Typically, we would-be writers are busy making a living, whether through our own writing (some of us are truly blessed) or by other means (perhaps evaluating and editing the writing of others). I fall into both categories, but I crave precious time to work on personal projects: three novels, two novellas, several short story collections, and a semi-memoir. How to wrangle that many projects at the same time is the subject of another article. So, when some spare time presents itself, or when I force myself to focus on a specific project, I strive to set reasonable word goals.

Deciding which project to work on is often prompted by a deadline or sudden inspiration for a stagnant storyline, or maybe a fit of brainstorming has produced a new direction for a character or a plot device. Some writers dread the thought of what they believe is a constriction of their creativity. They may be very good at free writing. I often am, but I find setting word goals like the tape across the finish line: I want to break through and reach the other side even though I am the sole runner! I need to use my finite time as wisely as possible. Of course, it’s always a good idea to have your ideas sketched out. This doesn’t necessarily mean a formal outline, listing everything in minute details. Sometimes, I am that prepared but usually not. And I have found that when I have very specific details listed on paper, or just in my mind, the draft is rarely as I imagined it and sometimes even better than I hoped for. Still, you should have some idea of what you want to write, be it that pivotal scene, a burst of informative dialogue, or the description of an alien landscape.

I keep several pads of sticky notes next to my laptop. If I have thirty minutes, I multiply them by five, producing a goal of 150 words. I then write this number on a sticky note and post it on one of the upper corners of my laptop screen. There it is! A mini-contract with myself to reach a reasonable word goal. If I have an hour, sixty minutes are multiplied by five, meaning I’ll write 300 words. Two hours multiplied by five has the potential of producing 600 words. Now, you may be able to produce double that number of words in the same amount of time, but you ought to note it down, giving yourself a physical manifestation of the goal you want to reach. Be reasonable and fair to yourself by setting a reachable goal to avoid that great destroyer of creativity: discouragement. Meeting these seemingly small goals can add up to a completed short story or novel or article, eventually, or sooner than you think.

Someone once told me—or maybe I was just talking to myself—that a goal left unwritten remains a wish, and my grandma often said, “If wishes were fishes, we’d all have a fry.”