I was reviewing my goals for 2010, yes I wrote them down, and found that I reached all of my firm goals for the year but for one: I did not finish Servant of the King yet.

But exactly that goal is on my list, I believe at number 5 or 6.

So what is a writer to do when the one goal he has not achieved is a writing goal?

Hit the goal.

I figure I have 20,000 words to go on this book. Today is December 27th. That means that, including today, I have 5 days to get this writing done.

I have Friday off work; it’s a paid holiday. I am going to spend at least 5 hours on Friday writing, which should cover about 5-6000 words. Those will be the last words too, so I should plan on that drawing out to up to 7000 words.

That gives me today, Monday, as well as Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to knock out about 15,000 words. Which means about 4000 words on each of these days.

I need at least 4 hours on each of these days in order to hit these goals. I have every confidence that I can dig up four hours each day, but that means I have to sacrifice other things. Here’s what I will sacrifice in order to have the time to write:

1. Reading books other than scripture. This should free up at least 1 hour/day.

2. Watching shows etc. online. This will free up about 1 hour/day also.

3. Twitter, Facebook and other social networking stuff. This will free up at least 1 hour/day, possibly 1.5. I WILL post updates on my writing, but will not monitor them like I often do.

4. Fiddling around during lunch. This will free up about .5 hours.

So that gives me about 3.5 hours of writing per day! I will add to that whatever is necessary to hit my daily goals and will thus get it done.

Friends, now for the accountability. The reward: satisfaction and going to see True Grit next week. If I do not hit my goal each day, I will stay up until it’s done. Crappy writing or good writing, I will hit my word goal for each day. I will post my totals here and on Twitter and Facebook.

I respectfully request your encouragement, rebukes and whatever other interaction appropriate to my achievements or lack thereof for the day.

In other, far less formal, words, please help me! I am badly in need of a regular-meeting writing group, so I must ask help of you, my Web-friends, to keep me honest in the absence of said writing group.

That is all. I have some writing to do now.