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SETTING GOALS AND DEALING WITH THE CONSEQUENCES
By Patsy McNish (a.k.a. Alyssa Dean)Reference: Holly Lisle "How to Get There From Here: The Magic of Goals"
In my big fat dictionary Goal is defined as the end or terminus of one's ambition; in other words, the destination. I like this and I don't like it. It sounds way too final. That's why you have to have a goal that's WAY out there, so you know where you're going after you reach your first goal.
Characteristics of Good Goals:
1. Good goals are describable.
2. Good goals are positive. Not like "don't write a sleazy book".
3. Good goals excite you: Today I'm going to write the scene where Kent saves the world.
4. Good goals belong only to YOU.
5. Good goals can be achieved by your own actions.
6. You can figure out how to accomplish your goals.
7. You reach your goals regularly.
8. Goals make you want more.
9. Good goals can withstand a repeated kicking.
10. Good goals make you happy.
What we need to do when establishing goals is to make sure that we're ready for achieving them. By the time you're published you better be ready to pump out at least four books a year. So your goal before this has to be produce 4 books in 1 year.
Same with a proposal. The first synopsis I sold from was FABULOUS. It should have been. It took me six months to write it! You don't have that much time in the business world. You have to produce. So get ready.
As an aside, I also should mention that one of my motives for writing was that it was something I could do while I was home with my children. At least, that's what I thought. I know lots of people CAN do this, but I couldn't. One of the problems is working at home in general. When you leave your house to go to work, an event occurs to mark the end of the day. When you work at home, no event occurs. There you are and there is the computer. When you write at home, it's the same. You need to figure out how to make that work for you.
Patricia McNish writes as Alyssa Dean.
©Patricia McNish 2003
