Struggling with time management?

I’ve asked, and time management is one of those things that all new writers struggle with in the early days. Originally I thought this was because they didn’t have enough time, but I discovered that the problem for some is they have too much time!

Which camp do you fall into?

Recent time management hurdles

Nobody could have predicted the tumultuous pandemic that’s swept the globe this year. It took us all by surprise, and no one had time to prepare. That includes writers.

Perhaps you had plans to either start your novel, do some research or even finish that elusive first draft, but it was all shot to pieces when lockdown kicked in.

As well as watching the news bulletins as the virus spread you had to grapple working from home when you didn’t have the workspace, or homeschooling kids while working full time.

I don’t know about you, but it took me around a month to find my feet and a “new normal”.

In most places we are coming out of lockdown, returning to work and moving towards another “new normal”. It will no doubt take another few weeks before we find our feet again.

To help you continue with your work in progress, I thought it timely to pull together some information about time management. We all need help to make the pivots at home and reframe what we expect to achieve in a day or in a week.

Each of these blog posts, and the one podcast in the list, will help you do this. I’ve surmised each post to make it easier for you to determine which will be most useful. 

1.  9 Time Management Tips For Writers, Joanna Penn

In Joanna’s article, 9 Time Management Tips For Writers, she stresses that time management isn’t about creating more time in the day, but being more efficient with the time you have available. 

Step 1 is to work out how you actually spend your time. Step 2 is to work out how you want to spend your time. She offers simple strategies to work out both.

She later outlines 9 ways you can maximise your time to ensure you get your writing done.  These include making use of your work downtime, batching tasks, saying no!, delegating jobs, and changing your smartphone settings. Joanna goes into more detail about each of these, and more.

2.   How Should Indie Authors Manage Their Time, Debbie Young for Self Publishing Advice 

Debbie Young emphasises taking a businesslike approach to time management. If you’ve worked in consultancy, this might resonate with you. 

By keeping a check on how she was spending her time, Debbie was more realistic about what she could achieve in a day, schedule in downtime to recharge her batteries and shed the feeling of running to stand still.

Debbie highlights some time management apps you can try to keep a better eye on how you’re spending your time.

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3.   Time Management For Writers, Maggie Linders

Maggie Linders has put together a list of 15 time management tools you can use to track exactly how you spend your hours.

They include well-known ones like Google Calendar and Evernote, but also less universally known apps like Rescue Time and My Life Organised.

If you’re having trouble staying focused on your WIP, Maggie believes that these tools will help you keep track of your to-dos and use your time more efficiently.

4.   Making Time To Write, K M Weiland

K M Weiland is an epic fantasy writer, well-known blogger and writing coach. She has published her excellent book Structuring Your Novel on, well, structuring your novel!

Weiland keeps things simple with only 2 rules for making time to write. They are being consistent and guarding your time zealously.

Being consistent is the number one guiding principle you’ll hear from almost every author, from Stephen King to me. That doesn’t mean writing every day, but it does mean writing regularly. 

Weiland quotes Peter De Vries, ” I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.” 

The second rule Weiland has for her writing life is to guide her time zealously. This is particularly hard for new writers because they often feel guilty for taking time away from their family or friends. In the early days it feels selfish. 

However, as the writer it’s up to you to set the boundaries. If you don’t tell your family and friends this is your writing time how will they know? And if you don’t honour that writing time, why should they? 

5.   5 Ways To Write Your Novel, Australian Writers Centre

Most of us begin writing when we still have a day job. For me that was when I was a full-time parent, with three children under 5. For you it might be doing shift work at your local hospital, working long office hours for your international corporation or even working all the hours for your own business.

The Australian Writers’ Centre team asked, how can you write and hold on to the day job. They are 5 ways to write around your other commitments.

One of the best ways they suggest is is to remember that you are writing even when you’re not writing! Don’t underestimate all the thinking time that goes into crafting a story or a character. You might not be literally sitting at your desk calmer but your head is working, your brain is working on your novel even while you do the housework, pick up the kids, do the grocery shopping, etc.

Other ways you can work around your day job is by being focused, being consistent, scheduling your time and finding your ideal writing place whether it’s the garden shed, or your local cafe.

If this article was useful, you’ll love:

• https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/the-4-folder-method-with-writing-coach-rhonda-douglas/
• https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/mailing-list/
• https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/writing-course/