WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS for 2022?

Not resolutions, not dreams! But Goals.

I went to a Writer’s Conference called 20 Books to 50K several weeks ago. Unlike many writer’s conferences, the primary focus is on helping authors with the business side of writing. There are presentations on the craft of writing, but primarily it’s about marketing, networking, and business planning. Yes, treat your writing career as if it were a business, even if it’s only part time.

In my career as a high school teacher, I often taught the S.M.A.R.T. goal strategy and I’ve used it extensively myself. I’ve found that even if I fail at reaching the entire goal in the time allotted, I am confident I got further than I would have without it.

So, during the conference I came up with S.M.A.R.T & D.U.M.B. Goals for 2022. Most folks know what I mean by S.M.A.R.T Goals. There are different adaptations frameworks. Here is mine:

Specific,

Measureable,

Achievable,

Relevent/Rigorous,

Time-based.

2022 Author S.M.A.R.T. GOAL: I will release NO MAN’S LAND – Book III in my apocaloptimistic Bat-flu pandemic Deserted Lands trilogy, on my 55th birthday, February, 15th, (my 5th book total).

Dreamy, Unlikely/Unusual, Motivating, Bold.

2022 Author D.U.M.B. GOAL: (With enough specifics for it to become a smart goal.) I’m a quarter of the way through a colossal (for me) writing project. The VOYAGE OF THE DECAMERON is one story, with 100 stories told within it (like Canterbury tales). It’s based on Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron (link to a discussion of it’s relationship to Covid19), which inspired Chaucer and Shakespeare. The Decameron was written right after the 1348 Plague in Florence, Italy. His frame story concern 10 young folk, 18-27 who met at Il Chiesa de Santa Maria NOVELLA and decided to social distance by escaping into the countryside (with their servants! [Medieval 90210]) and tell 10 stories a night for 10 days, hence the 100 stories plus the frame story about the storytellers.

When I have 33 done, I release a print book and an ebook (made up of the 1st three e-books). When I done with all the stories, I’ll have 10 ebook “days” of storytelling, and 3 print books of the the first 30 stories, the middle 40 and then the last 30. I’ll release boxed sets in print and ebook. So, I intend to release 18 “books” in 2022. I’ll start on 2/11/22 and finish by 11/11/22, in time for 20BooksVegas22, the writer’s conference where I developed this book release plan.

So that’s my Dreamy, Unlikely/Unusual, Motivating, Bold idea! What do you think?

If you read this far, thanks. If all of these work out, I’ve got other D.U.M.B. goals for the rest of the year and on into 2023!