There is Still Time to Achieve Your 2020 Medium Writing Goals
Here’s how to go about it…
Every writer had different goals at the beginning of the year.
If you are a regular medium writer, you certainly had some expectations when you resumed writing on the Medium platform this year. If you did, this message is for you.
As the year wraps up, it’s time to reminisce and evaluate your writing journey over the past ten months.
Let's be more practical:
Start by asking yourself these questions:
What were your publishing goals when the year started and how well have you been able to accomplish them? How well has your writing improved this year? Did you make more money through writing?
Are you satisfied with where you are now? Did you get tired of writing and lower your initial expectations?
Is it realistically possible for you to make a difference before the year ends? How will you describe your 2020 writing journey so far? Perfect? Content? Adventurous? Uncertain? Successful?
The above questions are only scratching the surface because there may be so many lingering unanswered questions as you read this.
Joining Medium is one of the best things that can happen to any writer. Not only do you get to meet other amazing writers, it’s also a constant reminder that people are busy doing what they love: writing!
On Medium, there are many writers who are genuine sources of inspiration to others.
I always like to think that writing is an outlet through which writers can strive to touch as many lives as they can.
You never know who is reading and how much difference your writing can make.
For other authors, their love for writing can be traced to the sense of purpose and fulfilment it brings them. Truthfully, we all have different reasons for being here. Our reasons vary and that’s what drives us to push harder each day.
For a large percentage of writers, the goal is to earn more money. This is a very practical and genuine reason because why put in so much effort if it doesn’t yield monetary benefits? I believe that above all other things, the financial factor drives productivity faster.
If you haven’t been able to earn as much as you thought you would or have been unable to get any publication to accept your writing, please know that you are not a bad writer. It’s still possible to do this before the year runs out.
Here’s what you can do:
- Read more.
- Learn more helpful writing tips and apply them.
- Constantly ask yourself: What can I write that will make people read my story once they see it?
Here are two crucial questions for you:
1. How do you feel about your writing accomplishments so far? 2. How well are you meeting up with my writing goals for this year?
If your answer is not satisfactory or affirmative enough, you are not alone.
Here are some suggestions to help you reach your desired goal(s) for the remainder of the year:
1. Try to finish what you have already started:
If there are multiple unfinished drafts in your notes, now is the time to start finishing them one after the other.
Start from somewhere. Check your backlog and make a plan. If you do not have any unfinished draft, now is a perfect time to do more writing.
Pick out how many hours you can devote to writing and make it happen.
If you are a freelancer, you probably have other deadlines to meet. You can set up a calendar and prioritize what you need to do.
Mridu Relph explains that as a freelance writer who needs to juggle between jobs, she has a personal notebook where she writes dates and word counts in this manner:
November 1 (Sunday): 1,000 words
November 2 (Monday): 1,000 words
November 3 (Tuesday): 1,000 words
You can do this too.
If you have writing goals that you can’t possibly fulfill before the year runs out, it’s possible to re-evaluate and re-strategize.
A simple trick is to set a target and focus on meeting it.
2. Strive to Add value
Always remember that writing is a mutually beneficial process. It is a win-win and is more appreciated if it meets the expectation of both parties; the reader and the writer.
Before publishing, evaluate your post and seek to reach out to as many people as possible. You may have lots of people view and read your story. However, having fans who engage is what matters most.
"The longer you practice, learn and horn your craft, the more value you will give your readers and the more they will be willing to keep you going as a writer."- Paulette Perhach
Once you have an audience, writing becomes more than just a form of expression. There has to be something you can teach and give through your writing.
Remember, building a community of readers is the ultimate goal.
3. Read more from authors who Inspire you
Have you ever read someone’s piece so much that you secretly wished you could write like them?
There is nothing wrong with wishful thinking, as long as you can maintain your own unique style while taking lessons from other great writers.
Read the works of other authors and draw inspiration, but never forget your own unique style.
As you would agree, developing a skill requires learning from other people who have a wealth of experience and are good examples to follow.
Don’t imitate, create
As writers, we may like the works of other writers so much that we forget that writing is a personal process and it evolves with time.
I certainly don’t write like I formerly did.
The complexity of writing goes beyond your grammar and structure. It includes your tone, pace and overall delivery. Remember, your style of writing is important because it is your manner of expressing yourself and your identity through your writing.
As Mark Nichol notes in daily writing tips, "imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it's likely to fall flat when extended to emulating a favorite author's writing style."
A good question to ask now is : who inspires your writing?
4. Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way
Whatever you do, write about it. Whatever new knowledge comes your way and you wish to share, write about it. Good opportunities surface all the time, if you are willing to make good use of it.
Every little time counts. You would be amazed that you can do so much with so little time. This isn’t the time to keep postponing and delaying.
Just write already.
You will finish writing that article if you set your mind to it. Even when you don’t have plans to write, make it happen. Make it a priority.
Every writer knows when his creative energy manifests the most. Own the process and establish a routine around it.
You can only improve your writing by writing.
5. Celebrate past successes
It's been a long year and the pandemic may have slowed down a lot of things. If you were able to write influential posts that went viral, yay!
If your following increased, thumbs up. If you discovered so much more about yourself and your innate ability to write, a high five to you!
If you published a book, congrats!
If you earned more money than you thought you would and encountered pleasant surprises in unexpected places, that’s a big win.
“It’s up to you- when nobody else celebrates you, learn to celebrate yourself. When nobody else compliments you, then compliment yourself. It’s not up to other people to keep you encouraged. It’s up to you. Encouragement should always come from the inside.”- Joel Osteen
Even if there is nothing to celebrate, keep moving!
5. Have a positive mindset
There is no way negative thinking can yield any positive outcome. Once we are able to conquer procrastination and discouragement, we are one step towards reaching our writing goals.
99 percent of any battle is getting your mind right. Now is not the time for ' I wish I had done this or that....’
Put on strength and gather new enthusiasm.
Have you heard about setting SMART Goals? SMART stands for Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time bound
Don’t let your goals overwhelm you.
Afton Wooters, publisher of Independent Literary Magazine suggests breaking your big goal into smaller goals so it will be easy to accomplish it in parts.
Apart from goal setting, make an effort to put away bad writing habits: If you: 1. Easily get discouraged; 2. Do not have a proper writing routine or plan;
3. Have too many things distracting you all at once; 4. Have unrealistic and impracticable goals;
Now is a good time to turn a new leaf.
6. Make a Plan
In making a plan, be honest with yourself as much as possible.
If you seek to publish your work in other publications or on your own, set targets and push forward.
Before submitting to any publication, ask yourself: what secret sauce would you need to get their attention? If there are written goals that you cannot reasonably fulfill this year, it’s advisable to set them aside till another time when it’s practical enough to meet up.
Honestly, it’s not so difficult to attain anything once you set your mind to it .
Now check your writing goals again, are they practicable enough?