Life of a writer… part 2

Thank you to all those who left comments and/or contacted me about my writing life… I especially enjoyed hearing from other writers who know how difficult it is to find time for everything, including time for promoting and social media.

Petra asked how I work around my busy schedule and family activities…

I find that these 3 important items help me stay organized:

LISTS — I am a list-maker for everything! I have a list for writing supplies needed, groceries to buy, items to pack for trips, plus a pro/con list for every important decision to be made.
SCHEDULE — I may not always follow my schedule, but without it, I miss too many things. I cannot exist without a schedule! My schedule allows me time to write, edit, promote my books, review other books, run errands, and make time for family, friends and church. I also have a writing schedule, which tells me when everything is due for each book — from the first draft — to the edits — to the release.
CALENDAR — my writing calendar is set for the next 7 years! Although it has plenty of room for changes/additions, I want to know where I am this year, what is happening next year, and years beyond. I want to know where I want to be 5 years — 10 years — from now.

Petra, using these three things to organize my time better, helps me to use the time I have to get more done. Too often, we waste time trying to remember what needs to be done, distracted by something else going on, or we get involved in other projects that aren’t on our list/schedule/calendar.

Using a list, a schedule, and a calendar keeps me up-to-date!

Even if you’re not a list-maker, or if you have a hard time following a schedule, you really need a good calendar, where you can keep up with all the necessary dates for writing and publishing a book. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy…

I’ve been using weekly/monthly planners from BlueSky for several years and I really like them. The page are beautiful — and they have a wide selection of choices to make. Shown below is the one I chose for 2017… I love having the same format, yet being able to choose a different color and background each year, too.