CREATIVITY SPARKS^TM
September 2007

Write to Goal, Write to Win. Write and Finish that Book!
10-5-1 Goal Setting
by Beth Barany

You have it. Drive. Motivation. Inspiration.

Just not today.

Today you don't remember why you want to write that novel, screenplay, memoir or expert nonfiction book.

You sit down to write and your mind goes blank, or worse yet, the story is mapped out, but there's no juice. There's no 'umph' there¹.

What to do? Oh, the travails of a writer!

Never fear. Goal setting is here. Now before you moan and groan that goal setting is for sissies, I mean, business types. Remember that your big, unwieldy book or project is well, big, and needs planning to succeed. Like a house needs an architectural drawing, or a football team needs a game plan. Planning is a very important part of any big endeavor. So yes, that means you guys. Us writers.

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Us writers. Plan a novel or screenplay or a nonfiction book on our expertise, why wouldn't we also plan our career or plan the whole arc of the writing. Ok, to clear up the confusion, you can use planning to plot, if you are plot-averse, or as some of my friends call themselves "pantsers²."

Ok, get to it already. I'm in pain, you say?

Alright already!

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Be in Charge of Your Writing Plan
I will teach you the 10-5-1 technique that I learned from my friend and leadership trainer, Greg Norte, owner and founder of Armada Training Solutions. The 10-5-1 technique is about Structure, and will help you develop a strong plan of action.

I'll cover some guidelines to goal setting. Then I will explain and illustrate the 10-5-1 process.

top Start here: let's make our goals SMART. As one of my clients, Fred Bauer of Abundance Business Coaching, explains in his forthcoming book:

Specific - Be very specific about your goal or goals. You could say, "Write a book," or you could be more specific and say, "I'm going to write a long comedic fantasy novel that's a cross between Douglas Adams, and Patrick O'Brien."

Measurable - Make sure you can measure your goal so you know when you have achieved it. Count your words, pages, or your time, or some combination of the three.

Achievable - State your goal in the present or past tense as if you have already achieved it, making especially sure the goal is achievable. Is it realistic for you to expect you can write your novel in three months. Maybe, if you're an experienced fiction writer and you've already done that. More achievable for a first time novelist may be one year, it may be five, as it was for me.

Results-oriented - Will the work you do lead to results that you value? Finishing a book, writing a book, outlining a book are all steps that lead to the result of having written a book.

Time - Have a specific date on when your goal will be achieved. Give your project a deadline that you can mark on the calendar.

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The Power of Ten
Where do you want to be with your writing and writing career in ten-years? Write down the date exactly ten years from now. List everything, your wildest dreams, just-for-you dreams. Dream big, dream outrageous and true to you. This is about what you really want, no matter how outlandish, no matter what anyone else might think. Reach for the stars and you may just hit the moon. Be glorious, rich, full in your vision. I dare you to make it bold. Take the time to answer this question in full. The vision can be one thing or many. Declare your dream in the present tense or stating, "In ten years, by state the date, I will have ..."

By declaring our dreams, we may wonder: Will I be letting myself down? What if I don't reach my goal? Well, it won't be for a lack of trying. And remember, our big dreams are not created in a vacuum; they involve many others so are, to a certain extent, beyond our control. That's ok. Let's focus on what we can control. And that is the writing.

My ten-year goal: By September 14, 2017, I am a New York Times best-selling writing in fiction and nonfiction; I will have produced several films; I continue to generate fun, exciting and useful creative material whether in print or other communicative mediums.

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Now it's your turn to write down your ten year goal or goals, pertaining to your creativity. Use the worksheet to fill out, write in your notebook, or computer. No excuses. Because your dreams start today. Right now. Right here and now.

The Power of Five
Ok, now that you know you ten year goal. Let's look at five years. Where do you need to be in five years to make your ten year goals a reality? For the purposes of this article I'll pick one of my ten year goals, not all. You can do this exercise for all of them if you want.

So, in five years, by September 14, 2012, I will have written and completed two more books in my fantasy series, found publishers, and have them published.

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In One Year...
Ok, now, let's come closer to home, and look at our one-year goal. Where will you be in one year to help you accomplish your five year goal? Make this goal doable, and as stated above, make this goal SMART.

One year goal: By Sept. 14, 2008, I will have completed Book II in the series and will have started on Book III.

In Just Six Months...
Taking it even closer, let's look at six months. Notice if you have any anxiety or excitement about setting a six month goal for yourself. Anxiety and excitement are two sides of the same coin, so it's good to notice where you are on the spectrum. And if you are bored with your goal at this point, good to notice too, and see if you picked a goal that truly you care about, or maybe you picked a ten year goal that you think you should pick, that may not be yours truly, and instead may be someone else's. If so, take a look at whose goal it is. Or, you may have picked a ten-year goal that is really five-year goal. If that's the case, move the ten-year goal into the five-year slot, and choose something more daring as your ten year goal.

At the six-month mark, what do you need to do to make your one-year goal a reality?

Six months: By March 14, 2008, I will have finished the first draft of Book II, and am getting ready to start the editing process.

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In Only One Month!
One month: ah, now this is where you start looking at what you can accomplish short term. Don't forget to make it SMART. What do you need to do this month to make your six month goal a reality?

One month/Four calendar weeks: By October 12, 2007, I will have written four more chapters on my book, completing the first draft through Chapter 20.

One Week from Today
One week: Now we get to the nitty-gritty, things that you can write in your calendar. There's not a whole lot to explain. Just be sure that the activities you choose to accomplish in a week support your one-month goal and are SMART.

One week: By September 21, 2007, I will have written and completed Chapter 18, and will be half-way through Chapter 19.

Today/Tomorrow
What will you do today or tomorrow that makes your one-week goal a reality?

Today/Tomorrow: By Sept. 15, 2007, I will have completed Chapter17, and started Chapter 18.

A Plan that comes with Teeth
So there you have it. An action plan. So now what? Revisit your 10-5-1 every week. Generally, I revisit it Sundays with my husband. We both take a leisurely breakfast and sit together on the patio to plan our one week and today/tomorrow goals. When we hit the one month mark, we revise them too. Since I started doing this in June I haven't hit the six month mark ,but when I do in December I will set new six month goal, and when I hit March 2008 I will set new six month writing goals.

All great success comes with a plan, a structured series of action steps. It takes movement and an outpouring of energy. Action makes dreams and vision manifest. It's a beautiful and powerful thing to see one's dreams and visions in tangible, touch-me real form, whether you want to write plays, poems, novels, short stories, screenplays, or nonfiction.

Let me know how it goes. Happy planning and happy writing!

c. 2007 Beth Barany

1. As an Oakland resident, I'm entitled to use this. Attributed to Gertrude Stein.
2. Pantser = seat of the pants writer, as opposed to a 'plotter,' someone who plots, duh.