Using Time Wisely: First Lesson for Pro Writers

Most writers stink at time management. It's probably the creativity - the being drawn, skitter-brained, from one task to the next all the time. Regardless of the reason, constant distractions can kibosh even the most carefully-thought, unambitious writing schedule you make. But by changing or developing just a few habits, you can overcome this problem and transform yourself from a hobbyist to a real professional writer.

Remember that good organization is critical to time management. You waste a lot of time looking for files, documents, and tools. You waste even more trying to decipher your notes about where you sent that article and whether it's time to follow up with the editor. Creating a great organizational system for yourself using a spreadsheet for tracking and a file cabinet for paper items can make an enormous impact on your writing income, and you may find time you didn't even know you were losing.

Have clear goals: daily, monthly, annually. A person without a goal is like a delivery driver without a street map - you know you're going somewhere, but you have no idea where. You don't have to get fancy like me (my goal sheets are elaborate and detailed, and never accurate), but you do need to write down your goals. Where do you see yourself at the end of the year? What do you need to accomplish every month in order to get there? What daily tasks must you accomplish in order to achieve your monthly goals?

Write each of these down, with your daily tasks most prominent, and put them on the wall near your writing desk. Adhere closely to these, without worrying about your daily progress. In a year, look back and assess how far you've come. That annual self-assessment is the most motivating process you'll ever experience.

Put your schedule up somewhere you can see it. Your schedule may be the same as your daily goals, or it may include things you need to do that day besides writing: doctor's appointments, housecleaning goals, etc. If you are aware of not just your writing, but also of the other things you need to get done today, you'll develop the sense of urgency that is necessary to accomplish your daily goals.

Keep a notebook with you at all times. I keep my Libretto - a teeny Toshiba computer - with me wherever I go. Regardless of how you do it, being able to write while waiting at the doctor's office or when stuck in traffic helps you recapture at least some of your wasted time. If you review your writing goals every morning, all this "wasted" time can be converted into productivity.

Even when you can't physically write things down, you may be able to compose. My best writing is done when I'm driving or walking from one place to another. I go through my ideas in my head, and write them down as soon as I reach my destination. This doesn't work for me, but I have friends who even carry a little voice recorder with them and dictate their thoughts as they do other tasks during the day.

Whatever your method, try to capture all your wasted time.

Never over-research. We research more than we write because we're all readers as well as writers, and research is a relatively passive task. Instead of generating new material, we simply consume the material that's already there. That's why it's possible to over-research your topic, resulting in wasted time and too much information in your article.

Organize your research ideas. Whether you're a clippings person, an online person, or a mix of both, saving all your old research and organizing it as you go can do two things for you. First, when you find something in six months that inspires you to follow up on that old article, you'll have the information there at your fingertips. Second, when you're looking for new writing ideas, a sweep through your old research can re-ignite all those little idea seedlings you had long ago but didn't have time to follow up on.

Focus specifically on your topic. If you're finding too much information on it, narrow it more than it already is. Take that neato information and store it in your research files; don't incorporate it into this article, but into your next one. Better yet, research several like items at the same time; if you're doing one article on new cancer drugs, do another on new surgical interventions for cancer and yet another on holistic means for treating cancer.

Maintain an idea bank. Writers get distracted a lot. (I'm writing this article right now partly because it distracted me! But it was on my list for today anyway.) While researching, thinking through ideas, or just living your normal day, you'll find idea after idea you want to develop. Write them all down - either in a specific file in your computer, in a small notebook you carry with you everywhere, or the backs of ATM receipts filed in your wallet. Go through those ideas after you're done with writing for the evening, and pull out any you'd like to write on the next day. After doing this for a month or so, you'll never run out of ideas!

Quit being anal about the email. As human beings, we will all necessarily gravitate to the easiest task. If you have to clean the kitchen, do you scrub the oven first? No, you load or unload the dishwasher, an easier task. Writing's the same way. You have a finite number of tasks you need to do daily: research, write, communicate with others, and submit work. Because we're social beings, communicating with others is the easiest and most natural, followed closely by researching because it is a relatively passive task.

For this reason, you MUST limit the time you spend on these tasks. Don't keep your email open, or your chat box; instead, schedule daily times you will deal with these, and let those you must communicate with know those times. Don't answer the phone either while you're writing; get caller ID if you don't have it and return noncritical calls at a set, scheduled time. This will free up more than enough time to do your real work: writing.

Keep everything in reach, and work in a dedicated location. I'll be giving it up soon because I'm having another baby, but right now all my writing and reference materials are located in my office - not my bedroom. I know just where everything is, so when I come up with new ideas, all I have to do is reach across the room and get it. By working only in a dedicated location, I don't get distracted. Your bedroom is where you sleep. Your office is where you work. If you separate them in your head, you'll be ready to work, not sleep, when you sit down at the desk.