99 Summer Goals for Writers

Are you ready for 99 summer goals for writers? I was trying to think of a great way to serve you as we enter the summer months, and I realized one of my biggest problems is … productivity.

Summer is often unproductive for me. Even though I still work, I feel lazier and more tired and … yeah. I just don’t get as much done as I’d like to!

Soooo … how about picking some awesome goals from a list of 99 I compiled? I’ll explain more below!

How to Use the Goals for Writers

If you’re a writer who needs to be more productive this summer, you can pick one or more goals from this list and try to accomplish them over the summer!

A lot of them are little, bucket list kinds of things … while other are word count goals or along those lines! You’re sure to find one or ten that work for you no matter your stage.

Some of these goals were suggested by others (all credited as such).

You could also brainstorm your own goal – and maybe these will give you some inspiration to do so!

So without further ado …

99 Summer Goals for Writers

1. Don’t set a goal at all and relax.
2. Write a short story every week.
3. Write & edit a short story every week.
4. Write a novella (15,000-40,000 words) every month.
5. Write outside at a park or in your backyard.
6. Write 12,000 words over the summer (1,000 every week).
7. Participate in July Camp NaNoWriMo.
8. Read a blog post or listen to a podcast on writing technique every day.
9. Journal every day.
10. Write at least a few paragraphs while in a remote vacation location.
11. Participate in 50 word sprints.
12. Write about something you’ve never personally experienced.
13. Experiment with a new genre.
14. Spend some time figuring out what your author brand is.
15. Chat with an author about how they got published.
16. Read 5 books on the writing craft.
17. Follow 3 new blogs who posts frequent writing how-to posts.
18. Start a blog.
19. Get on a brand-new social media channel and join the writing community there.
20. Keep track of how you spend your days and see how productive you can be.
21. Get up super early to write.
22. Stay up super late to write.
23. Get feedback/critique from other writers.
24. Pinpoint one of your writing weaknesses and work on strengthening it.
25. Write some flash fiction every morning when you first get up.
26. Help a writer who is less experienced than you learn something new.
27. Join an author’s street team and participate in their book launch.
28. Don’t let that thing you always let slump in the summer slump.
29. Let one of your family members read your writing.
30. Give a piece of your writing to someone as a gift.
31. Tell 5 people you know you’re a writer & you’re rocking it.
32. Write a short story exaggerating one of your biggest writing weaknesses.
33. Create a bucket list of writerly things you want to do before you die.
34. Have someone take pictures of you writing and reading.
35. Write 100 words for every time you pick up your phone for no reason.
36. Write 100 words for every episode of a TV show you watch.
37. Get an accountability partner.
38. Create a playlist for your book and listen to it. All. The. Time.
39. Create a Pinterest board for your book so you’re properly inspired.
40. Finish your work-in-progress.
41. Start a new work-in-progress.
42. Write somewhere you’ve never written before.
43. Outline a brand-new story.
44. Try pantsering (writing without an outline) if you never have before.
45. See how much you can write in 5 minutes and try to improve on it.
46. Design a book cover for your work-in-progress.
47. Read that classic novel you’ve been putting off.
48. Open a random book at a random place and write a short story based off a line.
49. Write a character based on a good friend to practice real-feeling people.
50. Reach out to a favorite author of yours.
51. Support a fellow writer by leaving a review of their book.
52. Support a fellow writer by sending them an encouraging email, message, etc.
53. Organize the files in your computer. Somehow.
54. Write a story specifically for a friend.
55. Create a plan for your next year of writing.
56. Write a novel from start to finish over the summer.
57. Write 1,000 words every day.
58. Write 100 words every day.
59. Take a break from writing for at least part of the summer.
60. Write an hour a day.
61. Write an hour a day except on weekends.
62. Write a blog post/article every day.
63. Write a blog post/article every week.
64. Take a break from blogging.
65. Push yourself to write more than you ever have before in a day.
66. Push yourself to write more than you ever have before in a week.
67. Push yourself to write more than you ever have before in a month.
68. Try to write slightly less than the most you ever have before in a day.
69. Try to write slightly less than the most you ever have before in a week.
70. Try to write slightly less than the most you ever have before in a month.
71. Work on different projects on alternating weeks.
72. Work on different projects on alternating days.
73. Write 556 words every day (you’ll have a 50,000 word novel by September).
74. Experiment with a different type of outlining and see how it works for you.
75. Ask a question in a writing community of some sort every week.
76. Create in yourself a business mindset about writing/authoring.
77. Research traditional and indie publishing and decide what’s right for you.
78. Create a publishing plan for yourself if you’re going indie.
79. Create an email list and begin inviting people to join it.
80. Create a plotting toolbox: fill a file on your computer with things that get your creative juices flowing and turn to it whenever you need inspiration. (suggested by Rebekah Black)
81. Write something combining two very different genres. (suggested by Justin Kemp)
82. Submit to three writing competitions. (suggested by Justin Kemp)
83. Write three short stories set in the same universe. (suggested by Justin Kemp)
84. If there are any writing/writer-related places near you, go on a literary pilgrimage. (suggested by Jessie Bingham)
85. Write a complete short story, polish it up, and share it for critique. (suggested by AK)
86. Try co-authoring a story with someone. (suggested by Nina F.)
87. Write at the library once a week.
88. Write a poem for your mom about how much your love her.
89. Write a poem for your dad about how much you love him.
90. Write a poem for your grandfather or grandmother about how much you love them.
91. Write a poem or story for one of your siblings.
92. Make up a bedtime story for your little sister or brother.
93. Attend a writing class.
94. Attend a writing conference of any type.
95. Learn to use a graphic design program like Canva, GIMP, or PicMonkey.
96. Talk to someone in a service providing field you would eventually like to become experienced in.
97. Create a 5-year plan for your writing career.
98. Talk to your parents, spouse, or trusted friends about the direction your career is going.
99. Just enjoy the summer!

What do you think?

Here are my summer writing-related goals:

• Finish The Dressmaker’s Secret and Ivy Introspective‘s rewrites and round 1 edits.
• Finish A Prayer Unanswered‘s draft one.
• Set up my email list (it needs a reboot).
• Finish publishing the Kees & Colliers series.
• Launch a brand-new business.
• Get caught up on reading ARCs.

TTFN!

~Kellyn Roth~

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p.s.

What are your summer goals? Do you plan to use any of these? What is your favorite summery thing to do? What does summer look like for you (if it’s different from day-to-day at all)?