Templates as Time Savers

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

There are all sorts of time savers out there.  They’re not really shortcuts, but they definitely help to both make projects less-overwhelming and quicker to tackle.  One of my favorite time-savers is the humble template.

Here are four of my favorites: 

The outline template.  Yes, I have a very basic template for a cozy mystery.  That’s not to say that I won’t deviate from it, but having it there makes the initial stages of planning a book much easier.  Outlining isn’t my favorite activity, and this helps it go much quicker.

The back matter template.  If you have a back matter template, you simply have to update it each book.  It’s a no-brainer.  Mine has an ‘about the author’ (again, make sure to keep yours updated), asks for a review, gives my contact info, reminds readers that they can find my book in different formats (like audio),  gives my acknowledgments, and provides a list of all my books.

The newsletter template.  Newsletters can be a time-consuming activity (even if you only send them at release time, as I do).  It makes it so much easier for me to have an established template on MailChimp that I can simply update each time.  For more about their templates, click here. 

The canned response template.  Instead of spending a lot of time responding to spammy guest post requests, I use Gmail’s canned response feature.  I have different canned responses for various frequently-received emails (and sometimes I’ll just use the template as a base and add something more personal to it).  To read more about canned responses on Gmail, click here. 

For ideas on other ways to use templates, see: 

Jenny Hansen’s thoughts on setting up a manuscript template in Word

Janice Hardy’s plot template to keep your story on task

Tessa Emily Hall’s marketing plan template

Do you use any of these template tools?  What shorts of time-savers do you use?

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Elizabeth Spann Craig

View posts by Elizabeth Spann Craig
Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series (as Riley Adams) and the Southern Quilting mysteries for Penguin and writes the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink and independently. She also has a blog, which was named by Writer’s Digest as one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers. There she posts on the writing craft, finding inspiration in everyday life, and fitting writing into a busy schedule.

12 Comments

  1. Alex J. CavanaughMarch 25, 2019

    Canned response template – we need that!

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigMarch 25, 2019

      It helps a lot!

  2. Margot KinbergMarch 25, 2019

    You know, it’s funny, Elizabeth. I use templates for other things in my life, but not for my fiction writing – at least not yet, although I do use an outline when I write. And, yet, I can see the advantages of having some sort of structure. Hmm….something to think about, for which thanks.

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigMarch 25, 2019

      It can definitely help…whenever I don’t have to turn my brain on for a rote task, it’s a good thing!

  3. Natalie AguirreMarch 25, 2019

    I don’t use templates but I do outline as I write. I may try your mystery one if I ever write a mystery. And I could use one for spammy e-mail.

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigMarch 25, 2019

      We all get lots of spammy emails! Hope you have a good week, Natalie. :)

  4. L. Diane WolfeMarch 25, 2019

    We use the same template for all of our back covers. Just have to remember to switch out everything. LOL

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigMarch 25, 2019

      Ha! Not switching out is definitely the danger of a template. :)

  5. HilaryMarch 25, 2019

    Hi Elizabeth – makes so much sense … especially if one is writing various books along similar lines. While the spammy responses make total sense … I really should explore more – thanks for these … cheers Hilary

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigMarch 25, 2019

      It can definitely help save time! Thanks for coming by, Hilary.

  6. LD MastersonMarch 27, 2019

    I use templates for some parts of my writing but I really never thought of doing it for the plot. Looking at yours, I can see how it would be very useful. Thank you.

    1. Elizabeth Spann CraigMarch 28, 2019

      It can really help, especially on those days when either starting a book or continuing one seems overwhelming.

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