How to set a writing intention
Have you broken your New Year's writing resolution already? Don't worry. Resolutions set you up to fail. Try setting a writing intention instead.
Have you broken your New Year’s resolutions yet? Today is ‘Blue Monday’ — supposedly the most depressing day of the year. Because it’s cold and dark (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least), we’re in debt after Christmas — and because we’ve probably abandoned those well-intentioned resolutions by now.
It’s pseudoscience, of course. There’s no evidence that the third Monday of the year is more depressing than any other day. But if you feel bad about breaking your New Year’s writing resolutions already, please don’t. Resolutions set us up to fail. Instead, this year I’d like to invite you to set a writing intention.
Resolutions, goals, objectives and intentions
When is a resolution not a resolution? Here’s how I distinguish between resolutions, goals, objectives and intentions:
Resolution. Something that you resolve to do through sheer effort of will. Resolutions are often about breaking old habits (e.g. giving up smoking) or forming new ones (e.g. exercise). They can also help you build a writing habit — such as write 500 words a day — if you can stick to them. But that’s the tricky part.
Goal. A top-level ambition such as finish my novel. A bit vague on its own, you usually need to break this down into sub-goals, objectives or steps.
Objective. Familiar from performance appraisals, these are narrower, and should to be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Based). Such as complete a rough first draft of my 80,000-word novel by the end of September 2024.
Intention. An intention is more about process than outcome. It’s about doing rather than achieving, and doesn’t require a deadline. Such as develop my creativity.
Any of these can help you get your book written — depending on what you find works for you. And you can set them at any time of year, not just in January.
Why resolutions set you up to fail
According to research from Forbes Advisor, nearly one in five British people (18%) feel under pressure to set New Year’s resolutions; with 18-34 year olds feeling it the most (37%). Yet the same research also shows that, for more than one in five people (21%), their resolutions are likely to last less than a month.
It’s not surprising. Resolutions set us up to fail. They can lead to unnecessary pressure, guilt, shame, frustration — even to abandoning your project!
There are two problems with resolutions:
They rely on will power and optimism. Neither of which count for much when reality hits. Many of us are time optimists when it comes to setting writing resolutions, and underestimate how long things take — something that future-you won’t thank you for. Creative projects always take longer than you think.
We think too big. We tend to feel the pressure to think BIG when it comes to resolutions, and set our expectations too high. Soon we’re exhausted by trying to keep up with our resolutions — or feeling guilty for letting them slide. But you’re more likely to build a habit if you think small.
As an example, imagine you resolve to write 500 words a day. Sounds doable, right? You start full of enthusiasm, fizzing with ideas. At this rate, you’ll have a whole novel written within six months! It goes well for a couple of weeks.
Then you skip a day, because you’re busy or tired or have a work deadline. No problem — you’ll just write 1,000 words the next day. But the next day that work problem is still demanding your attention. Then a small family crisis derails you. OK, I’ll just write 5,000 words at the weekend to catch up, you think. But now you’re stressed and tired, and 5,000 words is such a LOT.
You feel bad about getting behind, guilty for sliding on your resolutions — and trapped in an endless cycle of catch-up. You don’t feel creative, and it’s just not fun any more. You begin to resent writing — and end up ditching the whole project. You promise yourself you’ll come back to it when the timing works better for you. But it never does. And you never do.
4 principles for setting writing intentions
Where resolutions risk becoming productivity treadmills that lead to burnout, intentions are more forgiving, sustainable and don’t kill the fun of writing. You can set a writing intention at any time of year. But January can be a good time to reflect on what you want to do — and why.
Here are four principles for setting writing intentions:
1. Start with your ‘why’
What’s your motivation? Why do you want to write a book? For example: to earn a living, to help other people, because you have a story to share, or for the sheer pleasure of doing something creative. Find a list of 10 possible answers in my post Why do you want to be an author?
2. Don’t set a deadline
Unlike goals and resolutions, intentions don’t need a deadline or measurable outcome. Focus instead on your values and desires. Think about what would make you feel happy and fulfilled — rather than ‘shoulds’ and ‘oughts’.
Examples might include:
Explore a new story idea. Have you become bored and jaded by that work-in-progress you’re slogging away at? But feel you should press on, grind through it and actually finish something? There’s no harm in spending some time on your shiny new writing idea. You may rekindle your interest in writing with a fun project, and come back to your original WIP refreshed.
Develop my creativity. Writing isn’t just about sitting at your desk churning out pages. It’s a creative practice that you need to develop. What fun ways can you think of to encourage your creativity this year? They don’t have to involve writing. You could watch a film, visit an art gallery, attend a lecture or read a book in an unfamiliar genre. (Find some more ideas in my post How to unleash your creativity.) You need creative inputs to feed your creative output.
3. Make it achievable…
While intentions are the antithesis of SMART objectives, do include the ‘A’ — for ‘Achievable’. Your intention should be realistic and doable — because its something enjoyable you want to do rather than an onerous task you feel you should be doing.
Big writing goals start with small steps. But an intention is neither a goal nor a step. It should be something you can easily incorporate into your life.
4. …but plan for growth
A bit of stretch is good for your mental health, though, and for your growth as a writer. So try not to make it something you’re already doing. Use your intention as an opportunity to try something new, and perhaps push you out of your comfort zone (e.g. by meeting new people or learning a new skill). How will your writing life look at the end of the year compared with now? What will you have done to get there?
Examples of writing intentions that involve growth could include:
Learn more about the publishing industry — maybe through reading some blog posts, buying The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, reading The Bookseller or going to The London Book Fair.
Connect with other writers — maybe by joining a writing group, or taking a short course.
Research a new genre — perhaps you’re thinking of a new project this year, in a different genre — say, science fiction. What would this look like? Perhaps reading more books in your chosen genre, keeping up with market trends, researching agents and publishers who accept sci-fi submissions, and learning about genre tropes and conventions.
None of these should be difficult tasks that make your heart sink, or that you feel you’ll never be able to accomplish (as ‘write a novel by September’ might!) They should be fun things — such as reading a new book. But also learning experiences.
The power of intention
You might worry that you’ll never get your book written with such a seemingly lax approach to writing. But don’t underestimate the power of intention. Yes, it may take longer than grinding through your willpower-and-optimism-based resolution. But would you really have stuck to that anyway? Or would you have crashed and burned, resulting in no book rather than a slower book?
Besides, clear intentions, with a focus on motivation, can lead to firmer goals down the line. If you do want to set goals and resolutions, setting an intention first will help. Resolutions are hard to stick to if you haven’t first reflected on your ‘why’. A clear writing intention may also help you discover that your goals and resolutions weren’t really the right ones for you after all!
A writing intention helps you keep going, forgive yourself when you don’t, adapt to life’s pressures — and enjoy your writing.
What will you set as your writing intention this year?
Header photo by freestocks.org.