Furry Writers' Guild Forum

What is your writing goal?

General Writing Discussion
#21

What do I want out of writing…

I selected “To be published.” More so because I don’t want writing as a fully time job. The ideas I get are purely in the “furry” sphere and mostly are short stories. I may have an idea for something that might be novel-length and I’d love to see it published as such, but…

I don’t see making a living off writing as possible for me. I like the idea of it, but then writing would turn into a job, and I find it tough to sit in one place for an hour writing at times, let alone trying to do it for eight. Heck, after being accepted into Roar 7, I’ve been trying to find more anthologies to submit to and I started to look more and more out of how I write to do so.

But writing should be for me.

Yes, I’d love to have some sort of following of my work. But I also want to be proud of what I write – not because it was tough to complete, but because of what I like what is being said in the piece, or the scene is… enjoyable, if you will.

#22

To make a career out of writing/a literature-related field like editing or publishing.

that’s my goal. but I also see myself as having side goals. if I can post a story or two that didn’t make it to publishing or that were just for fun to Sofurry, or FA then great. it at least gets me out there.

I mostly write for myself, but I’m also understanding when a story might not fit a target.

Like I’m writing a story for ROAR that features a transgender transformation into a new life, a “paradise” life of fun, excitement in a new way and love…it probably won’t fit ROAR but you never know, so I write it.

if it doesn’t then I post it to FA or keep it and see where else it might fit.

#23

One thing Spirit and I always talk about if we win the lottery is that I’d be able to write full time and get the chance to focus on my craft XD I know I’m a way long ways off from making a living off of anything in the literary world. For now, it’s enough to have stories that I can be proud of be published, and to help others achieve that goal. It’s still enough to bring me to tears when it really hits that people are willing to pay me for my words and the worlds and lives they can form. I hope that never gets old.

#24

I put down other! the reason is that money is not an issue with me, being published is nice but not required.
I am in it to both learn and through the stories to teach. I want my works to entertain and cause laughter, cause tears and make the reader think! I will never be a great author but so long as i can make even just one person smile, it is worth the effort!

PS: A Nobel prize in fiction would be nice…

#25

I selected “to be published” since the clarification to the poll was the goal you are actively trying to achieve.

I would indeed love to write as a career, but that road has much traveling to be done on it before I even get close to having it as an option.

“Get Published,” however, was essentially my New Year’s Resolution for the year. (Or rather, the more realistic “attempt to get published.” Baby steps.)

#26

I want to be the greatest writer who ever lived.

EDIT: For the record, I don’t think I’ll become this in reality. But, if I’m going to set unrealistic goals for myself, might as well go all in.

#27

That sounds like the beginning of an ‘unfortunately worded genie wish’ story.

#28

Heh, nah. If I had access to wishes, I’d probably go for a gender swap. XP

#29

It really does.

#30

I also chose ‘to be published’ as a goal despite actually being published twice with short stories. Much like a lot of folks here, being a ‘career’ writer (at least, being able to make a living off my writing) would be a great thing, but I know myself too well to think that’s likely to happen.

#31

To be published & to make a career out of anthro art & writing, particularly regarding my graphic novel trilogy idea.

#32

My goal it to take the essentially trilogy’s worth of mythos and story that I have developed around my fursona and get them out for others to enjoy. The first book would center around my fursona and the war that led to his rise to power: The Demon War. The second book would focus on a different protagonist, Shin Ragnok, the younger brother of the one responsible for the events of the Demon War, showing the continent of Delacia in it’s civil war. The third is a prequel set in the distant past, highlighting the first Silvermyst, Jayson and his mission to unite the warring tribes of Furgasta under one banner to bring about an age of peace.

I wish to get these published, regardless of if I make a small or large amount of money off of it. Rather, I want to make stories that people can enjoy, and if I make a profit from it, all the better.

#33

To be published, but that carries a little bit of narcissism so I’ll elaborate:

I grew up in the 90s when there was a boom in publishing book series geared at the middle school crowd. Animorphs, Harry Potter, Goosebumps, Redwall. And each month, having access to new stories was the best feeling in the world because I could lose myself in those science fiction or horror adventures. I basically want to tell stories that will entertain an audience the same way I was, and its not that I would look for anyone to look up to me, rather I just want to pay it forward from the writers I enjoyed growing up to someone else who would discover that lineage.

#34

My goal is to finish my series and become recognized in terms of having more than 10 or so followers :stuck_out_tongue:

So far, I’ve been published, and we’re working on brand and recognition, but it’s just not catching any sort of fire.

#35

Ken Liu, a prolific award-winning SFF writer I greatly admire, once told me to make the distinction between goals and milestones, and not to confuse the two. Goals are what you can get done, reasonably and plausibly, in little steps. Something to mark down on a planner. Milestones are the awards, achievements, getting published in Big Name Place. Stuff you frame, boast on social media, or proudly display on your shelf. Getting fixated on a milestone is setup for disappointment. Focusing on a goal, like finishing x words in y days or writing x stories in y months, should be the focus of my energy and effort.

My goal: I figure it’s reasonable to finish 1, maybe 2 stories, each month. That gives me room to stretch and breathe. I used to resolve to write at least 2k-3k words a day. That worked with my novel. I thought it could work easily with short stories. Boy was I wrong. And when I didn’t have the time or energy to satisfy that daily goal, that subjected me to the illusion of stress and lacking productivity I could do without.

My milestones? Welp, I want to aim high and go pro. Get my work sold and published at pro-rate ($0.06/word) speculative fiction markets, I mean. Which means plopping my stuff into slush piles 500-1000 submissions high, rejection after rejection after rejection, and abysmally low 1-3% acceptance rates. Maybe get my YA Asian fantasy duology an agent. Odds for that are even slimmer than previously mentioned. Sounds bleak and painful? Of course. Worth it? I like to think so. No pain, no gain, and the best stuff in life often don’t come to you easily. You gotta work for them, and when the going gets tough, you gotta be tougher.

#36

That was a really nice post, Sibir, and from what I’ve seen you deserve to succeed. I’ll be doing some thinking about goals vs milestones now.

#37

At first when I started writing I wanted to be published and make a living off of it, but as I got older, I just wanted to finish a book so people could actually read something I wrote that I actually finished. Then I finished Phantom Janitor and it became about wanting people to read and enjoy what I write :slight_smile: