Even though summer doesn’t officially start for a few weeks, I tend to think of the summer as being June, July, and August.

This goes back to my years of being a faculty member when I had June, July and August off until Labor Day. During those years, I always set a writing goal for myself so that I can be sure to get some writing done and not regret it when the fall arrives. I still do, although I retired five years ago.

Many of us don’t set writing goals. We want to enjoy the summer, and for many of us, it means going with the flow.

However, if we go with the flow, we will probably not achieve any goals and when September arrives, we will be quite unhappy with ourselves.

Maybe it’s time to sit down and set a realistic and doable writing goal for the summer. This goal doesn’t have to be complicated.

It can be as simple as setting up your author website, or writing a few chapters of your WIP, or finally redrafting and sending off your picture book.

Alternatively, write a few short stories for anthologies, or send out a romantic story to Women’s World.

Whatever it is, set those goals now, write them down, and then schedule them into your planner every week. Once you have a daily goal, divide up the goal into five days.

For instance, if you want to write half a chapter of your WIP next week, divide up that goal into five slots. Write down what you’d like to complete on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Then when the day comes, try to complete that goal. Then move onto the next one the next day. (If you don’t complete your goal for the day, that’s okay. Just continue completing it the next day.)

That way, you will complete your weekly, monthly, and seasonal goals.

You can do it!  All it takes is a bit of planning.

So, get started today!

Happy Summer Writing!

Irene Roth