Set Your Writing Goals by the Moon
- Katherine Arkady
- Dec 10, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Feb 17
I understand that I'm playing the long game with writing and getting published. I also understand that the publishing industry moves about the same speed as molasses.
This is not great for anxiety. I simultaneously feel behind and ahead in my goals. I know where I want to be and I'm not there yet.
Along with the help of a licensed professional, I have employed a celestial body to help me with my writing goals: the moon! According to the Giant Impact Hypothesis, our moon is a part of us as much as the sun is. Long associated with intuition, cycles of change, and creativity, the moon is my main tool for setting intentions.
It's all cyclical. Let me lay it out:
The moon has phases because its position relative to the Earth and the Sun causes different portions of its surface to be illuminated by sunlight. This results in the appearance of different lunar shapes we see on Earth. There are eight main phases:
New Moon: marks the beginning of the lunar cycle when the moon is not visible from Earth. It symbolizes new beginnings, fresh starts, and setting intentions.
Waxing Crescent: As the moon begins to wax or grow larger, a thin crescent shape becomes visible. This phase represents intentionality, growth, and brainstorming actionable goals regarding your New Moon manifestations.
First Quarter: Halfway between the New Moon and the Full Moon, the First Quarter phase is about making decisions to overcome the first round of obstacles and taking decisive action.
Waxing Gibbous: During the Waxing Gibbous phase, the moon is nearly full, representing a period of growth, momentum, and expansion.
Full Moon: The Full Moon is the climax of the lunar cycle when the moon appears fully illuminated in the night sky. It symbolizes completion, fruition, and illumination.
Waning Gibbous: After the Full Moon, the moon begins to wane or decrease in size. The Waning Gibbous phase represents reflection, gratitude, and releasing what no longer serves you.
Last Quarter: Halfway between the Full Moon and the New Moon, the Last Quarter phase signifies introspection, revision, and reassessment.
Waning Crescent: As the moon approaches the end of its cycle, it appears as a thin crescent in the sky. The Waning Crescent phase symbolizes surrender, rest, and introspection.
These phase—either new moon to new moon, full moon to full moon, etc—are called a Synodic Month. This lasts approximately 29.53 days.
So how did I put all this information to use?
New Moon: January 11th
Visibility: The New Moon is not visible from Earth because it's positioned between the Earth and the Sun, with its illuminated side facing away from us. It rises and sets roughly along with the Sun, so it's typically in the sky during the day.
The New Moon is an ideal time for planting seeds of inspiration, starting new projects, and setting clear writing goals for the upcoming cycle. During the new moon, I sit myself down for a meditation ceremony. I gather all the ideas I have regarding a goal I want to accomplish. I write down anything that comes to mind about forming a "plan" and make sure the universe is aware of my intentions.
For example, back in January, the new moon was on the 11th. My goal for this phase was finding at least two Comparable Titles for my first manuscript. These titles are used to show literary agents that there is a market for my manuscript and give a vibe for the manuscript itself.
During the meditation, I wrote down all the motifs, topics, settings, and conflict that could serve as keywords to my search. I also figured out that I was most available to read first thing in the morning and right before bed. I made a note to buy peppermint tea. I was setting the groundwork for success.
Waxing Crescent: January 15th
Visibility: The Waxing Crescent Moon sets a few hours after the Sun sets, so it's visible in the western sky in the early evening after sunset.
The Waxing Crescent is a time for nurturing ideas, gathering inspiration, and laying the groundwork for creative endeavors. During the waxing moon, the light is growing and so are my plans.
During the first quarter moon, I often approach my first obstacles. It's easy for me to get discouraged but I remember to stay flexible.
I'm carefully listening to my dreams, reading through resources, and staying curious about methods to find titles. I was able to compile a list of ten books, found where I could borrow these books from local libraries, and set a schedule for the next 19 days to read them. This was going well!
First Quarter: January 18th
Visibility: The First Quarter Moon rises around noon and sets around midnight. It's visible in the afternoon and evening sky, appearing halfway between the horizon and the zenith (the point directly overhead).
The First Quarter marks when the wide stroke of your new moon planning can receive some refining. This is where my first big moves are made to see where the next step of my writing and publishing. It's imperative that I focus on my mental health so that my creative vision can flourish.
Mental health is HUGE! Do your self-care how you see fit. Incorporate some rituals into them if you practice.
My first obstacle was that the first six novels I read through either had few similarities to my manuscript or weren't an equatable voice in prose. Shame too—they were (commercially) such good books to market a pitch with!
I had to give myself grace: not a lot of novels regarding a girl selling weed edibles to tourists to save her bakery are out there. I stayed flexible and continued reading from my list.
Waxing Gibbous: January 20th
Visibility: The Waxing Gibbous Moon rises in the afternoon and is visible throughout the evening and early morning hours. It sets in the west after sunrise.
It's a time for fine-tuning your projects, refining your writing style, and building upon the progress made earlier in the cycle.
In the span of those two days, I motored through reading the four left on the list, Kübler-Ross'd myself through the grief of having to do more research to come up with another list, came up with another set of ten books, found where I could borrow these books from local libraries, and set a schedule for the next 14 days to read them.
Full Moon: January 25th
Visibility: The Full Moon rises in the east around sunset and sets in the west around sunrise. It's visible throughout the night, reaching its highest point in the sky around midnight.
This phase is ideal for celebrating achievements, gaining clarity, and harnessing the full power of your creative expression.
The full moon is a mid-point where I check in with myself. It's a big time for practicing gratitude. Sometimes this can be tricky! My manifestation desires may look different than my original desires—and I must figure out how I feel about that.
It was especially difficult to practice gratitude when I was on book #25 and had a long list of "Maybe of Maybes" next to an empty list of "Comp Titles." Sure, I could spin a novel or two into working but I wanted Comp Titles that knocked my query out of the park. This wasn't a very illuminating time. What was I to do?
Have a Full Moon Ceremony.
I looked at my new moon manifestations and, with the new knowledge I had acquired, clarified the purpose and reason of the original list. I knew I needed a new list of novels.
I centered myself. I may have smoked a recreationally legal joint while bundled up from the January chill. I definitely stood, blessed, under the strong moonlight blanketing my backyard. I meditated on the next step. Later on, while warm in my full moon bath tea, I came up with new keywords and vibes to search for regarding my comp titles.
Waning Gibbous: January 30th
Visibility: The Waning Gibbous Moon rises in the evening and is visible until morning. It's highest in the sky in the hours before dawn.
It's a time for re-evaluating your progress, letting go of distractions, and preparing for closure or completion.
The waning moon's light is decreasing. This is a time for inner reflection and review. Come from a place of non-judgement as an "observer" of your actions. This is time to notice what about the new moon manifestations worked and what didn't.
BE NICE TO YOURSELF. This moon phases is good for releasing bad energies and things that don't serve yourself. Rest, relax, and prepare for the next phase. This phase is also good for sharing what you've learned. reach out to friends and colleagues for insight and community.
I didn't want to share with my friends that I wasn't getting the insight I had hoped for. I felt that I needed to double down and focus so I wasn't behind on my plans.
In turn I really let go of distractions. I took my proverbial phone off the hook and doubled down on my reading schedule. I was on book #30. If this one worked, I'd have one comp title. If this one didn't work, I'd already borrowed five more novels from my library and could start right away.
Last Quarter: February 2nd
Visibility: The Last Quarter Moon rises around midnight and sets around noon. It's visible in the early morning sky, appearing halfway between the horizon and the zenith.
It's a time for editing, revising, and refining your writing projects, as well as releasing any lingering doubts or fears.
On February 2nd, I made myself sit with the slightly uncomfortable feeling that I hadn't achieved all I planned. I knew that I wasn't really behind on my plans because I had put the work in, but it still felt...lacking.
When I'm in my head, I've learned from my therapist that it's wise to partake in activities that get me out of my head. Calling up my friends is the quickest route to take with this one. I was able to chat with my friend Kellie about what she had been up to post-holidays and she was kind enough to ask about my writing status.
"You're looking for a book that has small-town summer vibes, an ensemble cast, and a happily (for now) ending?"
She had a recommendation for me! Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid! It had small-town summer vibes, an ensemble cast, and a happily (for now) ending!
(All of which were on my full moon manifestation list.)
Blessed be, it's the friends you have that'll get you through it.
The very next morning, I drove to my library to borrow the book. I read Malibu Rising in seven straight hours. I devoured every creatively placed word and internally thanked Taylor Jenkins Reid for a little bit of healing that every good book offers a reader.
Waning Crescent: February 5th
Visibility: The Waning Crescent Moon rises shortly before sunrise and is visible in the eastern sky before dawn. It's typically low in the sky and may be difficult to see due to the brightening morning twilight.
I had to fully surrender and chalk this month up to a semi-success. It's a time for introspective writing, journaling, and quiet contemplation before the cycle begins anew with the next New Moon on February 9th.
Finding a Second Comp Title was going to be at the top of my to do list.
I was also going to prepare plans to draft a query letter for potential literary agents.
I needed to start thinking about my social media presence, too.
But what may be more important than a to-do list is a to-done list. Over this last Synodic Month, I had:
Read at least 100 pages of 32 different novels—and finished seventeen of them.
Made friends with the library staff that helped me when the Dewey Decimal System failed me.
In order to optimize my reading hours, I mostly cooked at the house and, in turn learned how to properly prepare and season chana masala.
Racked up precious snuggling time with my cat who loves sleeping on me. According to the universal rule of "when a pet lays on you, you can't move," I was effectively forced to sit down for longer periods of time to read while Gizmo was on my lap.
Finally practice Taylor Lorenz's 6 Relaxing Yoga Reading Poses: Do Yoga While Reading! that I had Pinterested five moons ago: https://www.taylorstracks.com/yoga-reading-poses/
Confirm the belief that if the wonderful 32 novels I read could be published, so could mine.
I use all these notes and lessons and newly-acquired skills to make the next new moon manifestation. The moon has kept me better in focus than any app ever has. I encourage you to experiment with setting your own writing goals or intentions by the moon phases. It's flexible and adaptable to fit your needs.
But the most important aspect of this is to honor your own creative rhythms and intuition.
Here are some resources to learn more about moon phases, rituals, and/or specific dates and times to your area.
Stay wild, moon child,
Katherine Arkady
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