Kaela Prall

I almost applied for post-grad school.

Can you believe that?
I just got done with the whole get-your-education thing (it took me 10 years to get my BA and MA) and I was suddenly considering going back into the mess of deadlines and debt to get my PhD.

To avoid making any hasty decisions, I took time to consider why exactly I wanted to go back to school.
Is it because I want my PhD? In part, yes.
Is it because I miss the lack of sleep and health risks involved in high levels of stress? No, definitely not.
Is it because I miss the challenge and the structure? Yeah. Yes. There it is.

I miss deadlines and feedback and actually writing. I had all these ideas that once I graduated I would write all the time like some frenetic literature-producing machine. That didn’t happen.

Instead, I slept more, read more books, traveled more, and cruised the interwebs more. (3/4 of those things are good–the other one is not so much.)

Even with all that goodness happening, I found that my soul, the very center of who I am, was suffering because I wasn’t writing.

Wake up call –> Writing = Happiness

Whew. Okay. Lesson learned.

I’m creating structure for myself–and this is an experiment because I’m not even sure what my writing process looks like. But I have two books in the works right now and they need to be finished so I can continue writing new things.

I picked up some books to help me figure out how to *lovingly* implement some structure in my writing life and motivate myself toward goals. Write Smart, Write Happy by Carol St. John has been very helpful in the planning and goal-setting process. David Sedaris’ Theft by Finding has been taking care of the motivation department.

Accountability is a yucky work, but I believe very strongly in community. If you’re a writer, I want to hear about your goals and how you accomplish them.

These are my weekly goals:

• Write 5 pages in YA novel
• Write 2 poems
• Write 1 blog post
• Bonus: Ex: Short story, revision, plotting new ideas, character dev, etc

These are my 2018 goals:

All these goals are on a spreadsheet (so you know it’s official).

Writer friends: I am so interested to know how you keep track of your goals, when you write, and how you motivate yourself.
Everyone else: Keep us in your thoughts and if we look frazzled, it’s because we are.

Peaceful, easy feelings–

K

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Share your goals! I’d love to hear them and encourage you along the way!

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Anyone want to be a beta reader for my YA novel? I’d love to be a beta reader for whatever you’re writing in return. Email me and let me know if you’re interested!