The new year is upon us, and like always, we have a list of things we want to accomplish before the year is up. Some people who are unhappy with their weight pledge to exercise and eat healthier. Students slacking and getting bad grades want to transform themselves into straight A students. Some just want to get through the year unharmed and happy. But as writers or aspiring writers, shouldn't we have new year goals of our own?

At the beginning of 2016, I got out a notepad and began writing. The heading? 2016 Writing Goals. Now, in 2017, I'll be doing the same, and I want you all to join me.

But why is it so important to set goals? And what should your goals be? I'll have to talk about my 2016 goals to answer those questions.

First, on my 2016 list, write 100,000 words. I broke it down to words per quarter, month, and day! It doesn't seem like a lot, but for me, who was losing the zeal to write, it was. Having a specific amount of words to write and breaking it down into months and days, made things easier. Seeing the number shows you what you are working towards, breaking it down makes it look not as overwhelming as it did before. Writing 100,000 words a year sounds overwhelming, 269 words a day doesn't seem so bad, does it? With things not seeming so hard, it's easier to find a good writing pace. It didn't work for me for the first three months, I kept coming up short. But then I found a steady pace, and now coming up with the goal amount isn't as hard as it was before. I'm glad to say that at the end of 2016, I surpassed my goal!

This year, I'm bumping it up to 200,000 words. You don't have to write this much. Choose an amount that will work for you. A good tip is to use a notepad or calendar to keep count of the amount you write each day and a running total. It's a good way to measure your progress, telling you when it's time to step it up when you're falling behind or calm down when you're ahead.

Next on my list was to start AND finish TWO new stories. Honestly, I have no idea what I was thinking when wrote that. I already had a billion (maybe like six) opened stories and adding two to the list was very stressful. I managed to start the new stories and was able to write a good bit. Sadly, I'm nowhere near to finishing my story, Wright Magazine.

But The Element Table is almost finished.

Don't let my failure and need to always want to start a new story discourage you. I still plan on starting something new this year, maybe you can too. Writing these two new stories allowed me to step out of my comfort zone of just writing fanfiction, it made me want to try something new. Maybe it's time you step out of your comfort zone and try a new genre. Maybe it's time you write that story that's been stuck in your head all of 2016 that you were just too afraid to write. Maybe it's time that you actually start writing! You might be surprised by what your mind is capable of.

I then went on to write my plans for each of my open stories. How many chapters I'll add, which ones I'll complete by the end of the year, plans for each of the characters, list of events to come, etc. I have six unfinished stories, and I desperately wanted to make some progress on each of them. It was easy to come up with the plans for them, due to my overly active imagination, but it was hard to follow up on. Even though I did make some progress in three of the six, it wasn't enough progress for me. But having those plans kept me reminded of what I wanted to do for each story. If you tend to forget things a lot like I do, it's great to have a record of what you have planned. It also takes time away from busting your brain for ideas right before you start writing. This year, I'll tone things down a bit, and make it simple. I'll also try to finish a book or two to lessen my load.

As a writer, one thing that I struggled with was writer's block. I know many of us have dealt with that before. In 2016 I wanted to combat that and came up with the idea to write prompts. Some of them were ones I got from a book, others from Grey's Anatomy fans about Japril (my ultimate ship). I didn't get to do a much as I wanted to, but I must admit it did help with the writer's block. The prompts allow you to take a break from your current story line and go in a totally different direction. Finding writing prompts aren't hard, just Google them. I'm sure you will stumble upon some that you'll find interesting. If you are part of a fandom, you can always ask other fans to send you prompts, which is what I do. I also write down all the prompts that I like and choose from them when I get stuck. When it comes to prompts, you don't have to post them, so it takes away from the pressure of it being perfect for readers. But if you like, you can post your prompts, especially those you got from fans. Fans like seeing how you choose to write their idea.

Even though I didn't get to fulfill all my goals, this process helped me to become a better writer, and also taught me a bit about managing my time. That's what I want for all of us as writers, to get better at what we love to do and to find the time to actually do it. Your goals can be the same as mine, or they can be totally different, it's all up to you. Think about how you want to be better as a writer, and make your goals to suit. Think about your life and schedule, and make your goals to suit. Think about all the crazy ideas floating around in your head, and make your goals to suit.

So, I'm throwing this challenge out to you all. Are you going to deny it, or accept it?

Happy New Year Everyone!