Whatever your writing goals are, one of the best ways to achieve them is to break them down into smaller chunks.

You might already have a goal that's in bite-size chunks, like:

• Write 250 words a day (this is one of my goals)
• Write one blog post each week
• Write three pages every weekend

But if you've got a bigger goal, it'll need breaking into smaller pieces.

Let's say your 2025 goal looks more like:

• Draft a novel 
• Launch a blog
• Write six short stories

... then it's going to feel both daunting and far off.

If your goal is "write a novel", it probably doesn't feel like it matters if you don't write 200 words today. In the context of a novel, 200 words feels like nothing.

If your goal is "launch a blog", it's easy to keep researching and reading other blogs because you feel uncertain about the steps to actually start one.

If your goal is "write six short stories", you can put that off for a month or two ... and then you might get busy with other things. There's still time. Right?

This is how so many writers end up feeling disappointed in December, having not made much progress towards their big goals. 

You don't have to dive in and write thousands of words in a flurry of New-Year-energy-fueled activity. But you do need to think through how your goal is going to work in practice.

Example: Draft a Novel in 2025

Let's say you want to draft a novel by the end of the year.

Right now, you might have some ideas, maybe some character sketches or notes for an outline. But you haven't started the actual writing.

If you take the rest of January to do more outlining and story development, that leaves you 11 months to write. Take out a month for the inevitable disruption that life brings (illness, busy periods, holidays), and that gives you 10 months.

An average novel is around 80,000 words. If you want to write a novel in 10 months, that's 8,000 words per month. Call it 2,000 words a week and you'll have a bit of wiggle room.

Most of us can write 2,000 words per week, even around a day job, family life, and other responsibilities. Here are a few possibilities:

• Write 285 words each day 
• Write 400 words every weekday (take weekends off)
• Write 1,000 words each Saturday and Sunday

That's how a big goal breaks down into daily or weekly steps. 

Other goals might need a series of distinct steps. For instance, if you want to launch your own blog, that might involved:

• Deciding on the name and URL for your blog
• Choosing a blogging platform
• Setting up an email list

...and so on. Choose a specific goal for January, then break that down week by week.

I know it's easier said than done, of course! You might get discouraged or sidetracked at some point. And that's why I wanted to share some Aliventures resources today that might help you with your writing goals.

Free Resources

I've got several freebies in my library of mini-ebooks that you've got access to as a newsletter subscriber. Just enter the password alinewsletter to get your hands on them.

They are:

Writing Prompts (Set One): If your goal is just to write, then try these prompts to get you going.

Time to Write: This mini-ebooks is designed to help you find time for your writing, even when life is busy or you feel distracted.

The Courageous Writer: If you feel daunted or stuck, this mini-ebook will help you build your confidence and creativity.

The Two-Year Novel: Want a done-for-you timeline for writing your novel? This guide takes you through a two-year plan.

Writers' Cafe Community ($5 for first month)

One of the best ways to reach your writing goals is with the support of a community of fellow writers. That's one of the reasons I created Writers' Cafe, a supportive, friendly online community for all writers.

Writers' Cafe is normally $10/month, but if you join now, your first month is just $5. (There's no ongoing contract: you can leave at any point.) We'd love to have you in there and get to know you and your writing.

Some Cafe members are just getting started on their writing journey; others have written multiple novels or have freelancing careers. Whatever stage you're at, we'd love to have you there.

One-to-One Coaching ($250 for two sessions, plus intro call)

I've currently got some slots available for writing coaching. If you'd like to kickstart your 2025, then take a look at what I offer.

With my kickstart coaching package, we have a 20 minute call to discuss your writing, then two full coaching sessions (45 minutes each, with you sending up to 2,000 words for me to read in advance). 

This is a fantastic way to get encouragement and supportive feedback on your work, and if you struggle with procrastination, having a call booked in can also be a great incentive to actually write!

Wishing you a brilliant 2025 of writing,

Ali

P.S. Here's last week's blog post, in case you missed it:

My Annual Writing Goals for 2025 (Plus Support for Your Writing Goals)