With any luck, 2012 will be a big writing year for me, and hopefully some of you. Alas, wee one hasn’t been quite as successful as I’d hoped. So, I’ve put together a list of some tools we can use as writers to help us achieve writing goals for 2012.

1. Communities
This is a big one. Support can be huge when you’re facing things like writers block and plot wholes. One of your best resource will always be other writers that you can bounce ideas off of and get feedback from. Once you have a draft of a story, forums like Absolute Write can help you find beta-readers to take it to the next level.

This year, I am also part of a resolution group, which includes something of a writing buddy. Be accountable to someone other than yourself if that’s what you need to make sure your writing stays a top priority.

2. Momentum
I’ve always found that once you can get into the habit of writing, it gets easier and easier to keep it up. Not only does it become part of your daily routine, but you start to really feel like a writer which can play a big part in motivating you to keep at it.

If it helps, use a website like chains.cc to keep track of your progress. Make it your homepage for that extra push every day to keep up the good work.

3. Think in smaller steps
Anything can look daunting in the wrong light, especially something epic like writing a novel. Break your goals down into smaller steps and it will look a lot less daunting. Writer 1000 words, a chapter, a scene, a paragraph. Whatever works for you. If it keeps you going to get to check off a box after writing for fifteen minutes, do that. Eat a cookie if you have to. Setup your goals in a format that works for you and you’ll go a lot faster. It’s a lot easier to reach the moon one wrung at a time, rather than in one giant leap. Not that anyone would argue either is an easy task.

4. Make writing a priority
I don’t think I can explain this quite as well as this comic.