About a year ago, I realized I was no longer having fun.
Between writing and things going on in my personal life, stress was my middle name. I was living on caffeine. Chocolate was my drug of choice. I wasn't sleeping well. I didn’t even feel like I could take time off to have lunch with friends…
Wait a minute! This is my dream job! I don’t want to live this way!
Something needed to change, and I didn’t want it to be my writing. I had worked hard (and am still working hard) to be a published author. I want this to be a lifetime career, not just something to keep me busy for a few years.
I still have a LOT of stories to write!
It took some time, but I figured out what the problem was.
It was me.
Here’s how it happened -
In my past life (before writing), I was a homeschool mom. It was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, without exception. But it was also extremely time consuming. Every minute of my day was booked.
In an attempt to control the chaos, I put our homeschool on a six week/one week schedule, using the one week off to catch up with cleaning the house and other major projects that needed my attention.
It was a marvelous and hectic time. And yes, I’d do it all over again!
My schedule became a habit. One that carried over to my writing career. In the early days, it worked. I would meet a deadline, then take a week or two off to catch up with the rest of my life.
But a few years ago, things changed. I signed my first three-book contract with Revell. When I signed another three-book contract with Love Inspired Historical a couple years later, time really got tight.
Suddenly, I no longer had a break between deadlines. I also had all the other “mini-deadlines” associated with publication: revisions, line edits, titling and positioning information, input on cover design, guest blogging, radio interviews…. and my life outside of writing became chaos.
I started seeing a pattern, and with the pattern, I was able to identify the problem.
Yes, my problem is that I tend to tackle each part of my life with single-minded focus. Of course, the downside with that is there are many facets to my life!
Maybe a lot of you struggle with the same thing.
Once I found the cause – my single-focused method of tackling any job – it was time to find a solution.
Since I can't change my God-given personality quirk, I decided to try to use that facet of my personality as a strength. Harness the power of that single-mindedness for good! Become a super-hero!
Scheduling is the method I’m using again. It has worked for me in the past, and I have confidence it will help me this time.
However, another personality quirk of mine is that while I love making schedules, I’m a rebel when it comes to following them!
I’m determined to make this work, though. I don’t want to crash and burn, so I need to bring balance to my life and my work. I follow my schedule with grace – there is give and take along the way – but I get things done.
And progress is the result.
In case you’re curious, here is my schedule outline:
Today I’d like to discuss how you balance your writing with the rest of your life. Has writing taken over all your time and energy? Or are you having trouble fitting the writing time in?
For readers: If you're anything like me, reading threatens to consume your time! How do you balance life, reading, and reviewing?
Or if you are one of those few brave souls who have found the secret of balancing the tasks in your life, share what works for you! We can all learn from each other!
One commenter today will win a copy of my newest release, “The Sound of Distant Thunder,” available for pre-order now!
From the talented pen of Jan Drexler comes this brand new Amish series set against the backdrop of the Civil War. She puts her characters to the test as they struggle to reconcile their convictions and desires while the national conflict threatens to undermine and engulf their community.
Ah, it's a constant struggle, isn't it? I don't write on weekends if I can help it, or in the evenings. Errands and chores in the morning, write in the afternoon. I also have to leave home to write, or else I piddle-dink away the day. It mostly works. :)
ReplyDeleteErica, maybe writing away from home is what I need to try. I just don't get it done at home so much of the time.
DeleteGood morning, Erica!
DeleteThat constant struggle...I know it well.
I've tried writing away from home (i.e. Panera or the library), and I've found that it works well when I'm working on a blog post, plotting and character development, or editing. Not so well if I need to lose myself in a story.
But when I'm at home, there's always that pull away. Sometimes, writing is painful, or just plain hard. Then just about anything is a welcome distraction! Emptying the dishwasher or cleaning the toilet or checking the mail or cleaning the cat box or...you name it!
Erica, I don't do weekends either, or not much. I stop by Saturday noon because our main computer is in the living room. A built-in way to make me take time off!
DeleteSandy, give it a try, but take some earbuds! Even if I don't play any music while I write, having the earbuds in serves two purposes. It deadens little sounds that might distract, and it keeps people from talking to you! :)
DeleteJan, I realized when I was cleaning bathrooms instead of writing that I needed to get out of the house to write! I also feel that if I'm going to spend almost $3 for a glass of iced tea, I better have something to show for it by the end of the day!
Deletekaybee, I am the company bookkeeper, and I tend to do a lot of book work on the weekends. That and a lot of my favorite sports are played on the weekends, and I want to be able to watch them ALL! :)
DeleteI need a schedule. I might get more done. I love your dog.
ReplyDeleteCathy
Thank you! That Thatcher certainly makes life interesting!
DeleteAnd I've found that having a schedule - even if I don't always stick to it - really helps accomplish things. There's something about writing it down that keeps it in the front of my mind.
Cathyann, you need to find a schedule that works for YOU. Find out when you're freshest and when you're not, and use the "not" for stuff like cleaning.
DeleteGreat point, Kathy!
DeleteThanks, Jan. The general idea is that we write when we're freshest, if we have that much control over our schedules, and do the mindless stuff when, well, we have no mind.
DeleteHi Jan! I love the ideas of schedules and being super organized, but I'm also a rebel and rarely follow them. I MUST get better at this. I was so determined last January to do a better job that I spent almost $50 on a planner....And gave it away by February because I knew it was useless. I do like the simplicity of your schedule. I"m going to jot down all my "must do" activities and see what kind of schedule I can come up with. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteOh, LeAnne, I've been there with the planner thing! They LOOK so wonderful, don't they? But for me, they become a guilt-producer. There's a page for every day, and sometimes even a place for every hour or half-hour! It's relentless!
DeleteInstead of a planner, I use a bullet journal. (I love my bullet journal - I may have to do a blog post on it sometime over at the YankeeBelle Cafe...hmmm...)
And you have the right idea - make a list of your "must-do" activities and work them into your day. But don't forget the "want-to-do" things! Without balance, I would crash and burn!
Do the things no one else but you can do -- loving YOUR children, walking YOUR dog -- and prioritize the rest.
DeleteJan, what exactly is a bullet journal?
DeleteGo here for the official description: bulletjournal.com
DeleteIt's described as "The analog system for the digital age."
But I think it is so popular because it can be adapted to anyone's style and needs. Just go to Pinterest and search for bullet journal ideas, and you'll see a huge variety!
Thanks for sharing your tips with us, Jan. Like you, a schedule is vital to my writing productivity. But I'm also in a bit of a learning curve, because we travel so much that having a consistent schedule is very hard. The other problem I run into is when my scheduled writing time can only be early mornings or late nights and my brain is so tired I can't even write. Maybe some of our early morning veterans like Ruthy can give me some advice. ;)
ReplyDeleteI think Ruthy's early morning secret is...*shhh...don't tell anyone*... Diet Mountain Dew!. That and years of necessary habit!
DeleteI've found that I need to change my schedule with the seasons or with our family's schedule, so I move things around when necessary. Most of the year, I don't walk the dogs until after 8:00 (it's too dark before then!), so I fit in 30 minutes or so of writing time early in the morning.
I think the most successful schedules are ones that are flexible!
That's very true. Maybe if I do break it up into the different seasons it would help. Thanks, Jan!
DeleteGreat post, Jan. I spend so much time trying to come up with the perfect schedule but never manage to follow it. I had all summer to work on writing, but I also had so many other projects to catch up on, so that was what got done, and not even much of that. I just need to be more disciplined following a schedule.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like my summer, too!
DeleteWhat I really think we need is a 36 hour day and a need for no more than four hours of sleep. Think how much we'd get done! LOL!
I've finally learned that where I need my self-discipline isn't as much in following my schedule, but being realistic when making the schedule in the first place. I know I can't do everything, so something has to give. That's where prioritizing is key.
But I always seem to find time to do what I want to do the most...and I hate to admit that sometimes that "thing I want most" is scrolling through Facebook....
Jan, you're so right about being realistic. I make to-do lists and have schedules, but I no longer beat myself up if something doesn't get done. I roll it over to the next day. My lists and schedules used to be more rigid, but I've learned to factor in traffic, standing in line, being put on hold and other people's frailties.
DeleteJan, my writing tends to be in an all or nothing fashion.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I tend to be that way in others things too. Exercising/eat right and not one stray bite of something I shouldn't, or it's a free-for-all. I'm obsessed-driven. And then my obsession moves to something else. I'm getting better, but still have a ways to go.
Connie, we must be cut from the same cloth! It drives me nuts sometimes, but I'm finally learning (after 61 years!) to use that single-minded focus to my advantage.
DeleteSome days, I throw my schedule out the window and lose myself in my writing - especially when I get toward the end of the book. So I plan for those days. My next deadline is October 1st, and I've already warned my husband that the last week of September is gone. He doesn't expect to see me until October 2nd...
I'm glad I'm not the only one...
DeleteI wonder if it's a writer/artist thing, like being an introvert? It doesn't describe everyone in the group, but a large number of us.
DeletePuts her hand up to be included in this group....
DeleteErica, you've been a charter member for years!
DeleteThis is great info, Jan. Thanks for sharing the schedule. Now I can see how you get so much done! Next week we'll be settling in to our back-to-school routine, I'll see if I can figure out how to fit more writing in. I'm an emotional wreck this week, so I don't think it's a good time to start anything! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd you've convinced me to start a bullet journal.
Having to work around someone else's routine makes it easier to follow a schedule, and I think that's why most moms welcome the back-to-school routine. I know I always did!
DeleteBut this week...sending the oldest off to college is a huge thing for a mom. The second year is easier, and the second child is even easier... It gets better!
Yay for the bullet journal You know how I love mine!
Looking forward to our next ACFW meeting on the 31st!
JAN, JAN, JAN! I love this post on so many levels.
ReplyDeleteOne is that it reminds me once again that life is not all fun and games after we're published. I'm contracted now and learning to conform to someone else's schedule, which is tricky even for people who were disciplined before signing their contract. It's different to be marching to someone else's deadlines. This is one of the many things I've learned from Seekerville and the published writers who generously share their strengths and weaknesses. That's a run-on sentence, I don't do that in my own writing.
That said, I love " I follow my schedule with grace – there is give and take along the way – but I get things done." I came to the Lord through the former Campus Crusade for Christ in the 1970s, and our group leader had a saying: "Plan your work, work your plan, but don't let your plan work you."
I was the ultimate multi-tasker when my children were little and the most I ever remember doing was four things at once -- watching the 2-year-old play in her bath, nursing the infant, reading my Bible and supervising a load of laundry in the dryer. Good habits for a young mom, not so good as we get older. In my later years multi-tasking led to three separate kitchen fires, one of which burned my favorite purse, and numerous other mishaps. And do I really WANT to multi-task? Do I want to miss something precious because my mind was in three places? I still do my nails or fold laundry while I'm watching television, but I've backed off on other forms of multi-tasking.
My current schedule is Bible study and errands on Monday, write on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, do my newspaper work in the afternoons and evenings, spend Thursdays with my special-needs daughter, and work on blogging, contest entries, my Web site and Linked-In profile, anything my publisher needs me to do, critiquing for my crit partner, reviews and other miniutiae of the "business" of writing on Saturday mornings. I more or less have to stop writing by Saturday noon because our computer is in the living room and there's too much going on, and I try to take a break on Sunday unless there's an urgent need. I tweak this if there's an urgent need, but otherwise it's fairly constant and I am Getting Things Done. Oh, yeah, housework and meals are in there somewhere.
What I'm working on now is getting Other People to respect my schedule. When this was just a dream I worked it around what everybody else was doing, but now it's a profession and I need to be treated like a professional.
One of my time management tips is one I learned years ago, from La Leche League of all places: Soak the dishes in hot water and go off and do something else. The food will come off more easily and you'll take less time doing dishes. Unless you have a dishwasher.
The other one is to chip away at things, bit by bit. I have an open suitcase in the craft room and I toss a couple of things in for ACFW every day, so last-minute packing will be minimal.
Oh, I have rambled on, but Jan you struck a nerve.
It's a nerve that's very close to the surface for me!
DeleteAnd while we were eating breakfast, my husband reminded me that another way to have a schedule is to have an order of doing things rather than having your tasks tied to the clock.
He's semi-retired, and today is his "Saturday," so after breakfast, he headed off to do his Bible reading and study while changing laundry loads in between. That will keep him occupied until lunch time. No set schedule, but a set pattern.
And I do that soaking dishes trick, too! Makes clean-up faster in the long run...as long as you get back to the dishes before the water cools!
Hi Jan:
ReplyDeleteI find the 'balance' metaphor to be somewhat scary! It's so mathematical, mechanical, and zero sum! It's life on a high wire with disaster teetering on all sides!
So zero sum: if you give five units of attention to "x" you have to take five units of attention from "y". 'Balance' makes me think of Jesus chasing the money changers out of the temple. I can even hear those balance scales crashing to the floor as God's whip comes crashing down across the money changer's tables! It's not the music of the spheres!
I favor the metaphor of a life in 'harmony'. Live for harmony between your heart, mind and soul. Be a self-actualizing person. Be like the lilies of the field. Appreciate that when you stop and smell the roses you are also pleasuring all the other elements of your life.
I perfer the spiritual physics of harmony over the high wire terror of balancing on either side of oblivion.
It's all in the metaphors we choose to live by! :)
Peace.
It is funny how metaphors strike people in different ways! When I think of balance, I think of a cycle...similar to your harmony. Spending time with God, then work, then to play, then moving to socializing/family, then back to work... a time for everything in its season.
DeleteThe balance you described...it is scary! How much do you take from time spent in prayer, Bible reading and meditation in order to get the writing done? What do you sacrifice so that your family time doesn't suffer? Making those choices sounds awful.
So harmony. I like that.
Harmony is a nice metaphor, Vince. But balance for me isn't your high wire image. I see balance as a pie shape with slices that represent different areas of my life, including sleep. I can calculate the time spent in each area and put that in my 24 hour pie to see what areas, if any, are out of whack/out of harmony.
DeleteJanet
Janet, a pie shape, what a good idea and good to hear from you.
DeleteIf we neglect an area of life, or cut too small a slice for it, everything else suffers.
Hi Janet:
DeleteGreat to see you again! I think of your prose as being words in harmony. No dissidence, no doubtful meanings. I miss it! I think I'm going to have to read "Courting Miss Adelaide" again very soon.
I can see how 'balance' and 'harmony' may seem to be much the same; however, consider this: A mother gives one child 10 units of attention and only 5 units to the other. This seems unfair and out of balance. Yet things are harmonious. The second child does not want so much attention or to be fussed over. Creating a zero sum balance will make the first child feel bad over the reduction of attention and the second child annoyed with the extra attention.
This is why I like harmony. Balance can seem like the ideal thing to have when sometimes it is not. I think harmony always works but it is also so much hard to obtain. (I've heard of balance quotas but never harmony quotas.)
Nevertheless, if balance works, then enjoy a happy dance.
Vince
Hi Jan:
DeleteSeekers were talking about series with Winnie the other day and I mentioned a series I'd love to see. I think you may be the best to create such a series! (You've written at least one of the books already.)
I'd like to see a series about, "A Walk Through American History," as seen by the Amish America Experience.
It could start in 1840 with "Hannah's Choice" and spotlight one decade per book thereafter. The books would show major historical events of that decade going on in the background of Amish 'outsiders' living their day to day lives. (It's outsiders who often have the most insightful perspectives about the dominate society.)
With this series readers will enjoy the same interesting Amish stories as always as well as benefiting from a 'painless' unfolding of American history.
This history would only require a few events being mentioned by Amish characters in passing. "Call the Midwife" does this very well. They will have a normal show but major events will get mentioned in one scene. Like having the midwives watching tv and learning of the JFK assignation. Seeing each character's reaction is so telling, so heartwarming, and so nostalgic for many viewers. It takes very little to have a big emotional impact when you select the right events.
I believe as a marketing person that by adding extra value to a story, you greatly increase the odds of being successful as an 'auto-buy' author. Make your readers feel smarter each time they finish one of your books. It's not just escapism, it's a learning experience.
Vince
That's a great idea, Vince, and one that is very close to my original thinking when I first started writing Amish historicals.
DeleteI'd start the series in the 1740's, when the first Amish arrived in America, and then follow history through the French & Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the migration west to the Old Northwest, etc. There are plenty of stories to write before "Hannah's Choice" even begins!
My new series is similar, taking place during the Civil War. I love telling about an unfamiliar history (that of the Amish) against the familiar backdrop of US History.
The question is, will the readers agree with us?
Vince, thanks for your lovely words about Courting Miss Adelaide. I am excited that the story is being released October 2 in a two for one with Valerie Hanson. I love that LI is giving historicals new life.
DeleteI totally agree, Vince, that harmony is far better than balance when it comes to our relationships!
Janet
Hi Jan:
DeleteYou wrote:
"The question is, will the readers agree with us?"
Ah, but, we are not selling the 'walk thru history' idea. The sell is for highly rewarding, very entertaining, historical Amish romances.
Do the readers want those: that is the question. I think for now the answer is yes.
Amish may still be a fad though a long running one.
What's great long term about the 'walk thru history' element is that it makes the story 'timeless' like Julie's "Boston Series" which is a snapshot of the time period. I think those Lessman romances will still be read a hundred years from now.
The 'walk thru history' element is a bonus, a lagniappe, something that works to make the next Amish book a reader buys, one of your books. It's the edge that can tip buying decisions in your favor. Besides the 'history' is what readers want when they don't buy contemporary romances.
What I like a lot about the 'walk thru history' is that it still allows for freedom in story themes from 'hidden child' to 'marriage of convenience' and I suppose even 'runaway bride' (which for some reason I love!) It's not locked into a family saga or one location or even one time period. Yet there is the collector's sense of achievement on completion of the series and lure of attraction for reading the missing pieces. (Like getting the 1950 D nickle when you're a kid coin collector filling your blue books!)
As long as Amish is hot and selling, let those selected be your Amish works!
You've given me a lot of food for thought, Vince. Thank you!
DeleteMy scheduling comes with little quirks. I am ADHD and I am OCD in that all lists must be in alphabetical order. With the ADHD I am usually in one of two extremes and there is no happy middle. I can get easily bored with just one project so work on several and the then other days I have no choice but to be hyper focused on one and cannot stop until the job is done. Living this way can drive me crazy and anyone else around me.
ReplyDeleteRecently I set up a to do list on my laptop. That has a list of everyday things needing to be done. Then I have categories for lists like church responsibilities, cleaning lists, writing projects, reading, crafts, exercise. etc. then I have an alphabetical list of it all. So which ever stage a particular day is for me on the ADHD scale. I won't forget something important. This works for me.
I have a tendency to panic if I haven't worked on a project for a while. I mix up the order in which I do things and that helps.
I do write everyday with the exception of certain days when Life's responsibilities interfere like on Sundays or Wednesdays. but even on those days I do get a little written.
I love a new feature on Nano site where I can set up my own goals not just in November or camp months. I love having a way to keep track of my writing each day.
I realize my method of my to do list would drive most people crazy, but it works for me and the crazy fun life of having ADHD.
I think the key for every writer is to find a schedule or to do list that works for you and your personality.
One thing I learned when I was raising my ADHD son (who is probably somewhere on the autism spectrum) is that this "condition" is not his problem. It is the way God made him, and it can be his strength rather than his weakness.
DeleteWe used a big white board with lists to keep him (and me) on track while he was in school, and he still uses lists on his computer like you mentioned. It's a way to maximize your strengths (the ability to focus on a project) while keeping up with the necessary tasks of life.
BUT I love your comment: "I think the key for every writer is to find a schedule or to do list that works for you and your personality."
EXACTLY!
Great post, Jan. I have recently started taking the evenings for relaxation. I'll read or watch a HALLMARK movie with hubby. In days past, I would work, catching up on emails or blog posts so the work day stretched far too long. Taking that quiet time in the evenings has brought joy back to my life. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd that quiet time is SO necessary, isn't it? Unless we have an evening church activity, I'm in my favorite chair by 6:00 pm, my cross-stitch project in my hand and a movie or an audio book to watch or listen to. By 8:00, I'm curled up with my current book and in bed by 9:00. Keeping that routine going has brought wonderful changes to my life...that joy you mentioned!
DeleteJan, you must eat dinner earlier than I do. I usually take a walk in the evenings after I've read for a while, giving the food time to digest a bit. I'm not sure that's the best, but at least I get it in.
DeleteJanet
We eat about 5:30, unless hubby has to work. Then it's later. In the winter we often walk in the evenings at the mall. I figure whenever I fit a walk in, it's a good thing!
DeleteI agree! Those amazing writers who can work at a treadmill desk have the best solution, but I always considered it a death wish. ;-)
DeleteJan, my DH believed writers--he was actually talking to me. :-)--should work on an 8-5 schedule. If I finished early, I could "leave" early. I got what he was saying, but women writers are often pulled in so many directions, especially when they write at home, often with children and chores clamoring for attention. However you manage to do it, pat yourself on the back for meeting those deadlines! Writers are amazing!
ReplyDeleteJanet
LOL! My hubby believed the same thing! He often tells me of a writer's bio he read once. That writer was at his desk by 8:00 every morning and wrote x number of pages by noon, and then went golfing (or something) in the afternoons.
DeleteMy response? "That writer probably has a wife." :-)
Now that hubby is semi-retired, he is at home while I'm working most days. So he sees exactly what writing looks like. And he has taken over doing the laundry (yay!) to give me more time.
And yes! Writers are amazing!
LOL, great response, Jan! Once my DH retired he helped with chores a lot so I'm not complaining. Now that I'm retired, we've divided the workload. He does the heavy, smelly stuff. I do the laundry, light household chores and cook. Though he grills a lot in the summer. I've got the better end of the deal. :-)
DeleteJanet
That is funny, Janet. In the past when I was off in the summer, I thought I should try to write during the time I would have been working. But that just isn't realistic!
DeleteJan, I can SO relate to this ongoing struggle. Like you, I tend to be single-minded when it comes to writing. Which is kind of absurd since I multitask in every other aspect of my life. Like you, I'm trying to find that balance. Social media is usually where I lack, though. One day, I'll get there, too. At least I hope so.
ReplyDeleteMy schedule NEVER works out perfectly, LOL! But it provides a guideline and a reminder to not default to social media when I have a minute to spare. :-)
DeleteI figure my only perfect schedule will come when I finally retire and turn all my clocks to the wall.
Jan, this is a much needed post! Since my daughter has been home for the summer, I haven't had much of a schedule other than to try to work in the mornings before she gets up. She'll be going back to school soon, and I need to get back into a routine. I appreciate you sharing your schedule! It gives some great ideas.
ReplyDeleteI can relate! My hardest days are when hubby is home, so I'm glad he's working two or three days a week. It's much easier to stick to a schedule when I'm alone in the house!
DeleteThis post hits home. I'm feeling bad about myself today because I just spent an entire weekend without writing one single word. (That confession is only for Seekerville ears.) Weekends are my time to write because I have a day job that must be my priority during the week. Trouble is, it's also my time to do everything else like laundry, baking, cleaning, goofing off. Much to my dismay, goofing off usually gets the lions share. I'm going to try your scheduling idea, Jan. Thanks a bunch for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteYour secret is safe here!
DeleteOne thing I do when I have a lot of chores to do (usually on Tuesdays) is to set my timer - 25 minutes of writing, 5-10 minutes to do ONE chore, then another 25 minutes of writing. The writing time is long enough to get into to the story and write to the next stopping place. The short chore time is enough to mull over the scene and plan what to write next. I can get a lot of writing done on those days, plus change the loads of laundry, wash the dishes, etc.
Have fun planning your schedule!
I can relate, Cindy. I definitely don't think you should beat yourself up!
DeleteI KNOW what you mean. I tend to be single mind as well. This semester, I have schedule so much time to tackle things with the class I am teaching and time to do other things around the house. After this week ,it should include time to do my crafts. I need a balance as well as I see this working. Your schedule will work as well. thanks for sharing because it is nice to know others have the same issue and are facing it.
ReplyDeleteHi Ann!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to find that balance when life changes come along, especially with school starting! I hope you'll find the schedule that works for you!
Jan, I loved, LOVED this post. My life right now is full of all kinds of crazy. With things going on with one of our boys and football and marching band, I am trying to figure out how to fit writing into this season. Your words, your suggestions, your examples gave me some ideas on how I can structure things during the school hours, and maybe later in the day as well. Thanks for sharing this post!!
ReplyDeleteI can imagine how busy you are! Your boys are in the middle of one of the busiest seasons of their lives, and they need you for support (and taxi service!).
DeleteI'm glad you got some ideas for fitting your writing time in. :-)
I'm in a season of adjustment right now, as my youngest just started kindergarten, and for the first time in nine and a half years, I have the house to myself all day. When the kids were younger, I was strict about writing during their nap time; that was often the only time I had when the house was quiet. Now that the house is quiet all day, I don't have that external structure, so I'm working on developing my own schedule. School started just last week, so I by no means have it down yet, but I look forward to the challenge!
ReplyDeleteSuddenly having hours of free time is one of the biggest challenges to fitting in writing time. Just when you think you have hours of time in front of you - BAM! - it's three o'clock! Where did the day go???
DeleteYes. I've been there, too!
Jan, this is a lesson that every writer, every entrepreneur, every self-employed person needs to know and learn... to fun the business as a business while making it adjust to your personal schedule... and this sounds like you've set the times with enough windows to make this workable... and I bet it would be workable for most people.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great lesson in re-examining our time and the way we use it... or let it use us.
Although I will confess that during farm season my productivity for books dips.... and my farm hat takes a beating.
But then it flips back for 7 or 8 months and I'm in my happy place!!!!
You've mastered the art of flexibility, Ruthy! And I know you try to plan your contract deadlines around that farm schedule, but we all know that even the best laid plans can go out the window when something major comes up...so you adjust and go on.
DeleteAnd you keep your readers happy. That's the best part.
One more thing - during those 7 or 8 winter months, you ooze contentment. I can always tell when you're in your happy place. :-)
Jan, I love how you've managed to focus on the different areas of your so that it's a more balanced way of perceiving your writing life. Thanks for reminding me that I need to put a little more of that balance in my life.
ReplyDeleteBlessings! Donna
At least, I'm attempting to manage my time so I have that balance! Some days, the writing takes over (like this morning!), but it evens out on other days. :-)
DeleteOh my. I'm terrible at scheduling my time, but I also am like you, very single-minded. I guess I'm doomed.
ReplyDeleteJust kidding.
Sort of.
As soon as some things get settled, though, I do need to figure out a plan. I end up only able to write when a deadline looms, and I never get the other stuff done. You know, the normal people stuff.
Actually, I get the important stuff done. I go out to lunch with friends, feed the dog, occasionally walk said dog, and wash my clothes. And talk to my kids. That's all I really need to do, right? Oh, and I do my First 5 app every morning. (That's my amazingly awesome ongoing Bible study.)
Okay, yeah, I guess I'm good. Cleaning has never been very important to me. I've decided I just need to buy a new house every 5 years. That way I never have to do any deep cleaning.
And right now I should be writing my Seekerville post!!! The deadline is looming. . . .
LOL on the new house, Melanie! :)
DeleteHey, don't knock that "new house every 5 years" idea! It worked for me for the last twenty years!
DeleteWell, until now. We realized last night that we've lived in this house longer than anyplace else since we got married. I guess I should thinking about cleaning those dark corners...
I find that if I don't procrastinate, the time is there for reading etc.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, Mary!
DeleteI try to tell myself that when I'm procrastinating. It works sometimes. Other days...well... Let's just say that procrastination is my downfall.
DeleteBeing organized sure does help get the to-do list under control. My D-I-Law is a very organized gal. She homeschools so she needs to have those kind of skills to keep up w/ all she does as a mom of 4. I used to be a bit more but now that I'm retired, I tend to be a 'well, let's see what I might get done today' kind of person. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAnne, I look forward to being able to do that in retirement!
DeleteI was much more organized when I was homeschooling our four children! But writing is even more time-hungry than those years.
DeleteYou've found the joy of retirement, though, Anne. After years of stress, it's nice to have a more relaxed schedule, isn't it?
I think I was more organized when I had a full time job. Weird.
DeleteWonderful post, Jan. Thanks for sharing your tips. The use of a timer is a good idea. I find I can write in the morning only if I get a good night's sleep. So have been trying to make some adjustments there. Still, I'm at my best after noon thru four. I don't work out of the home. Chores are ongoing, everyday of the week. I reserve reading other novels for Sunday afternoons mostly.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a great schedule, Pat!
DeleteI've found that my strongest writing time is mid-morning until mid-afternoon, but I can also write at others times, especially when I'm on a tight deadline!
Several of my groups lately have discussed busyness and schedules and priorities. I learned when my daughter was born that I function so much better on a schedule so I worked like crazy to get her on one as quickly as possible. She's almost four now and we still function on a fairly normal schedule each day, although with a preschooler and toddler I have to be a little flexible. I was bemoaning the other day that our lives are about to be rescheduled again in a few weeks when my daughter starts Tuesday/Thursday school, but we'll adjust. It may effect my writing time, though, which bummed me out. Then I remembered that I still have several more unpublished manuscripts waiting for edits and publication. Even if I can't write as much over the next few years, I can still work. And more writing time is something I look forward to when my kids are both in school in a few years. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's a great idea to use your time for editing, etc. during these years when writing may be next to impossible. After all, with three little ones, you have a much more immediate responsibility right now.
DeleteBut by keeping your hand (and mind) on your writing on a regular basis, the creative juices will keep flowing. :-)
Great Post, Jan. Even now when my life is much calmer with the empty nest, I gravitate to late nights writing.
ReplyDeleteI always feel like that's wrong, but I seem to end up doing it.
It's obviously working for you, so how could it be wrong???
DeleteJust keep writing. I'm waiting impatiently for your next book!
I loved this post, Jan, and seeing your schedule has inspired me!
ReplyDeleteAlthough most days I have a "to do" list, I really need a basic daily schedule to serve as a guideline for my time.
My biggest problem in time management is I tend to jump from one thing to another. *sigh* And the writing is in spurts.
So thank you for sharing your insight, and for inspiring me!
Hugs, Patti Jo
Sometimes writing in spurts works best for me, especially when I'm in that "sagging middle" of the book. In order to keep the story going, I need to keep the ideas flowing. So it works well to write for 20-25 minutes, then let the ideas simmer before I go back to writing again.
DeleteJan,
ReplyDeleteI have trouble finding the time to write. I can't write in the early hours of the morning because I get up at 4AM, leave my house by 5:15 to be at work by 6:30. When I get home around 3:30, I have errands to run, chores to do, dinner to cook and clean up afterwards. By the time I do all of that, I'm exhausted and ready for bed. Any suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated!
That's the problem, isn't it? I'm blessed in that I'm able to write full-time, and I don't take that for granted.
DeleteI know many people who work outside the home write on weekends, but that can be a problem, too, since you need to use the weekends to catch up.
But I do know that you will make a time to write. It may be sporadic, and it may be only 15-20 minutes at a time. And it will be hard. But you can do it.
One suggestion - and I don't know if this will work for you - but my mom had a schedule like yours when I was growing up. She was a teacher, and every evening she needed to spend time grading papers and preparing for the next day of work. So after supper, she would take a short nap (usually while my dad watched the evening news) and then start working around 7:30 and go until 11:00 or so.
Maybe a short nap would help you have the energy to carve out some evening writing time? Any time you spend writing will give you a few more words than you had before!
I have made myself a daily schedule, but it's more of an order to get things done. I know I need to have lunch at this time and start making supper at this time, so every Sunday I print them for the week, filling in tasks I want to get done that week in between the normal tasks tied to a time.
ReplyDeleteAs a homeschool mom, I get to set our own schedule, and boy, does it help! As a self-published author, I get to set my own deadlines, and boy, does it help!
I have learned that we have to give ourselves grace if something doesn't get checked off. Sometimes it's because I haven't appreciated just how long that task will take and didn't leave enough time for it. Other times, things beyond my control happen (kids are sick, I get sick, hubby needs us to rearrange schedule), and we just have to be flexible.
It helps me to have tasks assigned for certain days, so even if I get nothing else done, at least I know I can spend time with the Lord, do my daily "Brain Games" which keeps my productivity up, and my one big housecleaning chore. Monday is dishes and water bottles, Tuesday is laundry, Wednesday is sweeping and mopping, Thursday is dishes and water bottles again, Friday is bathrooms and dusting and vacuuming. If I need to, I can catch up on Saturday.
And one more thing that has really helped is to always schedule rest. I don't schedule anything for Sundays except for planning the next week. And if I don't get enough sleep the night before, I cross at least one thing off of my to-do list that day.
It sounds like you've come up with a plan that works for you! And I saw those two all-important words: GRACE and FLEXIBLE!
DeleteI like your idea of crossing something off your to-do list if you didn't get enough sleep the night before! I'm at the time of life where I never sleep through the night, and am often up for an hour or more in the wee hours. I'm going to steal that!
I have come to believe that all writers are morning people. If I were a writer, which I'm not, my schedule wouldn't get started until after lunch and go until midnight or later.
ReplyDeleteThanks for entering me in your giveaway.
Janet E.
von1janet(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi Janet!
DeleteMany writers have learned to be morning people, contrary to what many night owls believe. :-) You can teach yourself to change - I did back when I was a leader in Bible Study Fellowship and had to finish my Bible study each morning before my little ones woke up.
But all writers need to find the time when they work the best. For me, it's the middle part of the day - so from 8:30-3:00, with an hour out for lunch.
But when I'm on a tight deadline, I can work from 6:00 am through until 1:00 or 2:00 the next morning.... I don't recommend it, though!
Lee-Ann here...I struggle with wanting to write and work on my first novel but I have four little ones that compete for my attention too. When I do write it's usually during naps or after bedtime when Mommy should be hitting the sack or tackling housework!
ReplyDelete
DeleteIt's hard when you have little ones. They not only demand your time and attention, but the NEED your time! I didn't start writing until my youngest children were in high school (God kept saying "not yet!"), but I did what I could...I wrote blog posts, learned everything I could, and read as much as I could.
But we've had a couple Seeker-villagers share their methods for writing with little ones around!
Meg Brummer shared her style she calls "drive-by writing." Here's the link to that blog in the Seekerville archives:
http://seekervillearchives.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-art-of-drive-by-writing.html
And Preslaysa Williams wrote a great blog about writing with little ones around. It's also in the Seekerville archives:
http://seekervillearchives.blogspot.com/2014/06/juggling-babies-and-books-for-moms-and.html
I hope these are helpful for you!
I struggle with schedules, too, and am afraid because of my blindness, I couldn't see the photo of your schedule, Jan. It must have been very helpful, though, from the comments I have read.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to work on keeping a schedule for the work week and not the weekends. I have four to six hours a day to really work because my brother is at school and my mom works. It's just the trouble of actually sticking to it. Sigh.
I would like to suggest something if I may. I am not published, but I guess other not yet published writers could use this, too. We don't have to worry about deadlines yet, so maybe smaller word counts might help.
I, personally, can write 500 words in under a half hour and 1000 words in an hour, maybe less. That is two to four double-spaced pages and if you go to 1000 and subtract each 1000 every day from the total sum of your manuscript, you would be surprised at how much you get done.
I don't know if this logic will work for authors who are published and on deadlines. Quite frankly, the thought of deadlines scare me to death. However, I thought the advice might help.
I know in our schedules, we have to include editing and marketing as well, but maybe working in short bursts may help some of us who aren't the best at schedule keeping. I don't know. While writing my first book this spring, I only worked a few hours, writing a chapter a day, but that excluded everything else that is a part of the writer's life. Oh, and occasionally, I would write a post for my blog and maybe write a magazine article a week.
I apologize for ranting. I just thought I would help.
I didn't hear any ranting, Kayla! Just some good, sound advice!
DeleteEven though I have deadlines (and marketing and all the other things you mentioned), it still works best for me to write on that 1000 words per hour schedule you mentioned. I'll go for either an hour or half-hour, depending on how words are flowing, then take a short break.
And if you write for two or three hours a day that way, that's a lot of words in!
Remember what Ruthy always says: 1000 words per day is 365,000 words per year! That is a LOT of books each year!
Reading your post is like reading about what is going on in my life right now. Over the summer, I've found great benefits in establishing a schedule for the week to come. I do this every Sunday evening. By that time, I'll have gotten my work schedule and made plans for whatever else. I write everything down on my desk calendar, including approximate time frames. Basically, on my days off, I write in the morning, clean and run errands in the afternoon. I'm working on trying to put in a word count for my works in progress. That's not always easy. Of course, not every day goes as planned. There's always some good reason.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, those interruptions in our carefully thought-out schedule! They happen so regularly that sometimes I'm tempted to throw the schedule away.
DeleteBut when we plan, we tend to get more done - I'm sure you've experienced that!
It sounds like you're getting into a routine with your schedule - I hope it continues to work for you!