I ask this question of every writer I work with because I need to know their goals. But I also encourage my writers to take a close look at what success really means to them.
For example, I decided to get serious about my memoir at the tail end of a very difficult time. My family had gone through illness and death. I found myself living someplace where I didn’t know anybody. And of all things, I was fired from a job I didn’t even want in the first place.
So I had a straightforward goal. Could I take all my years of story analysis and put together these seemingly random events and somehow create a story that made sense? Could I find the meaning in all the ups and downs? Could I follow Joan Didion’s example and write “simply to find out what I think and how I feel?”
I divided my story into twelve somewhat equal parts. I took a year to write these sections. About halfway into the process, I realized my story was starting to make sense. I had reached my first goal.
For the second year, I divided each of the twelve sections into chapter-length pieces, hoping to arrive at twenty-four. This took a bit longer than a year, but I had built the first draft. I had reached my second goal.
Now I’ve heard back from friends, beta readers, and paid professionals. I have the information and the tools to craft a new draft, restructuring where needed, paying close attention to the character arcs, and homing in on the primary theme. Ready, willing, and able to do the work, I find I have reached another goal.
Try to define success within the process itself. Writing a long-form piece is a marathon, but as you complete each mile, allow yourself to celebrate the accomplishment. Many writers set a word count or a page count as a daily goal. I suggest making your goal coming up with one new story insight every day. Whatever works, make sure you set an attainable goal.
And whatever you do, keep writing!