Write for 15 Minutes a Day, Every Day
I know a lot of writers hate the idea of writing every day—but with having five kids, homeschooling, and working online, my writing time is very limited. If I shoot to write every single day, even for a few minutes every morning, then if I miss a day or my time is cut short, I am still making progress. I don’t write a poem every day—I typically only write a poem every couple of weeks—but practicing my writing daily has helped me improve my craft over the years, and over time publish three books of poetry and complete a fourth manuscript.Submit my Writing to 2 Magazines per Month
One of my college professors told me years ago the most important thing I can do for my career as a writer and academic is to consistently publish, and I have taken that to heart. I’ve had times in my life where I sent out my work quite a bit more than I plan to this following year, but as my acceptance rate has gotten better and life has gotten busier, I’ve slowed down. I plan to target more prestigious markets and paying markets this year; some years I target niche markets (this last year I sent to primarily religious magazines, for example).Submit my Poetry Manuscript to 4 Contests
Poetry books are often published through the contest model, though my previous three books were all with small presses open reading periods. My fourth manuscript is less niche than my others, and dearer to my heart, since it is about the life and death of my daughter, so I’ve been sending it out to contests I don’t have a breath of hope of winning. Still, I persist! After my manuscript was a finalist in the National Poetry Series last year, I’m encouraged to keep trying. But, submission fees being what they are, I have to limit it to what I can afford to send to (unless I am able to get a submission fee waiver some contests generously provide). I know this means my road to publication with this book may be a bit longer than others, but I am in no rush.Complete a Sonnet Study
I have been thinking through what would be the best way to grow as a writer the next year—a class? a workshop? a writing challenge? — and decided to do a self-guided study on sonnets. I’ll be reading through a book of Shakespearean sonnets, a book of modern sonnets, a few books on writing in form, and watching some Youtube videos or a free online course on sonnets if I can find one. Recommendations on books and resources are welcome!Compile a 5th Manuscript
My 4th manuscript isn’t published yet, but I have quite a few poems that don’t fit with it and are likely going to form the spine of a 5th manuscript. I think this summer it would be fun to play around with it, just to see if any themes and tones emerge when I get those poems together.
A few things NOT on my goal list:
- To write a certain number of poems. Because I have a bad tendency to rush poems when I’m trying to meet a “quota,” I don’t allow myself to aim for a certain number of poems written each year.
- To attend any writing conferences / workshops / readings in person. Our travel budget is just nonexistent so I won’t be traveling for any writing related things unless I’m getting paid to speak at them (which I do have in the spring, hurrah!).
- To write any prose, nonfiction or fiction. Poetry is all I can handle this year! Every now and then I get a wild hair and write an essay, but I’m only going to do that, again, if I am getting paid so that it will be worth my time.
- To get involved with a magazine / press / writing group. Though there’s so much value in being part of a writing organization, whether a small writing group or large magazine, I think it would take too much of my writing time away to be involved with anything like that right now.
If you are a writer, what are your writing goals this year? If you aren’t a writer, what are your Normal Person goals?