Since last November, I've been working with an accountability coach, Blake Stratton. (Accountability isn't the only thing he does, he's also great on the "why" of goal setting ... but the accountability is built into his coaching model.)

Each week, I "check in" with Blake and let him know what I've achieved ... and what I'm planning to do during the next week. It's a powerful form of external accountability and helps me stick with goals like writing 250+ words/day.

Accountability is knowing that someone else is taking an interest in whether you're achieving the things you've said you'll do. 

There are lots of ways you could be accountable to someone: like if you tell a friend you'll send them your finished chapter by the end of the week, or if you arrange to meet up with a fellow writer in a coffee shop to both work on your novels for an hour.

It's easy to break an agreement with ourselves, or to let a goal slowly slip away ... but a lot harder when another person is involved. Accountability can help your writing goals feel more real and concrete, too.

How to Use the Power of Accountability to Write More

There are lots of ways you can work accountability into your writing life (without necessarily hiring a coach!)

Here are four you might want to try:

#1: Keep a Record of Your Writing Progress

Even if you don't feel ready to be accountable to another person with your writing, you can still be accountable to yourself. That starts with keeping a clear record of your progress, which might be:

• A journal where you note down how your writing's going
• An ongoing list of writing milestones with the dates you've achieved them
• A spreadsheet of how many words you wrote each day/week
• ...or any other written record that makes sense for your writing.

#2: Find a Reliable Accountability Partner

Can you meet with someone or exchange messages regularly to share your progress on your goals? I do this weekly with my husband and we both find it helpful. 

I've tried having similar arrangements with friends in the past, but it's so easy for these to peter out when you're trying to establish the habit. You may want to pay for coaching or mentoring to help you stick with meeting someone regularly.

#3: Share Your Progress in a More Public Way

You can be accountable to lots of people by sharing your progress in public (or in semi-public, e.g. in a private Facebook group or group chat). Lots of people do this with their wordcounts during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) each November, for instance.

My writers' accountability/community group will include ways to share your progress in a supportive environment, so you can benefit from the accountability this brings (and encourage fellow writers too). It'll likely cost around $15/month.

You'll hear more about the group in a few weeks' time, but if you want to be the first to learn all about it, click this link to get on the early-access list. (There's no commitment, you'll just get an email before everyone else does.)

#4: Use Deadlines as a Source of Accountability

I've completed and sent off two short stories in the past three months ... and I doubt I'd have finished either of them without a firm competition deadline to meet. Both stories went off on the day of the deadline!

If you struggle to complete projects, a competition deadline or the deadline on a call for submissions can be a great way to spur yourself into action. Either you meet the deadline ... or you don't! There's no wiggle room.

Accountability can feel a bit scary, but it's also one of the most powerful ways to make more writing time and make the most of that time. Pick something above to try this week, and see how it works in your writing life.

Happy writing,

Ali

P.S. If you missed last week's Aliventures blog post, here it is:

Annual Writing Goal Progress in Q1, 2024 (What’s Working Well?)