When I was young, the traditional publishing industry was still the only way to pursue writing as a full time career. The challenges and opportunities of self-publishing were only just beginning to present themselves. Writing was what my family and teachers had identified as my biggest talent — and that made me resist the idea of pursuing writing as a career, at least for a while. I was more involved with music, a creative sector that was also undergoing a great deal of change as the 20th century slipped into the 21st.
Definitely more! Today's youth have access to the entire world of literature at their fingertips. As a late Gen-Xer, I still remember everything being in libraries and bookstores. Everything is so accessible now.
Micro-goals, as opposed to massive and more time-consuming ones, are more conducive to consistent writing habits. It's much easier to avoid burnout if you work on a micro level. A buddy of mine writes five minutes a day, no more and no less. He's a writer, a radio personality, a stand up comic, and the singer of a rock band, and he practically coined the term micro-goal!
That being said, only you can decide where to set the cap on your own ambitions. When drafting a novel initially, I try to complete 1000 words daily. When revising, I dedicate a week to making each chapter shine, one at a time. Ultimately, designing a timetable and routine within your comfort zone is the best way to ensure your writing goals are achieved without the emotional drain that sometimes comes with a major, long-term goal like writing a novel. For me it's important to not let writing encroach on other areas of my life: I'm a suburban dad and husband, an English professor, a long-distance runner, a bassist in an EDM band who is almost never without a side project. Writing is a piece of the puzzle that makes me who I am, but certainly not the only piece.
You can't judge a book by how many copies it sells. Artistic merit can be difficult to define. But to me, literary success happens when a book or story has a certain immortal quality. Still, immortality is also a rather subjective concept. From time to time, I've entertained the idea of what might happen if someone were to read my novel a hundred years from now. To me that would be the ultimate literary success.
When I’m writing a novel, in the drafting stage I generally try to complete 1000 words daily. When revising, I dedicate a week to each chapter. Ultimately, designing a timetable and routine that you are comfortable is the best way to ensure your writing goals are achieved without the emotional drain that sometimes comes with a big goal like writing a novel.
