3 types of writer goals you can set in 2025

​It’s almost the end of 2024. As I am writing this blog article at the beginning of November, I realise that there are only 2 months left for this year. When did time pass so far? 

At the end of each year, I  can’t stop being retrospective. I am thinking about the goals  I set at the beginning of 2024, the goals I achieved, and the ones I would like to achieve for the new year.
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I plan to take some time off at the end of December to think about the goals and the projects I achieved in 2024 and make plans for 2025. What about you? What are your writer goals for 2025?

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Why it is important to set goals
 Setting goals at the beginning of each new year is important because it gives writers a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment about all the writing projects they made progress or completed in the previous year. Also, writers can learn from their planning mistakes and set realistic and achievable goals for the new year.

Setting short-term and long-term goals for their writing projects can help writers be focused, track their writing process, develop their writing skills and find the motivation to meet the deadlines for their writing projects.

This blog  article explains 3 types of writer goals writers can set for the new year:
Word-based goals
Task-based goals
Time-based goals

Word-based goals
Word-based goals are particularly useful when the writers are in the drafting phase of their manuscripts. Some writers like to write a set number of words per day or per writing session while others like to write a certain number of words or pages by a specific date.

Writers like to track their writing progress by noting down the number of words they write each day. Some writers like to join writing sprints with other writing friends and increase their word count through friendly competition.

Writers who set word-based goals need to ask themselves how many words they can write every day and the total word count of their writing project so that they can come up with an estimated deadline. Knowing the estimated deadline can give them motivation to show up every day for their writing session and finish their writing projects.

Examples of word-based goals:

• Write 1000 words every day
• Write 10,000 words every week
• Write 50,000 words in one month
• Write 80,000 words in 2 months

Task-based goals
Other writers prefer to track their writing progress with task-based goals. For example, a writer might want to write a romance novel in 2025. They might have a busy and irregular schedule and they can’t set a specific amount of time or word count goal.

Instead, they divide their writing project into manageable tasks and put each task under each stage: outlining, writing, editing and publishing. The tasks can be as small or as big as the writer wishes, taking from one day to several weeks to be completed and they can be divided into subtasks.

Examples of task-based goals:

• Fill up character profiles for the main characters
• Write the first draft of the manuscript 
• Write down the main issues of the first draft in a separate document
• Find beta readers to read my book

Time-based goals
Some writers may have a limited or specific amount of time each day because of their busy schedule so they prefer to set time-based goals.

Also, time-based goals might be more suitable for beginner writers who want to create a consistent writing routine and improve their writing skills and writing speed. They might only have 15 minutes before an appointment or 30 minutes during lunch break. They don’t stop writing until the allocated time is finished. They don’t mind leaving a scene or a chapter unfinished.

Examples of time-based goals:

• Write for 15 minutes while commuting
• Write for 20 minutes before an appointment
• Write every day for 30 minutes during lunch break
• Write for 30 minutes before going to bed

Conclusion
What type of writer goals will you set for the new year? Are you the kind of writer that combines some or all the types of writer goals? For example, you might want to write one scene (task-based goal) every day (time-based goal) or write 5000 words (word-based goal) each week (time-based goal). 

Or perhaps you don’t like having writing goals at all. You might be a beginner writer who doesn’t like writing schedules or deadlines and prefers to write whenever you want to as long as you want to.

No matter what type of writer goals you plan to set for the next year, don’t overestimate yourself. Create realistic and achievable goals based on your schedule and your lifestyle. Don’t stress yourself to meet unrealistic expectations or deadlines. Know your boundaries and make sure you rest and have a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

What are your writing goals for the new year?  Are you writing a new novel? Are you editing the story you wrote this year? Are you preparing to publish your story? Comment below.
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If you would like to see more similar blog articles, make sure to leave a comment and share the blog article on your favourite social media!
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Further reading
How to create a consistent writing routine
How to write a novel in 90 days (writing challenge)
What type of writer are you: pantser vs plotter vs plantser

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About the author

Maria Georgiou is a professional developmental editor for romance authors. She specialises in editing contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance and romantasy. She is a member of the EFA and ClubEdFreelancers. 
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