Writing Goals/Rejection Goals

Questions to Ask Yourself

I talk (and write) a lot about rejection, partly because it’s inevitable if your goal is to publish, but also because it’s, in my opinion, a vital part of the writing process. Many writers aim for 100 rejections a year (which, admittedly, is easier if you write short work).

The more rejections you get, the more acceptances you’re bound to also get.

And, as an added bonus, you’ll also improve as a writer, simply by engaging in the whole writing, revising, and submitting process.

If you’re a writer who is new to submitting your work—and/or frustrated by the submissions process or the constant rejections—here’s one last plug for the 90-minute webinar I’ll be teaching this Thursday, May 14th, at 5 p.m. (Eastern time) through the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA): Submitting to Literary Journals: Strategies for Writers.

Determining Your Goals: Questions to Ask Yourself

Writing—and submitting—requires you to play an active part in the process. Many people want to “have written” or “have published,” often shying away from the work involved to get to that point. Sometimes they shy away, though, because they are unsure of what their goals are, and without clear goals, it can be hard to determine your next steps. So, below are some questions to consider:

• What is one main (long-term) goal you have as a writer? What do you want for yourself? (Allow yourself to dream big!) For some, it’s to publish in a literary journal. For others, it’s to publish a book. But there can be many other goals.

• If your goal is publication, what kind of publishing are you interested in? There are many different publishing options, with many different degrees of difficulty and competition. There is no one right way to publish, but it’s important to understand what you’re trying to accomplish.

• Reflecting on your answers to both questions above, what would tell you that you’re making progress toward your long-term goal?

• Let’s get proactive! Now that you have a specific goal in mind, what specific steps can you take to meet that goal? These should be actionable steps, things that you can accomplish in the short-term, i.e., short-term goals.

• How committed are you toward your long-term goal? Are you ready to sit down and start writing? To start revising? To start submitting? Start small. For example, write for 10 minutes or submit one story/poem/essay to a literary journal; whatever you do, carve out a regular space of time to work on the smaller steps to reach your larger goal. This does not have to be something you do daily, and it does not have to be something you do for hours on end; even just ten or fifteen minutes will do! Then, reward yourself! You don’t have to wait until you receive an acceptance to give yourself a pat on the back. Congratulate yourself for accomplishing the little steps!

• Do you need help achieving your short-term goals? Meeting/chatting with another writer (or writers) on a regular basis can be helpful, particularly if they have similar goals to yours. Who can support you in your writing goals? Looking for a writing community? Check out my free weekly virtual write night.

And Speaking of Publishing…

Just a reminder that Hot Flash Literary is currently open for submissions for Issue 4!! The theme: Instant Karma. We accept flash up to 500 words from women-identifying writers.

And just in case you need a reminder:

“It is your duty to stay human”—a sticker from a powerful performance of Eugene Ionesco’s play Rhinoceros that I saw a couple of weeks ago.

Happy writing, revising, editing, submitting, and publishing!!