How to Define Your Writing Project Objectives: A Step-by-Step Guide
Writing is a creative journey, but every journey needs a destination. Whether you're embarking on your first novel, drafting a short story, or outlining a non-fiction book, defining your writing project objectives is essential to staying focused, productive, and ultimately, successful.
Without clear objectives, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of ideas, hit roadblocks, or find yourself wandering off course. That’s why, before you even start typing, it’s important to sit down and clearly define what you want to achieve with your writing project.
In this blog, we’ll break down how to set clear and meaningful objectives for your writing project so you can approach your work with purpose and a sense of direction.
1. Identify the Purpose of Your Project
Every writing project has a core purpose, whether it’s to entertain, inform, educate, or inspire. Understanding your primary goal will help you stay focused and guide all the decisions you make along the way. Ask yourself:
Why are you writing this project?
What do you hope to accomplish with this piece of writing?
What message or feeling do you want to leave readers with?
For example, if you're writing a novel, is it to explore a specific theme, build a rich world, or tell a compelling character-driven story? If you're working on a non-fiction book, is it to provide practical advice, share personal experiences, or establish yourself as an authority in your field?
Tip: Write down your project’s purpose in one sentence. Keeping it concise will help clarify your vision.
2. Define Your Target Audience
Your audience will shape many aspects of your writing, from tone and style to content and structure. Defining who you are writing for will help you craft a story or argument that resonates with your intended readers. Some questions to consider include:
Who will benefit from or enjoy reading this?
What do they already know about the topic or genre?
What tone or language will engage them?
For example, if you’re writing a young adult fantasy novel, your target audience might be teens who enjoy fast-paced adventure and relatable protagonists. If you're working on a self-help book, your audience might be individuals seeking guidance in a specific area of life. Knowing your audience helps ensure that your writing speaks directly to the people you want to reach.
3. Set Measurable and Achievable Goals
While it’s important to have a grand vision, your writing project should also include specific, measurable goals that keep you on track. These goals can be related to word count, chapters completed, or deadlines. The key is to make them realistic and achievable so that you can maintain momentum.
For example:
“I want to finish a 70,000-word novel in 6 months.”
“I will write 500 words a day for the next month.”
“I will complete the outline for my non-fiction book by the end of the week.”
Measurable goals give you a sense of progress and accomplishment, which is crucial when working on longer projects.
Tip: Break your larger objective into smaller, bite-sized goals. If the thought of finishing an entire book seems overwhelming, focus on completing one chapter at a time.
4. Determine the Scope of Your Project
The scope of your project refers to its size, complexity, and depth. Before you dive into writing, think about how big your project is going to be. For instance, are you working on a short story that will be 5,000 words or a full-length novel of 90,000 words? Are you writing a single article or planning a multi-part series?
This will also help you make decisions about the time and resources needed. For example, a novel will likely require more research, character development, and world-building than a short story. Determining the scope of your project ensures that you’re not overextending yourself or working without a clear framework.
Tip: Make sure the scope aligns with your current skills and available time. A huge, sprawling epic might sound exciting, but it’s important to start with something manageable if you’re new to long-form writing.
5. Establish a Timeline
Setting a timeline is critical to ensure your writing project doesn’t stretch on indefinitely. Without deadlines, it’s easy to procrastinate or lose focus. However, your timeline should be flexible enough to accommodate life’s unexpected interruptions while still keeping you accountable.
Start by identifying the major milestones for your project:
When do you want to complete the first draft?
How much time will you dedicate to revisions?
Do you need extra time for research, beta readers, or editing?
Once you have these key milestones, break them down into smaller tasks with individual deadlines. For instance, if you want to finish a novel in six months, divide that time into manageable chunks, such as writing one chapter per week.
Tip: Use tools like calendars, planners, or writing apps to help track your progress and stay on schedule.
6. Clarify Your Motivations
Writing can be hard work, and it’s easy to lose motivation along the way. That’s why it’s important to clarify your personal motivations before you begin. Understanding what drives you to write can help you stay focused during challenging moments.
Some questions to ask yourself:
Why does this project matter to you?
What do you hope to achieve by completing it?
How will you reward yourself when you hit key milestones?
For some writers, the motivation may be to share a personal story or message that’s close to their heart. For others, it might be the challenge of building a portfolio, publishing a book, or reaching new readers. Whatever it is, keep that motivation in mind to power through when the going gets tough.
Tip: Write down your motivations and place them somewhere visible. When you’re feeling stuck, a quick reminder of why you’re writing can help reignite your passion for the project.
7. Anticipate Potential Obstacles
No writing project is without its challenges. Whether it’s writer’s block, time constraints, or self-doubt, obstacles can and will arise. By anticipating these challenges early on, you can prepare strategies to overcome them when they happen.
For example:
If you know that time management will be an issue, schedule dedicated writing hours into your daily routine.
If you anticipate getting stuck on certain scenes, make sure you have a list of writing prompts or exercises on hand to spark new ideas.
Identifying obstacles doesn’t mean expecting failure; it means being realistic and proactive. With a plan in place, you’ll be better equipped to navigate any bumps along the way.
8. Measure Success Beyond Just Completion
Finishing your project is the ultimate goal, but it’s important to define success beyond just reaching “The End.” What other outcomes would make this project a success for you? Success might look like gaining new readers, learning a new writing technique, or receiving constructive feedback that helps you grow as a writer.
Some broader success markers could include:
Submitting your work to a publication or competition.
Receiving positive feedback or reviews from beta readers.
Gaining confidence in your writing abilities.
By measuring success in multiple ways, you ensure that you’re getting the most out of the experience, regardless of external factors like publication or sales.
Conclusion: Write with Purpose
Defining your writing project objectives isn’t just about getting from Point A to Point B. It’s about writing with purpose and intention. By clarifying your goals, target audience, timeline, and motivations, you set yourself up for a more focused and rewarding writing process. Whether you’re working on a novel, short story, or non-fiction book, having well-defined objectives will help you stay on track, navigate challenges, and ultimately, create work that you’re proud of.
Assignment: Write down your objects for the ideas that you created in the last video
What are some of your current writing project objectives? Let me know in the comments!
