EIE Newsletter - Goal Setting
Thursday December 11, 2024
As the year winds down, I’ve been looking ahead to 2025—which, of course, means taking a hard look back at 2024. This time of year is about reflecting on accomplishments but, more importantly, acknowledging where I came up short.
Do you wish you could get more done? I know I do.
I play a game with my kids called “Would You Rather,” where we pick between superpowers. My kids, all under ten, stick to the classics: flying versus super strength, super speed versus invisibility. But if I could pick a superpower, it would be this: the ability to be prolific. I’m always impressed by people who seem to accomplish a ton of things while the rest of us are still getting started.
For me, the goal is simple: I want to write both better and faster.
Why? First, I have a lot of stories I want to tell. Second, I can’t stand being bored. But, as with any ambition, there are always detractors—those who love to tell you why your goals or the way you’re pursuing them won’t work.
Take the idea that fast writing is bad writing. That’s some high school English teacher nonsense, and history proves otherwise.
Consider these examples:
Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in six weeks.
William Faulkner wrote As I Lay Dying in six weeks.
Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road in just 20 days (though he revised it heavily later).
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in a single week. (A quick thanks to Stevenson for inspiring the title of my first novel, The Strange Crimes of Beatrice Clover.)
Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 in nine days on a dime-operated typewriter at UCLA.
Even outside the literary world, Sylvester Stallone famously wrote the script for Rocky in just three days.
Clearly, speed and quality are not mutually exclusive. But achieving results like this isn’t about wishful thinking. As James Cameron said, “Hope is not a strategy.”
The answer is having a plan.
The older I get, the more I realize how much a solid plan can make or break your success. But creating a plan that works? That takes time. It means stepping back, reflecting deeply, and paying attention to the details: What worked? What didn’t? What can you do better? Planning is both an art (instinct) and a science (data).
As an author, my plan involves evaluating ad spend, comparing ROI on Facebook and AMS ads, and testing third-party promotions. It also means sharpening my craft—taking courses, writing from prompts, and practicing new storytelling techniques.
As a screenwriter and producer, it’s about reviewing scripts, figuring out what could have been better, and following up with executives who showed interest in a project. Whether it’s selling a pitch or getting a green light, the goal is the same: move the project forward.
There are two schools of thought on goal-setting:
S.M.A.R.T. goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. The idea is to set clear, concrete objectives with defined steps and metrics. If you fall short, you adjust the size of your goals to match your abilities.
“Shoot for the moon” goals—Set big, audacious goals, knowing that even if you fall short, what you achieve will still outpace more modest ambitions.
I lean toward the latter. Ambitious goals inspire me, but I believe in grounding them with actionable plans. For example, I’m analyzing last year’s successes and failures to plan for the year ahead.
For me, that means writing more—and better—books faster. It means learning from my past mistakes and using those insights to build momentum. Whether you’re writing, producing, or pursuing any other goal, it all starts with a plan.
So, how do you set your goals?
What’s your plan for achieving them in the year ahead?
Looking Back and Moving Forward
This year, I had some wins but also fell short in a few areas. For instance, I didn’t publish as many books as I had hoped. While I wrote a lot, I wasn’t able to devote enough time to revising, editing, and all the other work that goes into making my books the best they can be. As a result, none have been published—yet.
Looking ahead, I’m setting ambitious goals for 2025. I plan to write 4–6 books, which will allow me to continue the Eddie Ankin series (a favorite among readers) while branching out into other genres, like horror, psychological thrillers, and post-apocalyptic fiction. These are genres I personally love in books, TV, and movies.
I also want to experiment with how books are distributed and published. Back in the day, readers would gather at the South Street Seaport, eagerly awaiting Charles Dickens’ latest chapter from London. Dickens was the original episodic storyteller, releasing his work chapter by chapter, much like modern TV writers release episodes.
Today, some authors are embracing serialized formats on platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon. This approach changes not just how stories are consumed but also how they’re written—similar to the difference between binge-watching a show and waiting for new episodes weekly. Same story, different experience.
Audiobooks on YouTube
One area I’m focusing on more in 2025 is audiobooks (and video-audiobooks). This year, I had my first audiobook produced: The Strange Crimes of Beatrice Clover. I’m planning to release audiobooks for The Double, The Night Marchers, and my short stories.
I’m sharing these audiobooks—and some of my other work—on my YouTube channel, Elice Island Entertainment. (Quick aside: it’s pronounced “Ellis Island,” for anyone still saying Elise or Elyse—hence the name of my company.) I’ve uploaded all five parts of Beatrice Clover there, so I hope you’ll check it out and give it a listen.
Let’s make 2025 the year we all hit our ambitious goals—together.
Let’s make 2025 the year we all hit our ambitious goals—together.