go right to it.  You know the things that keep you from working (that’s you, TV watchers).  Why not suspend your cable for a month?  Why not turn off those smart phones?  Why not check your email only AFTER you’ve finished with your task.
• Change the way you think.  I’ve heard it said: avoid saying things like “I should…” or “I have to…” and replace these ticks with phrases like “I get to…” or “I want to…” (as in, “I get to write today” instead of “I have to write today”) I also think we should all eradicate the word “can’t” from our lexicon…  Seriously.  Stop it with the can’t already…

Whatever you do, take control of the goal or the goal will control you (doesn’t that sounds like a final message from GI Joe?)

Ahem, so what now?

If you haven’t yet, you can officially JOIN THE MARCH by clicking HERE, and I’ll add you to the OFFICIAL CHALLENGERS PAGE.  Everyone else: stop reading this, set up your trigger, and go write.

*this statement has not been approved by the FDA, but that doesn’t mean its not true.

 

Calling All Writers! 2013 Writer’s March is HERE!

Goodbye, February!  Hello, March!

This is your inner artist begging to be let out. Notice how nicely it is asking for a treat…

Dust off your computers.  Buy a new set of pens.  Set your excuses aside.  I warned you this was coming.  Tomorrow: Writer’s March.  Be there or be:

• sad you didn’t participate
• mad at yourself for not writing (again)
• tired of always putting everything else first (again)
• one of those people who talks more about writing than actually does it (again)
• square (again!)

Writer’s March:  SIGN UP!!!  Not only is it free, but imagine how much money you’ll save because you’ll spend all your free time writing…

The Challenge (if you choose to accept it) is simple:

1.  Make a commitment to write every day this month. The trick here is that you set your own standards.  Whether its 15 minutes a day or 5 hours a day, you know your schedule and you should keep it.  Whatever you do, push yourself, but make it achievable.  Skip watching television.  Give up that extra hour of sleep in the morning.  Whatever it is, if you want the time, you have it.  All excuses aside.

2.  Decide upon a monthly goal. So maybe you want to finish a draft of your novel.  Or maybe you are a poet and you want to write a poem a day.  Or a short story writer who wants one solid, ready-to-submit story.  Whatever the goal.  Set it now, the beginning of the month, and then work every day to achieve it.

Yes, that’s right, it says “I want something else to get me through this.” I don’t know. It seemed fitting…cue the song!

3.  Find a writing companion (or make this blog your companion) and check in every day. I had a teacher who required writing partners.  The task: to agree on a time to write every day and call the friend up, commit to the two hours (or three or five) with them, and then call them back when you are done.  I had friends in high school who used to do this when they were running.  5am every day before high school, and the only way they could keep going was by knocking on each other’s window.  Why not do the same?

If you are interested in officially participating in this year’s challenge, please CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE MARCH. I’ll add your name and goals to our challenger’s page: just one more way to hold yourself accountable (you’re welcome).

Changes to this year’s March:

While the idea and the posts will, more or less, be the same, this year, I am looking for more voices of encouragement.  If you’d like to write a blog post to share:

• your favorite writing excercise(s)
• the best writing advice you’ve ever received
• things you do to get you through this…

Please email me at writersmarch@gmail.com.  I’m also very much interested in any interviews or articles or other informational bits you encounter about writing, the writing process, this writing life.

Finally, I also want to add a page for Challenger Accomplishments.  If any of your March writings have been/are published and you want some free publicity, send me that information as well!

 

March Arrives in T Minus 9 Days and Counting

The month of February is coming to a close, and that means that March is right around the corner.  I am looking forward to warmer days, a spring break visit to California, and this year’s Writer’s March.  I thought that now would be a good time to send out an anticipatory post.  Time to start crafting those writing goals.

For those unfamiliar with A Writer’s March, the idea is simple:  set a writing goal and work every day during the month of March to achieve it. The goal can can be whatever you like–two short stories you’d like to submit to literary magazines, 30 newly drafted poems, 100 revised pages of a novel, seven stellar songs….  The idea here is to think about what you’d like to have completed by the end of the month.  Your goal should challenge , but it should also be do-able.  Even the goal of writing for 20 minutes a day is admirable if that is all you can find.  For me, the importance here is not to exhaust yourself or beat yourself up, but to hold yourself accountable.  You make the promise and then you keep it.  Its as simple as that.  Oh yeah, and I’ll post some things here on the blog–bits of writing advice, prompts, jokes, stories of my own.  You can read the posts, share your own tales and woes, and we’ll go from there.

Why do this?

Today, as I ate tomato soup and leftover naan, I encountered Young-ha Kim’s TED Talk titled “Be an artist, right now!”  Translated from Korean, the main point of Kim’s talk is that we are all born artists and need to embrace art in our life, even when–especially when–it doesn’t seem practical. As he points out, as young children, we draw with crayons on walls, dance and sing in public, play house (aka perform mini-dramas).  We build sandcastles next to waves, not caring that the ocean will soon break the whole thing down.  Why?  Because it is fun.  Because it brings us joy.

“Unfortunately,” Kim points out, “the little artists within us are choked to death before we get to fight against the oppressors of art.  They get trapped in.  That’s our tragedy.” Without art, he explains, our artistic desires reveals itself in dark forms: karaoke bars, crowded clubs, and jealousy.  “We get jealous because we have little artists pent up inside us.”

While Kim’s talk is aimed towards an audience of “non”-artists, I found his message to be inspiring even for those who have more fully dedicated themselves (and their pocket-books) to the craft. I also enjoy his ideal version of the world: a place where someone might be a golfer by day and a writer by night, or a cabby and an actor, a banker and a painter.  For what is art for?

It saves our souls and makes us happy.  It helps us express ourselves and be happy without the help of alcohol or drugs.  So in response to such a pragmatic question [i.e. "What for?'], we need to be bold.  “Well, just for the fun of it.  Sorry for having fun without you.”

This will be a fun month.  Together, we’ll get a lot of words written.  We’ll create.  We’ll let the little artists out for some fresh air.  The weather is going to get warmer, after all.  Why not join in?  (No, really.  Click HERE to join the March…)

Additionally, if anyone is interested in blogging with me this month, please let me know (writersmarch@gmail.com)! 

 

Day 1: Set Your Goals

Since last year’s Writer’s March, I’ve been thinking a lot about goals.  What makes a goal “Good”?   For the purposes of this Writer’s March, I would like to define a “good” goal as a goal that is, above all else, “achievable.”

4 things to keep in mind when setting your GOAL

Start Small but Don’t be Afraid to Push Yourself

If you aren’t already writing daily, don’t jump into five hours/day.  I was writing an hour a day consistently, and when I bumped myself up to 90 minutes, I struggled to keep it.  I grew discouraged, and as a result, I stopped writing.  Don’t let that happen to you.  If all you can do is 15 minutes/day, don’t be afraid to say it.  Chances are that you’ll write for much longer anyway.  Remember, the purpose of Writer’s March is to find a way for writing to fit into your life.  They say that it takes 30 days to create a habit.  Why not make the habit a goal as well?

That said: whenever you sit down to write, aim for more.  Can the 15 minutes become 30?  Can the 30 become an hour?  Just because you’ve set a goal, doesn’t mean you can’t surpass it at every chance you get.

Be as SPECIFIC as Possible.  

They say that goals are better achieved if they are measurable.  In other words, if possible, make your goals concrete.  Here are some of the Current Challenger goals posted so far:

• Melanie Unruh’s Monthly Goal: To write 4 stories in the month
• Lenore Gusch’s Monthly Goal: To write a short story
• Teresa E. Gallion’s Daily Goal: To write a poem a day

What I envy about those training for marathons are the way they are always advertising their running times and training schedules.  Ran six miles today.  Ran ten miles today.  Think of the daily goals as the same thing: what are you doing each day (writing and for how long?),  and what is your version of the marathon (a novel, a story, a single poem)?  And don’t forget: the act of building a writing habit is also an excellent monthly goal.

Once the Goals Are Set: Keep Them!

When I was at the Taos Summer Writers’ Conference in 2010, the question posed at every reading was this: What is the best writing advice you’ve ever been given? John Dufresne, fiction writer and author of Is Life Like this?, gave this advice:  KEEP YOUR BUTT IN THE SEAT.

These are words I have heard so often I can no longer count them.  The first time was through Greg Martin in a Creative Non-Fiction workshop.  Greg advocated for a minimum of 3 hours/day for his MFA Graduate students.  He firmly believed that even if you couldn’t write a word, you had to sit there anyway.  As Greg put it, you are training your body to write the same way a runner trains his/her body.  You sit there staring so that the next time, when the inspiration strikes, you are ready for it.  If you’d like to hear more about Greg’s theory, you can visit his famous TREADMILL JOURNAL (for writers).

And finally: Don’t Let the Goal Stand in for the Task

Derek Sivers in this Ted Talk says it best:

According to Sivers:

“Repeated psychology tests have proven that telling someone your goal make it less likely to happen.  Anytime you have a goal, there [is]…some work that needs to be done to be done in order to achieve it.  Ideally, you would not be satisfied until you have actually done the work, but when you tell someone your goal and they acknowledge it, psychologists have found that…the mind is tricked into the feeling that it’s already done, and then once you feel that satisfaction you are less motivated to do the hard work necessary.”

In a way, perhaps this Ted Talk is saying that Writer’s March is a bad idea.  But I don’t think you have to look at it this way.  Especially when, at the end, he says that if you must say your goals out loud,

state it in a way that gives you no satisfaction.  Such as, I really want to run this marathon so I need to train five times a week and kick my ass if I don’t, okay?

In others, rather than focusing on the end result, focus on the difficult path (because writing daily is not easy).   But whenever possible: STAY SILENT.  For my purposes, I’ll keep my thoughts about my novel to myself.  And if you must talk about your writing, why not talk about Writer’s March (…ahem…shameless promotion…)

Got a Goal?

If you want your name and your goal to be on the “official” Challengers Page, please SIGN UP TO JOIN THE MARCH.

 

The March Begins TOMORROW!

Dust off those writing desks.  Throw procrastination out with the trash (along with bad metaphors).  Got a novel to finish?  A short story to write?  An essay?  A string of poems?

Tomorrow is March 1st and with it comes the 2012 Writer’s March, a writerly month with a single purpose: to keep your butt in the seat one spring day at a time.

The Challenge is simple:

1.  Make a commitment to write every day this month. The trick here is that you set your own standards.  Whether its 15 minutes a day or 5 hours a day, you know your schedule and you should keep it.  Whatever you do, push yourself, but make it achievable.  Skip watching television.  Give up that extra hour of sleep in the morning.  Whatever it is, if you want the time, you have it.  All excuses aside.

2.  Decide upon a monthly goal. So maybe you want to finish a draft of your novel.  Or maybe you are a poet and you want to write a poem a day.  Or a short story writer who wants one solid, ready-to-submit story.  Whatever the goal.  Set it now, the beginning of the month, and then work every day to achieve it.

3.  Find a writing companion (or make this blog your companion) and check in every day. I had a teacher who required writing partners.  The task: to agree on a time to write every day and call the friend up, commit to the two hours (or three or five) with them, and then call them back when you are done.  I had friends in high school who used to do this when they were running.  5am every day before high school, and the only way they could keep going was by knocking on each other’s window.  Why not do the same?

If you are interested in participating in this year’s challenge, please CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE MARCH.  I’ll then add you to the “official” Current Challengers Page.

 

Calling All Writers!

Dear Fellow Writers:

I offer you this challenge:  Write with me through the month of March.

Advice #1: Find a seat and use that seat for writing and writing only. No Internet. No TV. Nothing but you and the thing you write with. Think Pavlov only better.

You’ve probably heard of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), that November frenzy to write a novel of 50,000 words (from scratch) during the month of November.  I like the idea, the whole quantity over quality nature of it and that staggering energy, but it reminds me of the time I tried to run Bay to Breakers without training first.  Halfway through, my friends were already miles ahead of me.  My knees hurt.  I was covered with sweat.  And I told myself–very melodramatically–that I would never attempt to run long distance again (which I haven’t–not really anyway).

My attempt at NaNoWriMo bore a similar result, but unlike the marathon, I had been “training” for it, in my own way.  I was writing regularly and writing a lot.  I was two weeks in and I simply petered.  I don’t like failing.  And more than that, I don’t like committing myself to something and then abandoning the cause.  So what was it?

Looking back, I realized that me and NaNoWriMo, we just didn’t jive.  There’s a list of reasons, but most importantly, because I believe writing is more than just getting the words on a page.  That’s important.  It’s crucial, especially if you haven’t for some time.  But for me, writing was less about quantity and more about about keeping your butt in the seat, day after day, hour after hour, even if (and especially if), you stare blankly at the page.  I learned that from Greg Martin (who advocates the use of aTreadmill Journal to help writers keep on track – you may want to give it a try!) and then I heard it reiterated over and over again by writer after writer.  As many of us know, writing is rarely an act of starting from scratch, but an act of believing the mess we made on our original try is worth shaping into something worth while.

Advice #2: Read a lot while you are writing. A lot. But don't read so much that you forget to write..

As for me, I’m three years into a novel and a month away from finishing it (and my MFA.  Said novel is my disseratation.)  This is the third draft we’re talking about here and, unlike the second draft, it has been royally kicking me in the behind.  But I’m a hundred pages away.  And I thought, what better way to keep myself on track than to start another kind of writing movement.  Enter Writer’s March.

The challenge, if you choose to accept it, is simple:

1.  Make a commitment to write every day this month. My goal: 3 Hours every day (That’s 21 hours a week.  90 hours total.)  The trick here is that you set your own standards.  Whether its 15 minutes a day or 5 hours a day, you know your schedule and you should keep it.  But push yourself.  If fifteen minutes comes too easy, try and make it an hour.  Skip watching television.  Give up that extra hour of sleep in the morning.  Whatever it is, if you want the time, you have it.  All excuses aside.

2.  Decide upon a monthly goal. So maybe you treat it as a second NaNoWriMo.  Or maybe you use the month as a NaNoReMo (National Novel Revising Month).  Or maybe you are a poet and you want to write a poem a day.  Or a short story writer who wants one solid, ready to send to the literary magazines story.  Whatever the goal.  Set it now, the beginning of the month, and then work every day to achieve it.

3.  Find a writing companion (or make this blog your companion) and check in every day. I had a teacher who required writing partners.  The task, to agree on a time to write every day and call the friend up, commit to the two hours (or three or five) with them, and then call them back when you are done.  I had friends in high school who used to do this when they were running.  5am every day before high school, and the only way they could keep going was by knocking on each other’s window.  Why not do the same?  My commitment to you will be this blog.  I’ll post something immediately after I’ve done my day’s work.  (and likely something–a writing prompt, a writing thought, my day’s task, immediately before)

Advice #3: Stop reading this very long blog entry and get writing already...

The purpose of this blog is to help you write, and to help you keep writing.  Yet, I don’t want to go at it alone.  If you’ve got a good writing prompt, ideas for how to avoid evasion strategies, good advice from yourself or other writers, please share them. I have no idea how this experiment will work, but if you have ideas, I’m open to them.   Send me an email: writersmarch@gmail.com.

Oh yeah, and if you want to join the march, subscribe to this blog,

Samantha Tetangco