I once told someone that I had nothing to show for my novel after I’d finished three full drafts of it and queried it to literary agents.
“But… you have a novel,” she said.
She was right, of course. It wasn’t that I had nothing to show for it, I just hadn’t reached my desired end goal yet so the milestones along the way were just details.
I realize now that writing milestones, both big and small, are far more than just “details” in the writing process. They’re the very foundation on which a project is built.
What are some ways you can celebrate your own writing milestones?
Share Your Wins With Others
When something happens in my writing life, I have a few writing friends I tell before anyone else. This includes my writing group of six years as well as some writing friends who are always great cheerleaders and supporters.
Share your wins with the writers in your life who help cheer you on and lift you up.
Even if it’s just a matter of sending a text or email and sharing your news, take a few minutes to spread the good word.
If you feel weird about sharing your wins, like it’s too braggy or self-centered, check that baggage at the gate, please. Anyone who knows and loves you and your work won’t think you’re being a brat. They’ll be excited for you, as you would be for them if the roles were reversed!
Have A Ritual For Honoring Your Milestones
If you’re like me, you might complete a huge aspect of a project (like finishing a revision on a 300-page manuscript) and immediately move onto the next task.
Stop! Before you shift gears, honor the work you’ve just done with a ritual or reward for yourself.
Buy some fresh flowers that will remind you every day for the next week that you DID it. Or maybe your ritual is something more internal, like sitting in gratitude for a few minutes or journaling.
Maybe you celebrate milestones by taking a walk, buying yourself a new book, taking yourself out for coffee at your favorite place, or cracking open a bottle of something bubbly.
You get the picture. The point is that you mark the moment in one way or another.
It’s a conscious act of acknowledging the work you’ve done and how great it is that you’ve made it to this point in the process before you jump into the next phase.
Determine Which Milestones Matter Most
Anything can be a milestone, but think about which ones mean the most to you and make a list.
For example, I love to celebrate when I break certain work counts in a novel manuscript and when I complete a draft.
With short stories, I focus on finishing drafts, completing revisions, and submitting to journals. I also like to mark the occasion when a new idea for a story really sparks my interest. It feels nice to acknowledge that excitement and help fuel it while I start a new piece.
Your milestones might look the same or vastly different. Maybe you’re just starting out and for you, it’s a big deal just to sit down and write for ten minutes every day for a week. That’s amazing!
Create joy and honor around that accomplishment. You deserve it.
Don’t Be Scared To Celebrate Yourself
I often find it hard to talk about myself or my work without feeling like it sounds as though I just want attention or I think I’m sooo incredible and want everyone else to think so, too.
The thing is… if you’re a woman, you probably have felt this way at some point, too.
There’s this societal belief that it’s snobby or braggy to talk about our accomplishments. It’s not ladylike, or some bull like that.
I’ve never in my life met a man who felt shame or hesitation when talking about the great things he’s achieved. It seems men, in general, aren’t taught to be humble for the sake of others.
So don’t be scared to celebrate yourself, your work, and every milestone you hit along the way.
There’s no shame in announcing that you finally finished writing a 95,000-word manuscript, that you landed an agent, or that you found a journal to publish your short story.
Those are things that deserve at least a moment of recognition for how great they are.
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