So last week was my first full week of trying this whole writing thing full time. It did not go as well as I'd hoped. I think I made more progress selling some old books and DVDs on Amazon than getting any writing done. However, I didn't have any sort of a schedule last week. I would try to make lists of goals, but I always only got about half of them done. Maybe I need a little bit more structure than I thought.
On Friday, I came across this post that talked about setting specific tasks for each day of the week. This was more about blogging and social media, but I thought I could definitely apply this method to my own work. So I figured, why not? I'll try it out this week and see how it works. Last night I broke down all of the days of the week, assigning specific tasks to each day:
Monday: Blogging/social media
Tuesday: Freelance work
Wednesday: Editing
Thursday: Poetry
Friday: Writing new stuff
Saturday: Agent research/query letter
Sunday: ???
So today, for example, I'm going to write all of my blog posts for the week and visit as many blogs as I can, as well as doing any other networking on Twitter (and possibly trying to figure out what the hell Google+ actually is). I still plan on visiting other blogs during the week, Wednesday and Friday especially as those are my other post days, but most of the work will be done today.
I still haven't figured out a task for Sunday (oops!). It could be an off day, or maybe a second editing day, if I don't come up with a seventh task. I thought about making it a reading day but I plan on reading every day so that may be pointless. Well, it's the last day on my schedule, so I've got plenty of time to think about it!
I guess I'll try this new method out this week and see how it works. Anybody else use a schedule to get things done?
Oh hey, still no takers on the Writing Process blog hop. I need three people! If I don't get volunteers, I'll have to start hunting people down. And that will just be awkward for all of us. :)
I've been trying to stick to a schedule for years. It works for a while and then something unexpected crops up. Now I just try to do a little of everything every day. I do allow myself a day off, though. I'd burn out otherwise.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your schedule! I highly recommend taking Sunday off or you will quickly learn to hate this working from home thing lol. It's HARD, and you need to give yourself some real downtime to prepare for the next week when you start over again! :D
ReplyDeleteI recommend having a day off too! You wouldn't likely work seven days a week with a regular full-time job, after all. Downtime is key.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a good plan for a schedule. I agree with the others about taking a day off. It'll help recharge the juices.
ReplyDeleteMy schedule doesn't vary from day to day. It's an hourly thing, otherwise I end up overwhelmed.
Sticking to a schedule is so important, and I absolutely SUCK at it! I'm trying to get better though, and I feel like I'm starting to get into a bit of a rhythm. Sorry your morning was so chaotic. Does not sound like fun, but sounds like you're making the best of it, and have your head in the right place! :)
ReplyDeleteA rest day is always in order!
ReplyDeleteNow you know why I only blog on Mondays. I do visit others during the week, but without a post of my own, I have more time to write and edit.