A year ago this month, I hired a coach to assist me with my writing career. When I look back on 2024, during which we met once a month, I see that my list of everything I want to complete this year is longer than last year’s list. So why am I more enthusiastic than ever about working with the same writing coach in 2025? Here are the reasons:
First of all, my coach is a talented and experienced fiction writer who has a great deal of common sense and sound judgment when it comes to the ins and outs of the publishing industry. This is one part of why she is a good choice for me. I am mindful that a number of fiction writers may be long on creativity and short on practicality. Secondly, at her encouragement, I began January of 2024 by formulating a year-long plan of all the projects I wanted to get done. It turned out that my timeline was wildly optimistic. Because some writing projects had languished a long time–by which I mean years–I included them. It seemed sad to set beloved but incomplete stories and novels aside yet again. Thirdly, my coach provides astute critiques of my writing on those occasions when I need a fresh set of eyes .
Here’s how 2024 went: Each month last year, my coach helped me to focus on what I wanted to commit to getting done during the next four weeks. Having someone who believed in my abilities and gently encouraged me turned out to be an an enormous help in keeping me (mostly) on track. Sure, there are always unexpected events, both good and bad, that derail plans. 2024 was no exception. However, looking back today, I am quite pleased with what I completed and with other projects that are now much farther along.
As I mentioned, my year long plan for 2025 is even more chock full of ambitious projects than last year’s. However, my coach has already helped me set specific goals for the next few weeks, ones that are doable. I find that because my coach believes in my ability to get these done, it becomes easier for me to set aside my self doubts. Just as important, the immediate goals we picked out for the next few weeks will help me focus instead of hopping from one task to another and never finishing any of them.