lwidmer | Words on the Page

Writers Worth: Why Your Price Isn’t Arbitrary

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What’s on the iPod: I’m Shakin’ by Jack White I’m back again for the second installment of this month’s Writers Worth Month celebration. I promise you’ll hear from plenty of guest bloggers in the coming weeks. This week, short as it is, I wanted to talk price with you. Imagine this scenario: You contact a…

Writers Worth Month: Having What It Takes

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What’s on the iPod: Holy by Frightened Rabbit Welcome to the first day of the 6th Annual Writers Worth Month celebration! Started as just one day based on my rantings over fair pay, the event has grown to a month-long awareness campaign where we remind each other to realize the value our skills hold. When…

Monthly Assessment: April 2014

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What’s on the iPod: Life by The Avett Brothers Starting tomorrow: Writers Worth Month: Join us tomorrow and all month for the 6th Annual Writers Worth Month celebration! Read inspiring advice and posts by writers just like you. Plus, there’s still time to contribute your own thoughts. Get in touch via lwbean AT gmail and let’s…

Nostalgic Notes

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What’s on the iPod: Beautiful Day by U2 After a long week/weekend respite, I’m back to work today. Mom got on the train yesterday afternoon and headed home. It was a great visit, and we had a gorgeous day on Saturday for my daughter’s bridal shower. Her bridesmaids are fantastic–they spoiled her with a wonderful…

Free Advice Friday: 10 Steps to Your Freelance Writing Brand

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What’s on the iPod: How to Save a Life by The Fray I’m still away from the desk entertaining my mom. My daughter’s bridal shower (the first of two) is set for tomorrow, so there’s much to do in the meantime. I was talking recently with a friend about her client’s struggles with gaining name…

6 Ways to Work with Writing Clients

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What’s on the iPod: Nessun Dorma by Luciano Pavarotti COMING IN MAY: THE SIXTH ANNUAL WRITERS WORTH MONTH Have an idea for a post or want to guest post? Write to me at lwbean AT gmail and let’s talk! Beginners especially welcome to submit posts dicusssing challenges they face. This is an abbreviated week for…

Free Advice Friday: This Job, Not That Job

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What’s on the iPod: The Loneliness & The Scream by Frightened Rabbit I’m running a virtual marathon right now — two articles are done, one more to go, one other project to complete this morning, and a world of stuff waiting for me in May. I love it. Makes you feel alive. Since I’m busy…

10 Essential Freelance Writing Lessons

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What I’m reading: Fraud by Anita Brookner What’s on the iPod: What Happened by Corey Smith This has been the single most productive week I’ve had all year and it’s only Wednesday morning. I’ve finished one article, nearly finished another, have one more interview for a third, started on a fourth, and have interviews lined…

Organization Times Three

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What’s on the iPod: Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns ‘N Roses Weekends? Do people still have those? We are in full-blown wedding mode, and it’s about to get nuts. Saturday we were in Baltimore meeting one bride’s family. Sunday we were in Lancaster for another bride’s (my daughter’s) dress fitting. In two weeks we…

Free Advice Friday: The Organized Writer

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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…

Cheryl Bryan

You do have a lot on your plate, Lori! Makes you feel alive, doesn't it?

I've recently set up what I call a "Time Budget" in Excel. I actually color coded the times I have available for work, for personal obligations, etc. It turned out to be a reality check on just how many hours a week I have to devote to my writing business.

On another worksheet in the same file, I've listed my one-time and ongoing "will-do" list. Each week I plug my "will-do" list into the week's schedule. When I start work in the morning, I know exactly what my plan is for the day. I don't always have complete control, but at least I have a plan!

I've also discovered the power of the timer. It gets me started and tells me when to look up and take a break.

Lori Widmer

It DOES make me feel alive! How right you are, Cheryl.

That's a great system you have. I applaud your organization!

Cathy

You are so right, Lori, about organization being the key. At times, I slip in my organization. When that happens, I stop everything and regroup. It makes everything seem possible.

I start at the high-level (like you, Lori) in planning out for a 1-2 month period.

I reinforce key deadlines each month by writing projects & dates on a note and placing it on a standing note holder that sits on my desk. I cross them off during the month as they are met.

I drill down each week by listing the tasks. I separate by client work, my personal projects, and personal life stuff. I also have physical colored-coded folders for each client in my To Do folder.

The weekly snapshot keeps me on track and gives me the flexibility to change up what I'm working on for those times I'm just not feeling it for a project. As long as I accomplish the tasks during the week, I'm good.

Cathy Miller

Oops, I forgot to sign in so it's showing me as a Blogger account holder with no profile – probably because I don't have a Blogger account 😉

Meryl K. Evans

HA! My husband says the same thing. "If it's on time, it's late to Meryl." On time always means early for me — that way the client has time to provide feedback if needed. I'm hyper-organized like you, Lori. Sometimes to my detriment as I get overwhelmed trying to figure out how to organize and better manage a couple of things.

Your advice is right on target — it's similar to what I do and it works for me.

Paula

Most of my deadlines are in the 2-3 week range, so I've never been able to plan things a couple months out. I tend to break my workload down by weeks – all in my good, old-fashioned paper week-at-a-glance desk calendar.

Certain things – like tax time – I know about ahead of time. But mine aren't quite finished yet, either. They're almost done, but I can't face how much I owe and am hoping some big new assignments come in before I have to sing those checks.

I'm very much an out-of-sight-out-of-mind person, so I need visual reminders. Electronic calendars and reminders only work if you remember to use them – the paper calendar is a constant reminder. As a compromise, last year I started attaching a list of my current assignments to a folder. Client/subject/length/deadline/fee. I check things off as I go. I can stash my assignment letters, notes and interview transcripts in the folder, but that folder stays on my desk.

I tend to segment my days, too. Mornings are for correspondence, afternoons are for things that need more focus, like the actual writing….and doggie walks.

Devon Ellington

We structure time very similarly.

Between now and May 8, my play is going up, I started the library job, I just landed a high-paid script writing job I really wanted, I'm guest lecturing at the local college, I have to jump in and help at the library's big event, and I'm teaching at a writers' conference. I just got the first round of edits in on "Lake Justice" – we will have another round this week, and by next week or so, we move on to TRACKING MEDUSA.

I'm wrapping up two small, low-paid freelance jobs, sending out one script request, and then I'm not taking on any new projects until the end of June, because I'm completely booked. Nice feeling, but I'll start pitching again in late May, although I have much more freedom to turn down jobs now than I had even a month ago.

Everything is very tightly scheduled, I've got my running lists, my folders, my information all ready to go.

As I prep for each project, I add what I need into the bin — bin for the conference, bin for the lecture, bin for the show, bin for the scripting — and I've got a tote bag with the new job info that I take back and forth.

This way, I just need to do a final check before I pick it up and load it.

The second Gwen Finnegan deadline to turn in the manuscript is now July 1 instead of June 1, and the first draft of the ferry girl novel's been pushed back to Oct. 1. I'm not teaching all summer.

But I still have to stay on top of the current projects.

Oh, yeah, and two magazine articles are due May 1, one contest decision due May 1, one contest decision due May 14, and culling the first round of a third contest somewhere in between.

I'm grateful, I'm happy with the projects — I just have to keep them manageable and keep track.

And no one's allowed to visit until June! 😉

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