Tick, Tock

The writer’s best friend and worst enemy is time.  Time management to get the book done.  Deadlines. Time to stop to do copy edits on a finished manuscript when you’re in the middle of a new book.  Time waiting when negotiating a contract.  Not enough time to do everything else that isn’t writing related.

When I gave up my day job to write fulltime, I had terrible time management skills.  My first manuscript was finished when I sold it, and I got a 2-book contract.  I underestimated how long it would take me to write that second book.  Lots of all-nighters.  I also made the mistake of not taking my writing seriously enough.  If someone called with a lunch invitation, I was there.  All that did was put me behind.  Not smart.

So now I have a system.  I think pre-planning is the key to successfully meeting deadlines.  That and a cushion just in case life interrupts.  I know it takes me a week and a half to put all my information into Power Structure organizational software I swear by.  Sold by write-brain.com).  If I’m using an unfamiliar location, tack on another week for travel/research.  I know I can comfortably write 15-20 pages a day, but I can’t do that every day.  So I shoot for 60 pages a week.  Sometimes I do more, sometimes less, but it all comes out in the wash.

Then there’s the cushion.  Once I’ve done the math, I add on an extra 2 weeks just in case something comes up.  Kids get sick, doctors’ appointments, just the stuff that crops up as part of everyday life.  I try really hard not to pick a deadline between the 2^nd week of November and January 15^th.  Christmas is just too hectic around here and it’s hard to host Christmas Eve dinner for 45 people when you’re glued to your computer chair.

I made another change.  I let go of the notion that my house had to be spotless every day.  So what if it gets cleaned once a week.  No one ever died from a little dust.  I’m also blessed with a husband who will take care of things if I’m running up against a deadline.  He cooks, does laundry and cleans without being asked.  Now that’s a husband.

The most recent thing I learned was to do it now.  When my editor sends me revisions, I shoot for a 48-hour turnaround.  Copy edits – 1 day.  The longer you put them off the more daunting they become.  But if you do it right away, you get it off your desk.  And I’m a huge fan of ticking things off my to-do list.

So if you’re ever wondering why I don’t blog every day it’s because I have a deadline for something or I’m taking some family time.  Writing is my job and I take it seriously but I also recognize that to be well rounded, I have to have a life as well.  Always remember to take care of you.