I like having a writing plan.
This doesn’t mean that life goes according to plan.
Kids get sick. New carpet gets installed. Cars need to go to the mechanic. Life happens.
I grab my writing time when I can find it—if my plan has been completely scrapped.
But having that basic plan in place—which includes writing—helps me out from the very start of the day.
5 ways to pave the way for writing (the night before):
Check your calendar. Make sure there aren’t any nasty surprises to hijack your day. If there are things on the calendar to do, then plan your writing around those things, in advance.
Make a tentative writing schedule for the next day. Is your morning looking hairy? Can you write and eat lunch during your lunch hour tomorrow? Can you write during an evening commute home (public transportation riders only, please!) Or does it look more like a 9 p.m-10 p.m. type writing day? At least you’ll have a plan to start out with.
Plan now when to catch up with social media the next day. Decide whether it’s better to check emails/tweets/FB statuses/blog comments before you write (and risk being distracted….unless you use a timer and have a stern attitude with yourself) or after you write (in which case you might be like me and have heebie-jeebies wondering what’s lurking in the inboxes.)
Plan to disconnect from the internet if you don’t trust yourself to ignore the online distractions. Tell yourself now the repercussions you’ll face tomorrow if you keep checking in on social media.
Prep for the next day’s writing by making a (very) short sketch of what you’re going to write. It can keep you from five minutes of wondering where you left off the day before. This can be as vague as: Pick up with Susan asking Anne where she was the night of the murder.
It can be really tough to squeeze writing in. But starting out with a plan—and giving ourselves permission to veer off it—helps ensure we make the time.
I never get to writing until late in the evening, but I like this idea. I think just having a mental plan in place would help me focus in more quickly :)
ELizabeth – Like you, I’m a planner. Of course, as you say, things do happen to throw a plan off-course. But I always find that planning at least allows you a place to start. I like your ideas very much! Another thing I do is put together – in one spot – things I’ll need. For instance, if I know I’m going to be going somewhere, I pack up the laptop and put it by my purse. I even put my reading glasses there, too. It goes so much more smoothly if everything’s there, waiting for me in the morning.
Great tips. Usually if we think of writing (whether it’s a novel, article or even a blog post), we tend to want to do it all at once. If we plan and life gets in the way, we can still usually manage.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Great tips! I’m a creature of habit and I like to write at the same time every day if possible. Still you’re right about life unexpectedly making that difficult at times and you do have to adjust. A writing plan and planning to be flexible with it when necessary seems very sensible.
You’re very right. I’ve found even planning out my blog posts helps me greatly. But I still get caught off guard! I had a completely different post planned for today…Then Alan emailed me. I even had his guest blog posted on my blog, and I forgot! But now I have an extra post ready and waiting. So be it.
Michele
SouthernCityMysteries
Wonderful post. I find my schedule often gets hijacked, but I’m going to start adding a Plan B. Thanks.
I don’t have kids, so my scheduling issues mainly have to do with ME and my wandery brain.
Every now and then I have to make a concerted effort to get organized and make a schedule, but most of the time, the best tool is making the notes for what I need to write next.
Making life one ongoing writing dare – where I can’t go to bed until I’ve reported the day’s progress – is the other thing that works for me. Nulla dies sine linea (never a day without a line) is one basic rule that helps.
Yes, please, no one try writing while driving home!
I used to do really well at writing ‘whenever,’ but the Internet and my travels steal that time now. Maybe I need to unplug a little…
I’m constantly amazed with the notion that if you work at home, you’re (of course) constantly available to come and help out. You’re at home! How can you be working? I run into this all the time. As for writing, I do the same thing – I write the beginning of the next scene in caps, even if it’s something like ‘Joe and Susan meet in the woods and discover the abandoned picnic basket.’
This is so very helpful. Ikeep thinking I have to clear my calendar completely to write. Then life happens and I don’t write anything at all. Thanks.
Karen
Very good advice, Elizabeth. I don’t have a written plan, but do follow something of a schedule each morning. Soon as I wake up, I turn on the computer, but don’t sit down at it. Coffee comes first! I do have priorities. Right now, I’m in editing phase, so as I read, if I see an area that needs work that will take time, I make notes on it and move on. That way I have a list to come back to.
Helen
Straight From Hel
These are wonderful tips, Elizabeth. I have a real problem with time organization; I just write whenever I get the chance. I need to work more on prioritizing my time because it never seems like I’m able to balance everything I want at one time. I’ll try to use some of these recommendations!
Great ideas, but my health does not really work that way.
I try to squeeze some writing in on good afternoons and evenings, and ideally, I stay away from blogging and Facebook until I am too tired to write anyway. Well, in real life I am not always as ´good´ as that, but this week I have been reasonably focused even though yesterday was counter-productive: I removed 200 words from my WIP – but I am fairly certain they should not be there.
You’re so fabulously disciplined. I would get very little writing done if it were an integrated part of my day. I DO though, have my writing time every night–not at the computer at all, or I’d just do things I’m not supposed to. I can alternated typing and networking, but the writing takes more focus.
Great tips, Elizabeth! I get the heebie jeebies like you, wondering what’s lurking in my inbox! But actually I write for a little first thing in the morning, then I take a break to check mail, my favorite sites, and blog. Blogging is my reward for the writing I do in the morning! Then it’s back to writing again. You’re right about things suddenly coming up. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been an emergency baby-sitter for someone…!
Debbie–Oh, aren’t we all? I think my problem, originally, with my routine is that when my schedule got messed up I’d just try to get back into my routine the *next* day…instead of squeezing the writing in later that same day (but away from my scheduled time.) Once I learned to go with the flow a little more, I got more productive.
Jemi–For me I think it just helps for me to know it’s part of my plan for the next day.
Alex–That would be BAD, wouldn’t it?
Diane–And it’s SO hard to unplug. But you could drive to a spot where you know you won’t get WiFi and see how much you get accomplished.
Margot–VERY good point. I probably don’t do that as much as I should. I do put all the kids’ backpack stuff together in one spot the night before to make that part of my morning go easier.
Mason–I think it’s hard to learn to go with the flow…hard for me, anyway. I’m one of those who has a hard time being flexible. But I’ve really learned that the more flexible I am, the better.
Michele–That’s too funny! Ah well. At least you have an emergency blog post now! I think we all need one of those.
Helen–Good luck with the revisions!
B–It’s hard, isn’t it? And some days the plan just falls apart (I’m facing one of those days now.) But I knew that I had workmen coming to my house today and I could just *flip flop* my plan to the afternoon if they came in the morning, and vice versa. Hopefully it’ll work out!
Carol–Good luck with your Plan B! :)
Hart–The important thing is that you get it DONE! It doesn’t matter how…
Its important to outline what and how you will write. My philosophy is my day begins the night before. Preparation is everything. Unplugging is a good idea. Kepp the social networking and writing separated so one does not become a distratction to the other.
Stephen Tremp
As usual—really helpful tips. I used to be on a schedule that worked for me but since life went amok a few months back, I’ve had a hard time sticking to it. I’m definitely going to try your ideas.
Laura–Great idea on rewarding yourself for writing! And blogging is a great way to do it.
Oh, I know what you mean, too…when people know you’re at home then they WILL call you for help. Unfortunately, I think all my spare time would be used up by volunteer work at my kids’ schools. I’m not good at saying no in person, but I’ve gotten better on the phone….and now people have gotten a little better. Now they know that I’m *working*. Yes, it’s a really different *type* of work, but it’s what I’m doing!
Jane–Good luck with the amok schedule! I know how that goes. :)
Stephen–Unplugging can really help, can’t it? And you’re smart to prepare ahead for your day.
Daring Novelist–I like the idea of daring yourself every day to complete a certain amount. And it obviously works really well for you!
Elspeth–I know. It used to just drive me nutty to have people call me up all the time to get me to do things….but now I think word’s gotten out that I’m busy.
Ah disconnecting from the internet, that’s the hard one for me! I have so many great friends like you to check up on! But you’re advice is golden. One MUST disconnect to get work done. On that note, I’m off!
What’s that saying? “If you don’t have a plan to succeed, you have a plan to fail” … something like that.
I’ve long admired your organizational skills and focus. This post shows how you’re so effective at getting things done. Nice job.
Best Wishes, Galen
Imagineering Fiction Blog
Ack! We’re supposed to plan and have actually designated times?
I tend to write in a kamikaze fury and then have a day or two to come up for air and do…those boring responsible things. Then go back to my previous furious pace. I imagine at some point having a schedule might improve my consistency. (Hugs)Indigo
Late evening or middle of the night works best for me. Family lore says the days and nights have always been confused for me. Worked well in high school and beyond. But I still have a short plan as a guide.
Giggles and Guns
Karen–Really, if you just schedule in 10 minutes and you have a plan of what you want to write that day then you can make it work!
Heather–It’s so hard, isn’t it? But with Tweets popping up and status updates, and emails…I just have to either unplug or go to a place without WiFi (which is getting harder to find!)
Dorte–Oh, it always makes me a little sick when I cut words. Bu better that we cut than the editors, right? We’re kinder and gentler!
Marvin–Ahh…you’re right. I’d forgotten that one! And I think there’s a lot of truth to it.
Galen–And you’re the same way! Very consistent in everything you do.
Indigo–You know, I think that if you are finding the time to write, then it doesn’t matter how you’re doing it! The important thing is that it’s getting done. :)
Maribeth–I get some of that in, too. It’s quiet, isn’t it? A little spooky, that middle-of-the-night writing.
as the old Hebrew proverb goes,
“Man plans; God laughs.”
Getting a writing schedule to fit with a varying daily routine, I guess, begins with the attempt. And I suppose it helps if I grit my teeth and at least TRY. It’s SO easy to come up with excuses before I begin…
Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!
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