I know. Starting a blog about writing with a post about goals is about as predictable as it gets. But I think there's a reason goals come up at the beginning of so many creative endeavors, and it's not just because people are unoriginal. It's because goals are how you hold yourself accountable before anyone else will.
So let's talk about goals. Specifically, let's talk about something that doesn't get discussed enough: the difference between quantitative and qualitative goals, and why both matter.
SMART (and SMARTER) Goals
You've probably heard of SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. Some versions add two more letters — SMARTER — by tacking on Evaluated and Reviewed. These frameworks are useful because they force you to make your goals concrete enough to actually pursue.
For writing, SMART goals are easy to construct. Write 1,000 words a day. Finish a draft by October 31st. Submit to three contests before the end of the year. Specific, measurable, time-bound. Done.
But they don't cover everything.
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Goals
Quantitative goals are easy: you either hit the number or you don't. Qualitative goals are harder. How do you measure "write more believable female characters" or "improve my pacing"? You can't put a number on those.
The trick is to support qualitative goals with quantitative ones. If I want to write more believable female characters, I can set a quantitative goal of reading twenty books written from a female POV, or writing five short stories where the protagonist is a woman. Those are the measurable steps. The qualitative improvement is what you measure by comparing your work now to your work six months ago — not against a deadline.
My 2020 Goals
Here's what I'm committing to this year:
-
Complete worldbuilding and plotting by October 31st. I've been building the world for Shadows of Light for a while, and it's time to stop building and start writing.
-
Begin writing November 1st. That aligns with NaNoWriMo, which I'm using as a forcing function to actually start putting words on the page.
-
Write a short story every month. This serves both purposes — it's a quantitative target and a way to track qualitative improvement over time. Read the January story next to the December story and you'll know if you've grown.
Those are my goals. Putting them here makes them real. You're welcome to hold me to them.
What qualitative goals are you working on, and how are you measuring them?