What’s on the iPod: Corazon Espinado by Santana
I’ve had quite the busy week. I started out with four article assignments. Now there are six. Luckily, the articles are practically writing themselves. Still, one or two topics are proving hard to find commentary for. So I worked instead on those I knew I could get done right away as I tried to line up interviews for the others.
One deadline occurs right as my mom comes into town, so it gets priority. It also means I have to juggle the rest while she’s here. That’s the freelance writer’s eternal struggle, isn’t it? Clients and work never appear when we’re sitting here with no plans. It’s when that vacation is scheduled or that much-needed day off arrives that everything shows up at once. It’s happened to me so often I’ve come to plan for it.
That’s today’s Free Advice Friday topic: organizing our writing lives.
Free Advice Friday: The Organized Writer
I’ll confess right now that I’m hyper-organized by nature. I’m hard-wired to be on time, every time. My husband jokes about my need to be five minutes early or right on time to any event. He’s not that way, and at times, I secretly appreciate his ability to drift in and out of punctuality. However, when it comes to my work life, I can’t be so relaxed.
In truth, it’s a great trait to have if you’re self-employed as we writers are. When the work piles up at once –and you can count on it happening — the more organized you are, the better.
Let’s use my current situation as an example. Today I’m driving to Connecticut to see my son. Taxes aren’t done yet, but I’ve left behind an itemized list of the information my husband will need to finish the taxes, complete with locations of all files in case he needs to go over utilities, expenses, etc.
I’m also in charge of a small list of items to finalize/buy for my daughter’s wedding. And I’m in charge of cupcakes and flowers for the shower. Plus, my mom is coming for a visit. Add to that two deadlines before May 1st and one more that I want to finish now rather than later. Mom will be here the 23rd and staying until the following Monday. Those are three days I won’t be working. I need to conduct interviews, research another topic, and clear the desk before May’s projects (which are starting to pile up) come in.
Here’s how I get organized. Feel free to copy verbatim or amend the way I do things to suit yourself:
Schedule interviews now. The minute the articles came in, I scheduled the interviews. Because I know whom it is I want to talk to before I send queries, that helps. But not all these articles were pitches — a number of them were assigned. So that means I need to find commentary.
Segment your day. Mornings are usually an hour or two of writing and one hour for interviews. Afternoons are research, interviews with West coasters, marketing, and more writing.
Keep a running list of all current projects. Mine are printed out in front of me, and I’ve used my Sharpie to announce the deadline and word count for each one. I’m working on three simultaneously, so I keep those on top during the mornings, then shift to the others during the afternoon.
Plan out the personal time. Yea, Mom’s coming on a Wednesday because I told her Sunday wasn’t going to work. I need at least two and a half days to make sure those deadlines are met and the subsequent work is well under control. If I didn’t need to visit my son this weekend, it would have waited. Alas, he’s in his sister’s wedding and he needs a suit (and a push toward the store)…
Keep copious notes. When I schedule interviews, it’s really easy to get the wrong person talking about the wrong thing. So when I schedule, I put on the calendar the person, the topic, the questions (key if you’re trying to juggle a ton of things at once), and the contact person should you need to reschedule. When I record calls, I note the folder and recording number on my notepad (I never work without a safety net). Then I upload the interview immediately to my hard drive should the unthinkable happen (tape recorders drop and break, recordings get erased accidentally…).
Think weeks out. None of this would work if I didn’t have my eyes four weeks into the future. Actually, right now I’m two months out as my daughter’s wedding is fast approaching. My mother’s visit was planned months ago and was amended the minute the project deadlines coincided.
Time your schedule. When I’m completely overwhelmed (and yes, I’m close to that right now), I get the kitchen timer and set it for an hour. Then I write like that’s the only hour I have. When it rings, I take a quick break, decide what I’m doing next (usually I have it planned out in advance), then set the timer for the next task. If you’re like me and have a tendency to jump up from your chair and pace two rooms away, this is a good tool to keep you planted in that chair.
Writers, how do you organize a busy schedule?
Where are your strengths? What areas could use some improvement?
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