How to Set Creative Intentions That Actually Support You (Not Drain You)
Welcome to Season 3 of the Write It Scared Podcast! 🎉
Before we dive into this season’s episodes, jam-packed with conversations on horror, cozy mystery, fantasy, romcoms, publishing paths, and more, I want to pause and offer you a creative reset.
Because if we don’t check our mindset…
If we don’t set our intentions with honesty and self-compassion…
If we don’t look at our writing goals through the lens of our real lives…
We end up chasing outcomes we can’t control, spinning our wheels, and wondering why everything feels harder than it should.
So in this post, I want to offer you the same intention-setting prompts I share inside my group coaching cohorts every September.
This is your grounding check-in. Your permission slip. Your reminder that your writing matters—and that it’s okay to return to it gently.
Why Intention Setting Comes First
Writing a novel is never just about word count.
It’s about the relationship you have with your work.
And if that relationship is strained, filled with pressure, or shaped by someone else’s expectations you’re way more likely to burn out, stall out, or give up entirely.
So instead of diving in headfirst and trying to “catch up,” I invite you to slow down and ask: what do I actually want from this season of writing?
8 Intention-Setting Prompts for Writers (Fall 2025 Edition)
Grab your journal or a Google Doc, or just reflect on these prompts during a walk. You can also revisit these in the show notes if you’re listening to the episode.
1️⃣ How do I want to feel about my writing this season? What needs to shift to support that feeling?
2️⃣ What are my three writing goals for Fall 2025? (Make at least one of them a mindset goal—not just outcome-based.)
3️⃣ Are these goals doable within the next 3–4 months? Check them against the lens of your reality. Be honest. Recalibrate if needed.
4️⃣ What worked—and didn’t—over the last 3–6 months? What patterns do you notice? What might need to change this time?
5️⃣ What specific actions can I take daily, weekly, or monthly to move forward?
6️⃣ What’s my plan for making those actions happen? And how will I get back on track if (okay, when) life derails me?
7️⃣ What am I willing to change this season to make progress possible?
8️⃣ What do I want to be brave enough to try this season that I haven’t tried before? Feedback? Coaching? A conference? A new writing habit? Bigger emotional honesty?
And don’t forget to reflect on what’s already working. 😉
Focus on your gains, not your gaps. The gap will close as you keep going. ❤️
When Life Lifes Hard: The Glass and Rubber Ball Metaphor
If your summer was rocky (same), and your writing took a back seat, I just want to remind you that it’s okay.
Life is like juggling a bunch of balls, some are rubber (like work and writing) and if you drop them, it’s okay.
They’ll bounce and you can pick them up later. But some are glass (like your health, your family, your spirit) and if you drop them, they can shatter. There are no second chances with those.
So if you had to set writing down for a bit in order to hold the more precious things in your life: that’s okay. The words will wait.
You’re allowed to start small. You’re allowed to write slowly. You’re allowed to try again.
Go set your intentions. Recommit to your work. Then take one small step forward.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
Progress in creative work often feels invisible or too slow to measure. But you’re not behind. You’re in it. You’re still showing up.
Let this season be a chance to reconnect to the work. But more importantly, to the why behind it. ❤️
