achieve my WEEKLY writing goals, which will lead to my long-term goal of becoming a published author

• Get the novel word-count up to 21,000 – done.
• Write at least 300 words per day – done.
• Start on a new letter – done.
• Read one YA novel – done.

Reward: New Diddl writing pad.

• Write two blog entries about the trip to Wellington – done
• Get the novel draft word count up to 20,000 – done
• Add something to the novel every day from Monday-Friday – done

Reward: Pineapple Lumps.

It’s going to be a busy week with the launch of “Lessons to Learn” on Sunday, but I want to keep focused on my other writing projects as well.

Between now and next Sunday, I want to:

• Get the novel draft word count up to 15,000 – now 15,090
• Write at least 5 blog entries – done

Reward: renewing my NZSA membership.

Goal completed: 20 June 2007, a bit late, but done nonetheless.

I’m currently on about 7,500 words of novel draft. Feel rather uninspired so I’m not sure if I’ll make the target this week. Will try again tonight.

• Get the novel draft word count up to 8,500
• Write a blog entry
• Spend at least an hour during the week writing letters
• Spend at least an hour during the week working on the novel

Reward: Join two new bookrings.

Transferring some of the secondary goals over from last week, as well as upping the novel draft word count:

• Get the novel draft word count up to 8,000
• Spend one hour writing on at least one week day – done
• Start a letter – done
• Write notes on setting photos – done
• Write a blog entry – done

Reward: Join two new bookrings.

With friends arriving from New Zealand, and a new website to play with, the writing has been pretty much a write-off this week.

However, there’s a long weekend ahead of me, so I’m extending my Sunday deadline to Monday night and aiming to get at least three two hour writing sessions in by then.

Again the focus for this week is on the novel. I’ll keep adding the other goals, but I’m not too worried if I don’t meet them.

• Get the novel draft word count up to 6,500 – done
• Do at least three novel writing sessions on three separate days – two done
• Write notes relating to the setting photos.
• Finish another Orange Prize shortlist book.
• Write a postcard – done
• Start a letter.

Reward: 1 book from online bookstore.

It’s going to be a busy week, so I’ll keep this list short. Getting the novel words written is the most important thing.

• have 5,000 words of the novel draft written – done
• finish “Alias Grace” – done
• write a blog entry
• write a postcard

Reward for getting this done: next week’s 99p book with the Times.

Thanks for the invite Fire-Dragon… Glad to be joining the team! I guess I’ll interpret this as continuing to be published regularly, in a variety of forms.

When I was studying, I got a lot of writing, reading and editing done because I had deadlines. Now I’m working and in a new country, I’ve lost some of this focus.

So, I will give this goal a go, and see where it leads.

Goals for the week ending Sunday 22 April, 2007

• have 4,000 words of the novel draft written – done
• fill in the ‘needs research’ gaps in the novel draft so far – done
• read two young adult novels and write notes on them – done
• write a letter, long diary entry or similar – done
• write a blog post – done
• write a haiku – done

Reward for getting this done: next week’s 99p book with the Times.