Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals for a Productive Writing Year

By Lisa Jordan

Instead of making resolutions, I claim One Word for the year. I also use the My Brilliant Writing Planner to map out a values-based plan for what I hope to achieve. That includes all areas of my life—faith, family, friendships, health, work, writing, etc.

However, it’s so easy to be overwhelmed by the enormity of it all when you’re focusing on the whole year. That’s why I started creating S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely or Time-sensitive.

Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals

• S-Specific
  • Is your goal specific? Keep it specific and tangible such as wanting to write two 55,000-word novels this year.
• M-Measurable
  • How will you measure the output of your goal or how will you know if you’ve achieved your goal? For writing, tracking word count will help you to see if you’re on track or if you need to re-evaluate your goal.
• A-Attainable
  • Is this goal attainable or achievable? Your goal needs to fit within your lifestyle and abilities. Is this a goal you can achieve by the desired timeframe, or do you need to stretch it out to make it more attainable?
• R-Realistic
  • Is this goal realistic? Have you considered the time and energy it will take to achieve your goal? Is this realistic for the goal itself and for your lifestyle?
• T-Timely
  • Is your goal timely? Creating starting and ending deadlines for your goals will give you milestones to strive to achieve. By giving yourself a deadline, you’re able to track your progress and maintain your commitment.

Once I establish my S.M.A.R.T. writing goals for the year, I like break those down into bite-size story goals such as plotting out each novel, so I can stay focused during my writing sessions.

Before I begin plotting, I get to know my characters by using Susan May Warren’s The Story Equation, or the SEQ. This approach to character development helps me to understand my characters from the inside out. That way, I can figure out their external story goals based on their internal motivations and I know how to move them through the story. As I plot out my chapters, I’m able to see how I need to take my characters through the stories so they can have their happily ever afters.

Once I’ve gotten to know my characters and plotted out their stories, I determine how many writing sessions I need to achieve my goal. Since I write category romance novels that top out at 55,000 words, I generally write sixteen-chapter books. Each chapter has two scenes, most generally a POV scene from my hero and my heroine. I need approximately thirty-two writing sessions to complete the story. I write one scene per day, five days a week, which gives me about six weeks to complete the first draft if I don’t write on the weekends. In addition to growing my writing career, I also work and care for my family. So for my schedule and limited writing time, this process works well for me.

When it’s time to write, I skim the previous day’s scene so I can refresh my brain with where I left the story. Then I have a better understanding of how I want to move forward.

Even though I’ve simplified this process for the sake of this blog post, it’s what has worked for me. Looking at your whole year can seem daunting, but if you create S.M.A.R.T. goals, then you can focus on each goal one step at a time. Remember to celebrate once you reach your goals so you’ll stay motivated to keep moving forward.

Represented by Cynthia Ruchti of Books & Such Literary Management, Lisa Jordan is an award-winning author for Harlequin’s Love Inspired, writing contemporary Christian romances that promise hope & happily ever after. Her latest book, Rescuing Her Ranch, releases in January 2023. Learn more about her at lisajordanbooks.com.