In Pursuit of Literary Goals
Reflections on a year's output, changing habits, and alternative approaches to maintaining a writing practice
Around this time last year, I set myself some literary goals, although I cannot quite recall my starting point. I made a list of the poems, prose pieces and short stories I had written up to that point and wrote a motivational piece about my commitment to continuing this throughout 2026. I hoped it would motivate not only myself, but also like-minded friends. As I had designated the end of September as a turning point, I would like to take this opportunity to review our annual output statistics.
If you’d like to read it first, you can find the piece I wrote on this subject last year here.
I had a few personal goals. The first was to publish my book. To be honest, I only remembered this goal when I reread the piece. Now that I think about it, this seems rather strange and heartening in retrospect. So, my new goal should be to organise and finalise my other works with potential. In short, this is my goal for 2027. I need to return to those dozens of pages of unfinished fiction and stop seeing them as a nuisance and finally bring them to a conclusion. (Don’t listen to anyone, GRRM. We understand you perfectly.)
I've topped off my literary journey with books. As I mentioned last year, I prefer to set myself annual goals. The most important thing, in my view, is not to feel obligated. It's about acting calmly, with curiosity and sincerity. We must act with the awareness that it's not a race against anyone else, the promises we’ve made to ourselves or the span of our lives. After all, there are so many things to do in life. I say “things”. You can call them whatever you like. While reading books is valuable, necessary and potentially educational, it has its limits too. Rather than viewing this reality as “being in a tight spot”, I suggest we accept that there are some things we simply cannot control.
That’s why, when I set my reading target of thirty-six books at the start of the year, I based it on the assumption that I would probably read around forty-eight anyway. Thanks to our book clubs, we have the opportunity to read at least two books a month in İlkgüz. On top of that, if there are books we’re really keen to read, reaching that number is easy. Still, that's life; if it turns out to be twelve, so be it. That wouldn't be a failure.
As a writing enthusiast, I believe that setting personal challenges and goals is the most important and challenging part of the writing process.
When I reviewed the goals I had set myself years ago, I gained an understanding of how this process might work. I imagine you can also foresee how this might develop from your own perspective.
I intend to continue producing poetry and prose, the literary forms I also explored in my book. However, I have been rather unproductive this year, at least compared to last year. The work I produced between September 2025, when I drew up this plan, and the end of the year exceeds what I wrote (which I categorise as poetry, poetry in English, and prose) in 2026 . This is because during that period I wrote nine poems in total — six in Turkish and three in English — as well as fourteen pieces of prose. I have, of course, reflected on the reasons for this significant decline.
The publication of my book is probably the best example of this. I think I’ve reached a temporary saturation point in terms of how much literary content I can produce. I think I’m happy with where I am at the moment, so I’ve given myself permission to take it easy this year. At least, that’s my assumption. Having reached a state of instinctive ease, I naturally abandoned the “write a poem a week” project I had planned for last year. In short, I’ve had the chance to observe this situation throughout 2026.
Another possible reason is that I’ve led a relatively uneventful life this year. It hasn't been an especially active year, either mentally or physically. However, when I was active, I can clearly see from my notes and by comparing monthly output figures that my productivity definitely increased. Stepping outside the expected course and immersing myself in new experiences has had a significant impact in this context.
Another possible reason is probably related to the genres I’ve been reading. For instance, after reading Shakespeare’s sonnets, I wrote poetry in sonnet form. Similarly, after reading Wagner's libretti, I wrote poetic prose, drawing on their theatrical and fantastical atmosphere. After studying Borges’ lecture notes on poetry, I attempted to create narratives rich in imagery and depth. This year, I have once again confirmed that reading is the precursor to writing.
However, this does not mean that I have stopped writing. For instance, as part of the creative writing club at İlkgüz, we write stories during our meetings. We continue to do this online every two months. In the fiction writing club, on the other hand, we write micro fictions of around 200–300 words every month. These sessions have provided an ideal way to maintain our writing habit since we launched them at the start of 2026. The fact that the sessions are not held weekly actually makes them more productive and manageable. Indeed, we are once again realising that time constraints may be more important than desire.
Moreover, within the fiction writing club itself, the short stories we write every two months (generally ranging from 1,500 to 5,000 words) amount to six stories a year with consistent participation. This creates a more productive structure than one might imagine. If you write for other clubs, competitions, magazines, publications or purely for your own enjoyment, that's even better. Since last September, I have written thirteen stories, both long and short.
If you’re interested in literary genres, want to bring consistency and discipline to your writing, plan to keep track of your reading, or wish to have your work published, consider this a sign. You can start in September or, if you prefer, at the end of the year, as is generally accepted. If you feel now isn’t the right time, that’s fine too. I’m sure there will be moments when you feel ready and confident in your abilities.
In this context, if you’d like to rekindle the flames of your passion:
If you’d like to find out more about the book publishing process, take a look at my relevant post here.
To follow our book readings together, join our Goodreads group here.
You can access my book “Dokuma Sözler”, a collection of my poems and prose, here.
You can read our mini-stories written in İlkgüz here.
However, you don’t have to face these goals and challenges alone. With the help of an intellectual online community (in Turkish), you can achieve everything I’ve mentioned.
Read and discuss books on various themes.
Create short stories on a monthly basis.
Bring short stories to life.
Enjoy the pleasure of spontaneous writing.
Chat about films.
Share photographs within the framework of these themes. You can find links to our literature and arts community, İlkgüz, here.
I wish everyone a delightful autumn, a cinnamon-scented October, uplifting rain and enjoyable reading and writing.
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