The Worried Writer Ep#11: Make 2016 Your Best Writing Year Yet!

ww_sarahpainter_headerimageThis episode is a bit different to usual. I wanted to talk to you about something which has changed my life and I thought I needed a little bit more time to do the subject justice.

So, although it’s a shorter episode than usual, it’s just me talking to you. I hope you don’t mind that there’s no interview; do let me know your thoughts on the format. If successful, I may do a few more short ‘in between’ episodes throughout the year.

Don’t worry, though; the main interview-heavy episodes will continue. I’ve got lots of great guests lined up for 2016 and I can’t wait to share them with you all.

I’ve buried the lead a bit, here, haven’t I? Sorry. The thing which changed my life is this: Goal setting.

I don’t remember the exact point at which I realised that anything in life – truly almost anything – was possible if you made a plan, broke it down into goals and then manageable steps.

Like most simple things, that doesn’t automatically make it easy to accomplish, but the moment I realised that even seemingly-impossible dreams came with a road map was an exciting one.

I discuss goals (and how to define a concrete one) as well as ways to break an enormous task (such as writing a novel!) into small steps.

I also answer this great listener question from Phoebe Morgan:

I was wondering if you might be able to do a podcast on the submission process from agent to publishers – my first book went on sub last week to editors and it’s just so nerve wracking! I’m finding it hard to know what to expect and it would be great to hear some other experiences about this – how long people were on sub for etc, how up to date their agents kept them.

The submission process can vary a lot, but I share my personal experience in the podcast.

If you have experience of being on submission (or some words of encouragement) you would be willing to share with Phoebe, please leave a comment on this post.

If you have a writing (or publishing) question that you’d like me to tackle in a future episode, please get in touch via email or Twitter.

I’ll answer it on the show and credit you (unless, of course, you ask to remain anonymous).

Please spread the word and, if you can spare the time, leave a rating for the show on iTunes. I truly appreciate your support.

Thank you for listening and Happy New Year! 

 

2 thoughts to “The Worried Writer Ep#11: Make 2016 Your Best Writing Year Yet!”

  1. I loved this episode, Sarah, and would welcome more ‘in-between’ episodes this year! I especially liked the way you broke down what a goal actually is, and what makes a good one.

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