Problem is...when do you write? When do you pound out another 350+ page book? When do you block out the chapters? When do you do your research?
Writing to be published, not for a hobby, is a job. A full time job. You have to commit hours to it. Whether it's during your kid's naptime, after work, or during your beloved television show...you have to put in the hours at the computer to make any real progress.
An agent once told me that writers under contract are expected to produce a book every 4-6 months. Months, people, from research to revisions. Whew! Sounds daunting...but it can be done, is done regularly by authors everyday. The way to do that is to have a schedule. An iron-clad, cannot-alter, leave-me-to-do-my-work schedule. And you have to commit to it.
Now, few of us can quit our day jobs to concentrate solely on honing our craft. But most of us can fine-tune our time management.
It's helpful to set a goal, a deadline, and meet it as if your advance depended on it. Because if all goes well, you will have to be able to do this for real one day. This is not as hard as it seems with some little tweaks to your work habits, you can do it.
- Be reasonable. Don't try to pound out 300 pages in three months. You'll burn out and probably end up burning the manuscript. Try 10 pages in ten days, a chapter in a week, or a scene a day.
- Write it down. Pick a day to be finished with revisions, line editing, everything having to do with your manuscript. Mark the date your calendar. Treat it like a a publisher's deadline. Don't fudge it...don't go easy on yourself...meet the deadline like the professional you are.
- Block things off. Do research when you need it. If you don't absolutely need to know the tensile strength of suspension bridges yet...wait until you're ready to write that scene to do it. Nothing throws a writer off on a tangent faster than "research" that ends up in a webcrawl through Failblog or YouTube.
- Track your time. There is a cool pdf tracker here for free. Write down the hours you spend actually writing your story. Not revising, not "tweaking a scene", not polishing a query...but writing new stuff.
**And blogfest entries DO NOT count. Research and edits don't count, but build them into your timeline so can finish by your "deadline."**
Clear a space. Painters set up near windows. Photographers have darkrooms. You need a writing space. A place where you can write without interuptions. That can be in your room with the headphones on, or in a coffeeshop that none of your friends go to. It takes a while to get into the groove of a scene. Don't cut yourself off at the knees by inviting distractions.- And finally...Don't Procrastinate, just...don't. It not only slows you down, but stresses you out.
There are a lot of other ways to manage your time. Some online programs offer stop watches, organizers, and task trackers for free or a small fee. Sometimes its as simple as joining a critique group that meets regularly. Knowing a group of peers are expecting your next chapter is very motivating.
What are your tricks and tips for staying on track. What are the pitfalls that eat up your time? I'd love you hear what you have to say.
Until next time...Go Write! No, really. Go start typing.