Karen Banes

It’s over 25 years since I got my first short story published for pay, and a lot longer since my obsession with words, writing and reading started. I’m currently re-jigging my writer’s bucket list, partly because I’ve already crossed a lot of things off.

It occurred to me other writers might have their own bucket list, or want to start one. If that’s you, here’s a little inspiration for you: just some writing-related goals that might be fun to aim for. Pick a few that work for you, and start crossing them off.

(The legal bit: I recommend some books and stuff as part of this list. As well as being a writer I’m an affiliate marketer (find out more here) and an official Amazon Influencer (not that I identify as any kind of influencer). When I recommend things online and link to them, I (sometimes) earn a (small) commission. Find out more about what that means here.)

And now, those 100 things I promised you.

1. Write a story about your first love.
2. Write an article about your pet peeve.
3. Write (and submit) a guest post or pitch for your favorite blog.
4. Write (and submit) an article or query for your favorite magazine.
5. Find a writing buddy and meet regularly for coffee (or wine) and joint writing sessions.
6. Join a writing group, online or in real life.
7. Get your work professionally critiqued.
8. Take one of these excellent self paced online courses for writers.
9. Re-read your favourite book about writing. Don’t have one? There are over 50 in my Amazon store front.
10. Write a non-fiction book on the topic you know most about.
11. Submit it to agents and publishers.
12. Or self-publish it.
13. Start a niche blog on your favorite topic.
14. Start journaling (grab my Do Less But Better journal if you want a printable one, or try a specific one for writers like this one or this).
15. Join The Writer’s Den (or the waitlist if it’s not open when you read this).
16. Do some freewriting.
17. Write a poem.
18. Write a song.
19. Write a novel.
20. Write a play.
21. Write a screenplay.
22. Enter a writing contest.
23. Make the shortlist in a writing contest.
24. Place in a writing contest.
25. Win a writing contest.
26. Write some flash fiction.
27. Meet an author you love.
28. Go to a writers’ conference.
29. Help edit, critique or beta read someone else’s book.
30. Learn how to market your work.
31. Build an awesome writer’s website to market your freelance writing services or your books.
32. Consider setting up a Medium account to build an audience while making money from your writing.
33. Interview another author for your blog.
34. Re-purpose some of your articles or blog posts into an ebook.
35. Package some of your short stories or essays into an anthology.
36. Get a story or essay into someone else’s anthology.
37. Build passive income by writing Kindle books and see the royalties start to trickle in.
38. Find other ways to make passive income by leveraging your online presence, giving you more time to write.
39. Take a class with one of your favourite authors through Masterclass (I’ve studied with Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman and Roxanne Gay)
40. Get your first (or next) 1000 followers on a social media platform, Medium, or your blog.
41. Get published in a magazine.
42. Get published in a newspaper.
43. Get published in The New Yorker/Cosmopolitan/whatever publication you think would indicate you’ve really made it.
44. Study for a DIY MFA in creative writing.
45. Study for an actual MFA in creative writing.
46. Go on a writers’ retreat.
47. Write a piece you’re exceptionally proud of.
48. Submit it.
49. Get it published.
50. Frame one of your book covers.
51. Do a book signing.
52. Launch one of your books with a big party.
53. Volunteer at a writing conference.
54. Speak at a writing conference.
55. Teach someone to write.
56. Attend writing classes in your home town.
57. Find (or start) a writing community of some kind in your home town.
58. Submit your work for a big award.
59. Get shortlisted for a big award.
60. Win a big award.
61. Write an epic poem.
62. Do something amazing or unique purely so you can write about it.
63. Try your hand at travel writing.
64. Write a sequel or prequel to your favorite novel.
65. Find a writing mentor.
66. Be a writing mentor.
67. Own a rare first edition or other piece of writing memorabilia.
68. Take on a passion project.
69. Write a newsletter for your blog subscribers.
70. Create a virtual magazine.
71. Write 10 short stories.
72. Write 100 short stories.
73. Go to a literary festival.
74. Go to a book signing by an author you admire.
75. Find out how to outsource tasks you don’t love (learn more about outsourcing here).
76. Write and publish a review of your favorite book.
77. And your favorite movie.
78. And your favorite restaurant.
79. Make someone you love a character in a story.
80. Make someone you hate a character in a story (and make sure it ends badly for him).
81. Go on a writing related vacation somewhere exotic.
82. Spend a week (or month) writing from your favorite beach.
83. Live abroad for a year and write in street cafes.
84. Write a children’s book.
85. Write a series.
86. Buy yourself a writer’s mug, and drink from it every day.
87. Set yourself a crazy word count to hit this week, month or year.
88. Write an article in a brand new niche.
    
89. Write a letter to your teenage self.
90. Publish it somewhere other teenagers can read it.
91. Write about the place you love most in the world.
92. Write about the social issue that most bothers you.
93. Write your truths.
94. Take your worst fear or deepest secret and give it to one of your characters. See how readers react.
95. Re-write something that happened to you the way you wish it had happened.
96. Read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.
97. Read The Writers’ Workout by Christina Katz.
98. Read Writing Down The Bones by Natalie Goldberg.
99. Pick a gorgeous gift for yourself from my gifts for writers Amazon storefront.
100. Write something that changes the world.

Originally published in The Partnered Pen.

Have you grabbed your free list of paying markets for freelance writers yet? Get it here.