Comments on: Writing goals 1: Don't expect the unexpected

By: Writing ‘The End’ is my motivation | Write for Your Life

Writing ‘The End’ is my motivation | Write for Your Life — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 22:27:25 +0000

[...] I agree with Ben but only to a point, because I generally think it’s good to reach for the stars, so long as you’re not delusional. I’ve said this before and I’ll no doubt say it again – aim high, expect nothing. [...]

By: Why you should enter writing competitions and submit your work to magazines | Write for Your Life

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:15:26 +0000

[...] you might never win a competition or get a piece accepted to a magazine, but the process itself provides plenty of rewards. The very act of preparing a piece [...]

By: Are you a writer that commits and finishes? | Write for Your Life

Are you a writer that commits and finishes? | Write for Your Life — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:36:38 +0000

[...] want to give it a serious go – do make a commitment. Think about why you want to write. Then set a goal. Then set a timescale. You might not match or meet those expectations, but don’t give up [...]

By: Can I get a HELL YEAH for September? « Restless Writers

Can I get a HELL YEAH for September? « Restless Writers — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 01:55:40 +0000

[...] you gotta start small. Have some fun with it. But don’t expect the unexpected. Write for your life recommends that you tread carefully as we have a tendency to confuse our goals [...]

By: Sunday Wash-Up, 27th September « Shack's Comings and Goings

Sunday Wash-Up, 27th September « Shack's Comings and Goings — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:31:41 +0000

[...] Writing goals 1: Don’t expect the unexpected Iain Broome obviously believes strongly in goals. In this evangelical post he does his utmost to explain why you should to. [...]

By: aniket

aniket — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:53:18 +0000

I’ve noticed the more I try to bring myself to focus on my writing the further my “schedule” tries to push itself away from writing and now that I am coming into adulthood I can feel the pains of not moving in the correct directions in a timely matter more than ever.

Your article has given me some brain comfort as I have been trying to reach attainable goals placed into unreasonable time-frames. Reassessing my goals for the year, I would like to improve my writing and time management abilities on a daily basis, always taking a step forward and never backwards.

Furthermore I also really enjoyed the portion regarding the difference between goals and expectations and if I can I’d like to eliminate all expectations I have and focus entirely on reaching those goals then maybe I can look back on my life and be proud of what I was able to accomplish.

By: Corin

Corin — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:52:05 +0000

By: Bitchin' atheist

Bitchin' atheist — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:09:35 +0000

So true…
I am having a kind of productive blip at the moment, if that makes any sense.
Last March I started writing my first full length novel. It was going great guns until my personal life started falling down around me.
In July I started my blog. Between the two I didn’t really have time to write anything else, although I would dream of getting by book finished, maybe even being a published author.
Recently, after totally neglecting my novel I decided to start working on it again and have got myself within a few pages of completing it.

And now, suddenly I find myself hesitating to finish. It as though I am scared. Because once it is complete and I start looking to a few friends for their opinions then it will be out there and if it is rubbish – I think I will cry. I still find the idea of showing people my work very hard; I actually think I would be happier for them to see me naked than to read my work. Which kind of contradicts my dreams of seeing my novel on the shelf of my local bookshop.

So to procrastinate and put off the necessary completion of my work I have been writing short stories like there is no tomorrow. I have been writing some days until 6am at which point my eyes feel like they are full of sand.
I have even started a second blog. (http://16leggednightmare.blogspot.com/)

So I think that I really should consider my goals and my expectations and possibly even get a little self belief.

By: Manuela Boyle

Manuela Boyle — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:57:04 +0000

Iain – you’ve hit me like an express train. I’m in denial. I write to work, not work to write. I need to set myself some extra-curricular goals and get down to business. Thank you…keep the motivation close, and the new posts closer!

By: Tumblemoose

Tumblemoose — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:39:00 +0000

I really flip flop on having a rigid set of goals. I understand the concept, it get’s us focused, we have something by which we can measure outcome, yadda, yadda, yadda. I have a loose idea of what I’d like to accomplish. I remember what those things are without bashing meself over the head with them on a regular basis.

I do think expectations are a different critter. If they shackle you, bind you and keep you from doing what you like, or if they inevitably provide a basis for your disappointment then toss the damned things.

Give yourself permission to play free and loose with the system.. Work on doing the writing, do what feels right in your heart, and you’ll rarely go wrong.

Cheers!

George