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Overview

Starting the writing process is daunting. Some writers prefer to jump right to drafting, whereas others have trouble figuring out what the first sentence should be. What sometimes gets lost in the writing process is the importance of setting writing goals. 

 A writing goal is a target you set to improve specific skills that impact your writing. These goals focus on recognizing areas in your writing or writing process that require growth and development. 

 

For example, your writing goals may be related to…  

  • Mastering APA citations and references   
  • Establishing a better method for organizing ideas   
  • Expanding on your knowledge of academic writing and its impact on tone  
  • Improving writing techniques such as clarity, cohesion, flow, analysis, synthesis, paraphrasing, and grammar skills.
 

Why Setting a Writing Goal is Important

Writing goals are a vital part of the writing process. Writing goals establish purpose and connection between small writing tasks and help to develop transferrable skills that enhance performance in the workplace. Writing goals also provide a sense of motivation and accomplishment over time, as you reflect on progress and celebrate small victories.

Clearly Express Connections Between Current Writing and Broader Skills

When writing a paper, it is hard to see the impact beyond its immediate grade or completion. Setting clear writing goals helps you identify key skills to develop and make progress as a writer, scholar, and professional.

Conquer Doubts and Boost Confidence in Your Writing Skills

Maybe you’ve received feedback on your writing before and now doubt your abilities. Setting writing goals can help you address these concerns and build confidence. Strong writing goals inspire you to envision the writer you want to become and identify the skills needed to achieve that.

Create a Realistic and Achievable Plan for Success

Writing goals are more than just objectives; they are a roadmap to your writing success. They break down the process of becoming a stronger writer into manageable steps. By identifying specific skills to enhance, you can plan projects and resources to support your progress.

Cultivate Motivation and Strengthen Focus

Writing takes practice and patience, and it’s easy to lose focus. Writing goals can inspire and motivate you to start and keep writing. They help reinforce your purpose, especially when your energy is low or you get off track, serving as reminders of why your writing matters and how it benefits your future.

Develop Self-Awareness as a Writer

Becoming a better writer means being able to assess your own work. By setting clear writing goals and tracking your progress, you learn to evaluate your writing. This self-awareness skill will be invaluable as you take on larger, more independent projects.

Create Opportunities to Celebrate Success

The importance of celebrating your progress and success is often overlooked in the writing process. Writing rarely leads to an overnight transformation of skills. Instead, it is a journey marked by small victories and gradual improvements. Setting a writing goal helps you track these achievements.

 

How to Set a Writing Goal

The first step in setting a writing goal is getting to know yourself as a writer.

Consider the following:

  • What are your strengths and improvement areas as a writer?  
  • What stresses you out about writing?  
  • What is your typical writing routine, and are there ways to improve that process?  

To answer these questions, you may consider the following steps: 

  1. Review your past and current writing experiences and think about what you know regarding your writing abilities and learning preferences
                  
  2. Outline your current writing habits (such as where, when, and how you write) and identify any distractions (like social media,a noisy environment, or writing late in the day
     
  3. Describe your ideal writing process (assuming no distractions) and identify skills or techniques you could model
                  
  4. Recognize challenges in your writing process, such as perfectionism, time limitations, self-doubt, previous negative feedback, or writer’s block

 

Reflection Questions

Once you complete the four steps, ask yourself reflection questions. You can use your answers to start setting writing specific goals.

Strengths and Growth

  • What is one writing skill that you feel confident about?
  • What is one writing skill that you would like to improve?

    • Writing Process

  • What part of the writing process works well for you?
  • What part of the process would you like to change?

    • Writing Habits

  • When and where do you write best?
  • How can you create more of these conditions and environment?

    • Writing Challenges

  • What helped you get past writing difficulties before?
  • What resources can help overcome current writing challenges?

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    Using SMART Goals as a Guide

     

    The SMART Goals criteria provide an excellent way to ensure you set clear, manageable writing goals. It helps to establish that your writing goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely (SMART).

    S–Specific: Is your goal focused and specific? Does it avoid generalizations and abstractions?

    Example Writing Goal: Improve on writing skills 

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    Not-specific goal: "I want to improve my writing."

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    Specific goal: "I want to strengthen my ability to organize and express ideas clearly in writing.” 

    M–Measurable: Can you track your progress and completion? What indicators will you use? 

    Example Writing Goal: Improve on the mechanics of writing

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    Not measurable: "I want to improve my grammar."

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    Measurable: "I will improve my grammar in my writing by completing weekly writing exercises and receiving feedback, aiming to reduce grammar errors by 50%.”  

     

    A–Achievable: Is this goal attainable? Do you have the necessary resources for success? 

    Example Writing Goal: Improve on APA formatting  

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    Not achievable: “I will become an expert in APA format.”  

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    Achievable: “I will learn and apply the key rules of APA format by reviewing the resources on APA and practicing with at least three writing assignments over the next month.”

    R–Relevant:  How does this goal impact your skills set and where you want to be right now?

    Example Writing Goal: Improve on persuasive writing 

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    Not Relevant: “I will practice APA and learn how to cite my sources.”

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    Relevant: “I will use the MEAL plan strategy to support the claims made in my thesis statement with credible research to improve my persuasive writing skills.” 

    T–Timely: Does this goal have a reasonable timeline and completion date?  

    Example Writing Goal: Improve on organization and clarity of my writing

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    Not Timely: “I want to improve the organization and clarity of my writing over time by practicing structured paragraph development and refining my ideas.”

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    Timely: “I will improve the organization and clarity of my writing by practicing structured paragraph development and revising three essays over the next four weeks.” 

     

     

    OASIS has an excellent resource that provides additional information on SMART goals. This is a great way to draft and continue revising your writing goals.

     

     

     

    Examples of Effective Writing Goals

    Setting effective writing goals is essential because they provide clarity, direction, and motivation, ensuring your writing is focused, productive, and continuously improving.

    Review these examples of ineffective writing goals that can be revised into more effective writing goals.

     

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    Ineffective Writing Goal

    My writing goal is to get an A on my paper because I lost points for organization on my last assignment.

    This goal is well-meaning but has some issues. It focuses on a problem, not on building clear writing skills. Grades can also be affected by things the student can’t control, like not having written academic papers in a while. It’s better to focus on learning specific skills like organizing ideas and writing clearly.

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    Effective Writing Goal

    I lost points on a recent assignment because of my paper’s organization. My writing goal is to apply the Writing Center’s MEAL plan to my next assignment and practice developing paragraphs with one, main idea.

    This updated goal works well because it focuses on a specific writing skill, uses the MEAL Plan as a helpful tool, and sets a realistic timeline by applying it to an upcoming assignment. It also shows a SMART goal approach by aiming to practice and improve, rather than expecting perfection right away.

     

     

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    Ineffective Writing Goal

    I want to become a better writer.

    This goal is positive, but too broad. It helps to focus on one specific skill. A step-by-step plan can make it easier to get started and work toward becoming a stronger writer.

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    Effective Writing Goal

    I want to focus on how to incorporate and cite evidence appropriately to become a more effective scholarly writer. I will achieve this goal by setting up a paper review appointment to check my revisions.

    This goal targets a clearly chosen writing skill and creates a realistic, manageable plan. Each step is achievable and supports the larger goal of becoming a better scholarly writer. Once completed, the student can set a new goal to keep building their skills.

     

     

    After setting your writing goals, remember OASIS is here to support you! Schedule a paper review appointment and share your goals with our writing experts so they know what you’re focusing on.

     

    Key Takeaways

    • Writing goals are essential for establishing purpose, connecting smaller tasks, and developing transferable skills, helping you stay organized and motivated throughout the writing process.
    • Employers highly value strong written communication skills across various fields, and setting clear writing goals can help you improve these skills. 
    • The SMART Goals Guide is an excellent tool for setting clear, manageable writing goals, ensuring they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. 
    • After setting your writing goals, schedule a paper review appointment and share your goals with our instructors for additional support and guidance. 

     

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