OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
The only way to achieve goals is to a) set them b) monitor them and c) adjust them when necessary. It is almost mid year so it's time to review the goals for my writing and The Creative Penn.
I am a goal junkie! I have weekly, monthly and yearly goals, and of course a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)!
Part of my role on the blog is to challenge you and hold you accountable, but also to be transparent with how I am doing. I try to only preach what I practice, and share what I learn, so here's my mid year goal review.
(1) Keep to the blogging schedule and answer all the questions from my blog survey – all 401 of them!
I'm ploughing through the questions and getting to most of them, even if they may be answered indirectly so I am happy with this progress. Please do email me or leave me comments with other questions. I also respond to email with links to posts so do get in touch if you have quick questions.
2) Complete my first novel, Mandala, by end 2010. Learn a lot along the way and share it with you!
My novel is now called ‘Pentecost' so has morphed since January but I am up to 60,000 words now, it is fully plotted and I am confident I will finish first draft by end August. Then I will get an editor and polish it. My revised goal is to submit it to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards which open on Jan 25 2011. I will likely release an ebook version and also podcast it next year (for 2011 goals!)
3) Become no. 1 on Australia’s Top Writing Blogs (currently at no. 4)
This list hasn't been updated in a while but my stats look pretty good!
I am relaunching Author 2.0 module by module. Blogging for Authors and Writers is now available and people are finding it very useful. I will release 1 more module by the end of year, either Social Media Marketing, Traffic Tactics or Author Entrepreneur. Let me know if you have a preference!
5) Become a full Member of the National Speakers Association.
You can only become a member of NSAA when you have a specific number of paid speaking gigs, and so I have been trying to do more speaking this year, with the aim of 1 per month. I have also been sharing my tips on public speaking here. I am just reaching out for some more events before the end of the year so I am confident I will reach this goal. I actually love speaking – the more I do, the more I enjoy it so this is definitely becoming a core part of my business. (Email me if you need a speaker – testimonials here!)
6) Become an international speaker with my first writers teaching retreat in Bali
Bali is still on if you would like a tropical retreat with learning-packed experience! Read this for more details about the trip.
7) Create videos weekly for YouTube and expand my video presence in 2010.
hmm, I am not doing weekly videos but there are a few more than there were before, plus I did a great podcast on video marketing with Gideon Shalwick. Here are some of my video posts this year. More to come!
8) Create an iPhone app for my writing books and the blog
The iPad has been released since I wrote that goal and now I am unsure as to what I want the app to be. I think this goal will be retired for this year until we see how the iPad shapes up for apps. It might be better for me to invest in this development next year when I have fiction novel to promote.
I will also maintain my regular blog posts, podcast audio series, my twitter posts and my Facebook page + my day job + my marriage (not in that order!)
I'm definitely doing all this! The blog is rocking, the podcast is over 55 free audio interviews, I'm @thecreativepenn on Twitter and here's the FB page if you want to connect and chat there facebook/thecreativepenn
View Comments (4)
I'm so excited for you on getting to #4 on Australia's Top Writing Blogs! I'm rooting for #1!
It's also exciting to see that you're almost done with your book and all the other things you have going on. You do an amazing job with returning emails. I don't know how you find the time. Anyway, I want to thank you for all you do all you do.
My big goal is to complete What Nathan Wants this month. I'd like to finish two more first drafts before the summer is done, and to write two novellas by then as well. :D
Thanks so much Ruth, I really appreciate your support of the blog! I am pretty busy but everyone is (and you have kids!) so your goals are great - all the best for your writing!
I am all for writing goals. Yearly, monthly, weekly... all get goals and I am often adjusting once I make my goals and sometimes if I don't. This year I had three main goals for 2010 when it came to write. 1. Finish YA novel rewrite. 2. Finish another first draft of a novel. 3. Be ready to send out by 2011.
#2 is done. I finished a draft the first week of April. #1 is in the works, as I'm on chapter 8 of the rewrite and it's going well. #3 has to be adjusted because I've come to terms with the fact that I won't be ready unless I skip the beta reader stage. So, I'll adjust and/or think of something else for the next half of the year.
Great topic for a post and good luck with the rest of your goals.
My goals for 2010 were to finish my paranormal psychological thriller The Sweater Curse -- done. My other goal was to be published through a publishing house. This week I received an offer for two short stories which will become (keep your fingers crossed for me) ebooks. I have two other goals -- finish the second book in the Maynely A Mystery series, and have Maynely A Mystery (my self-published cozy mystery) published by a publishing house. 2010 is half over and I have met (or nearly) half of my goals -- not bad.