But, yes – the first step toward getting published is writing, writing the best story that you can. That alone won’t do it, but without a story in hand, there’s no reason to move forward!

From your points and the comments of others, I am find the principle of writing consistently reinforced. Everything else is secondary to actually writing/finishing the book. The right agent, group, or class is not gonna write the book for you.

To help with this, I picked up one of those freebie monthly planners everyone is giving away this time of year (I grabbed mine at the place I get my hair cut). I plan on recording how many words I produce each day, on which projects, by time of day (day or evening).

The thought is that rather than try to double my output *every single day*, I will instead track my output over time. This way, I will be able to have slump days, sick days (for me or the kids), and hyper-productive days, all without having to worry about not getting X number of words done that particular day. As long as I average out well over the course of the month, I’m still good. (It will also let me track my output, so that if I am lagging going into week three of the month, I know I need to bear down).

I know that output does not always equal quality, and that there will be days where revised words will out number new words; but since I now have to produce X number of words by Y date, I figure this is a good way to help track and motivate myself over the long haul.

Three years ago, I’m reading over Elmore Leonard’s website and the master says the question he is most asked is how to get published. To which he responds, (and I paraphrase) ‘if you focus on the writing and keep at it, you’ll get published.’ That’s it. No magic bullet, formula, or trick of exacting expectations. Just work at it. No more, no less.

Was I receptive? Hardly. I was p!ssed to say the least at the very idea of such pompus, condescending, arogance. Three years later, I’m writing and writing and writing. I’ve hit the limits to what I can do on my own and I’ve found a workshop of like minded, publishing-oriented, genre writers. In two weeks my writing has improved 3-fold.

In three months, I’ll start pitching. Win, lose, or draw, I’ll keep writing. And I will publish, not on my own, but without any spear or magic helmet either. It’s good to set goals, resolutions, or construct warm and fuzzy thoughts. What ever works for you. Just don’t that YOU have to work for you too.

I plan on writing – hopefully finishing, but at least writing a large chunk of – a new novel this year. That’s as far as that goes.

Good luck with yours!

And yes, metrics are crucial, to any sort of goal!

Though, I’ll admit, I have a self-publish (via Lulu.com) as this year’s goals, simply because it is a present for my father. And I want to typeset it also (well, and make the font inside it).

Having the metrics to qualify success really help. For example, I use my weekly weigh-in at Weight Watchers as the “official weight” for my own goals.