{"id":550,"date":"2025-05-02T05:32:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T05:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/?p=550"},"modified":"2025-12-28T16:52:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T16:52:16","slug":"writing-goals-for-may","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/writing-goals-for-may\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing Goals for May: How to Start Fresh Without Burning Out"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The start of a new month hits writers differently. If you\u2019ve been thinking about your writing goals for May, you\u2019re probably hoping for a clean slate, fresh momentum, and maybe\u2014just maybe\u2014fewer existential spirals. It\u2019s like cracking open a brand-new notebook\u2014so clean it dares you to ruin it. You tell yourself this will be the month you finally finish the chapter, hit submit on that short story, or tame the chaos in your manuscript. The month you finally morph into that mythical beast: a writer who actually finishes things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But then life happens. Again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And suddenly it\u2019s May, and you\u2019re staring at your calendar like it personally betrayed you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Illusion of the Monthly Reset<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Writers tend to treat time like a tool. New week? New writing plan. New month? Let\u2019s make some goals. New year? Oh, honey\u2014we\u2019re rewriting our entire author identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But let\u2019s be honest: A clean slate only works if we don\u2019t bring last month\u2019s avoidance and self-doubt into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We tell ourselves this is the month we\u2019ll get it right\u2014without burnout, without guilt, without having to battle perfectionism every step of the way. But here\u2019s what usually happens instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I ended April with a list of intentions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rewrite the chapter I\u2019ve been avoiding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Submit at least one flash fiction piece.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Edit my current WIP without spiraling. (Now this one\u2019s tough, because it\u2019s already with a beta reader, but I just can\u2019t stop myself from looking at it again after reading some new Medium article on filler words, which naturally led to me writing <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@williamayejones\/the-never-ending-novel-how-williamaye-killed-her-filler-words-c420a47273b0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"How Williamaye Killed Her Filler Words\"><strong>my own take on filler words<\/strong><\/a> . . . and then tightening <em>even more<\/em>. Because clearly, I hadn\u2019t done that enough in the last eight or nine rounds.&#x1f926;&#x1f3fd;&#x200d;&#x2640;&#xfe0f;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>What I actually did:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cleaned my desk.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Organized folders on my laptop. (And, of course, created a few more.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sent out a few queries letters for my <em>Virago <\/em>novel. (Okay so this one was slightly productive.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Binged on the final season of <em>You<\/em>. (Because honestly, how can you resist Joe Goldberg <em>and<\/em> a perfectly curated murder monologue?)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, I brought all my creative avoidance into May like carryon baggage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What May Day Has to Teach Us (Yes, Really)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a fellow research-obsessed writer, then maybe this tidbit will spark something too: May Day isn\u2019t just a page flip\u2014it\u2019s history in motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditionally, May 1 has symbolized renewal, resistance, and reckoning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ancient Celts celebrated <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/history\/article\/beltane-pagan-fire-festival\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"What is Beltane?\">Beltane <\/a><\/em>with fire festivals to welcome growth, fertility, and light\u2014marking the sacred halfway point between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Flames were believed to purify, protect, and ignite the abundance to come. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That energy continues today in modern celebrations like the <strong>Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival<\/strong>, which transforms Calton Hill into a spectacle of ritual, rhythm, and flame each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-dailymotion wp-block-embed-dailymotion wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"media-embedded\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Beltane Fire Festival 2025\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/geo.dailymotion.com\/player.html?video=x9ith7s&#038;\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; web-share\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Enjoy this clip from this year\u2019s event above\u2014special thanks to Edinburgh Evening News and Daily Motion for capturing the glorious chaos so the rest of us can feel like we were there (but with fewer embers in our hair).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 19th century, May Day took on a new layer. It became <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snopes.com\/articles\/469858\/may-day-origins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"May Day History\">International Workers\u2019 Day<\/a><\/strong>, a time to acknowledge the value of hard work and the need for balance. People gathered to advocate for better hours and fair treatment, and while the details vary, the spirit was the same: enough is enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, May 1 isn\u2019t just about fresh starts. It\u2019s about fighting for better terms. On the job, in your life, and, <em>yes<\/em>, even on the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So toss last month\u2019s excuses into the fire and watch them smoke. Change doesn\u2019t come with the calendar flip. It comes when we declare what matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And for writers? That often means burning through our old stories. Especially the ones we tell ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Writing Goals for May: The Real Talk Writers Need<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s nothing wrong with using May to start fresh, but we can\u2019t confuse treating a calendar flip like a personality transplant with actually doing the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the truth I sit with: You don\u2019t need more time. You need more honesty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask yourself: Am I avoiding writing, or am I just scared of doing it badly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Am I revising, or am I endlessly tinkering to delay submission?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Am I \u201cnot in the mood,\u201d or have I made writing too precious to touch? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I paused to answer those myself, here\u2019s what I found: I wasn\u2019t \u201cblocked.\u201d I was afraid. Afraid that what I write this month won\u2019t be better than last month. Afraid of rejection, again. Afraid I\u2019ve run out of ways to say something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I also remember first drafts always start with a lie: \u201cThis won\u2019t be so bad.\u201d And then it grows in discipline. And joy. And unexpected breakthroughs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So here\u2019s my actual plan\u2014realistic writing goals for May that don\u2019t require reinvention, just honesty and effort (burnout not included).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My Three Realistic Writing Goals for May<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Revisit the chapter I keep avoiding. <\/strong>Yes, the one that feels like narrative quicksand. No, I don\u2019t need a new playlist or a special coffee blend to do it. I need to open the file and deal with it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Submit something that\u2019s finished, not perfect.<\/strong> That one flash piece I edited six times? It\u2019s going out. Someone else will get to decide if it\u2019s \u201cgood enough.\u201d Not me.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Write one scene without judging myself.<\/strong> No backspace. No second-guessing. Just write what happens. Let the characters surprise me instead of micromanaging every move.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>(Also: Use fewer \u201cjusts\u201d and \u201csurelys.\u201d My manuscript currently reads like a drama queen in yoga pants. Kill your darlings is often said. Instead I say, kill those filler words. And maybe your <a href=\"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/write-a-killer-logline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Write a Killer Logline\"><strong>weak loglines<\/strong><\/a> while you\u2019re at it.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Let May Be a Reckoning, Not a Rerun<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If April was full of delay and distraction, you\u2019re not alone. But May doesn\u2019t have to be a rerun. It can be a reckoning\u2014a chance to ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What story do I really want to tell this month?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What fear is stopping me from writing it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What small win would support my writing goals for May right now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t need to overhaul your writing life. You just need to strike a match under your writing chair before it collects more dust\u2014something that says this matters. Even if no one sees it but you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" data-pin-description=\"Letting go is part of the writing process. This powerful image of a burning handwritten page captures the bold moment writers face when they choose progress over perfection. #WritingMotivation #CreativeReset #WriterLife #WritingGoals\" src=\"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/burning-paper.png\" alt=\"Fingers holding a burning page with handwritten text\u2014symbolizing writing goals for May and letting go of what no longer serves your story.\" class=\"wp-image-586\" srcset=\"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/burning-paper.png 1200w, https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/burning-paper-300x158.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Let go of old drafts, doubts, and the stories that no longer serve you.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts: Progress Beats Perfection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Writers often think in big arcs: finish the novel, get the agent, land the book deal. But our lives are built in pages, not plot twists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So don\u2019t aim for a perfect May. Aim for a meaningful one. One where you show up, even when it\u2019s messy. One where your inner critic takes a nap for 20 minutes so your weirder, braver inner self can mumble something half-interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if all else fails? Remember this: The great novels weren\u2019t written in one perfect month. They were built in fits, flukes, and fragments, while coffee went cold and doubt paced the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re searching for ways to stay consistent this spring, consider setting some practical writing goals for May. Whether you\u2019re attempting a monthly writing reset, working through a case of burnout recovery, or just figuring out how to finish your novel without losing your mind, know you\u2019re not alone. These small, intentional shifts are often how we start overcoming writer\u2019s block\u2014quietly, awkwardly, and one stubborn paragraph at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>***<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>What about you? What will you finish\u2014or even just start\u2014this May? Let\u2019s hold each other accountable in the comments.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>May offers writers a tempting reset\u2014a clean slate, a new deadline, and maybe a fresh round of panic. If you\u2019re tired of setting goals that never stick (and spiral into binge-watching You), this one\u2019s for you.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[72,74,71,75,69],"class_list":["post-550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-creative-burnout","tag-how-to-finish-your-novel","tag-overcoming-writers-block","tag-writer-motivation","tag-writing-goals"],"aioseo_notices":[],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=550"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":590,"href":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550\/revisions\/590"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/williamayejones.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}