Put my dear Mom on the plane yesterday *sniff*. I always feel a little lost when she goes...And speaking of LOST - that ending was mind-boggling!! Goodbye Charlie. I never liked you, though you redeemed your scrawny, unselfish ass in the last episode.
Who woulda thunk that the flashback was really a flash forward! I was happy to see that Locke wasn't 'finished' - but has he lost it, or is he the only sane one? And where the hell did Walt come from?? And Mikhail - why doesn't/can't he die? If no-one really dies on that island, what happened to Boone and his sister, or the tailies? So many questions - so much fun waiting and watching for the answers!! Sad to have to wait 8 months to see more...
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes~
I've been horribly unproductive lately, with lots of honorable excuses, of course. But I'm feeling that I don't always have the best time-management skills. I have the tools, but not the time! I'm going to try and make a few changes:
1. Post blogs every other day.
2. Read my fave blogs ONLY every other day - at set hours (I spend HOURS visiting, commenting, etc... and though I LOVE it, it sucks productivity time)
3. Lurk my 'other faves' only once per week. (the thought makes me want to cry!)
4. Set weekly word count goals (ala Christine and Amy)
5. Stick to one wip at a time and not bounce around so much - which is a motivation killer if only because I feel like nothing is getting done!
6. Try to spend less time on the TRW newsletter. I'm too much of a perfectionist and I have to STOP getting so worked up about layout details.
Any advice, tips, or tricks that aid your productivity? Especially needed are time management skills that involve two children?? :)
16 comments:
It sounds great to me! I think I'm going to do the same, because I haven't gotten around to doing much lately. Posting every other day and having a day to visit all your blog friends sounds a good plan and precious hours saved to spend on your WIP.
As long as you give us a great book like DBD, I'm sure we won't mind at all!!!!
Hey Wylie,
You know I've been kind of stuck lately, too, maybe for other reasons. It's hard to plan your time when you have kids. But if you cut blog time, I think you'll definitely spend those precious hours on your WIP and make some very good progress! Please DO!
As long as you give us another great book like DBD, we'll forgive you anything!
I wasn't sure if it went in the first time, lol, sorry for the repeat!
I have to set a bit of a schedule with me to keep me sane. Sometimes this causes me guilt (writing time on the weekend instead of being with the kids), and other times it helps keep me focused.
I tend to jump around a lot with my WIP. I have so many ideas in my head they all want out at once. So I lable one WIP my primary and set my weekly goal. If and only if I accomplish that goal, will I allow myself to switch to something else. And then I try to limit my time.
So far, this has worked. Plus I blog when I'm at my day job. It helps. ;)
Red - yup, the kids are definitely my big challenge, especially the 3 yr old. And every time I think I've carved out a wee bit of time, something happens - the sitter cancels, he gets sick, an appointment of some kind...
I know my time will come, but jeez Louise, I'm frustrated!!
And though I SAY I'm going to blog around less, I mostly only do it when I'm on my laptop with the kids around, so that wouldn't magically become 'writing' time.
Christine - aha! I need a day job. :)
I RARELY get writing time on the weekends (except for the TRW newsletter) because we try to do family activities.
Wylie - you know? When I sit down to "write" and know that in half hour I need to take the kids somewhere, OR the kids are around, I have alot of trouble getting INTO my book, so I completely understand.
I think I'm like Christine. I've got usually about 4 WIP's and sometimes I'm in the "mood" for one, and sometimes the other. But I DO write alot during the weekends, and when everyone's asleep...at least I try to. But I feel frustrated with some of my projects, too. I feel stuck and usually an idea that seemed so wonderful at first seems yuck when you're done with it!
Blogging, and reading other people's blogs takes a tremendous amount of time. I have cut down mine - as you've probably noticed, and then I only allow myself to read other people's blogs after I've reached a certain number of words in a day.
The main thing is you set a goal for yourself that is attainable and then you keep your butt in the chair until you reach it by keeping moving forward. If it's a first draft, turn that internal editor OFF. Kick her sorry butt out the door and don't let her back in no matter how much whining she does. That's what the EDITING stage is for.
I'm not sure if it's what Amy calls storyboarding but I plot out the main points of my story after I've written a couple chapters. I usually know the beginning middle and end to begin with, but once I've gotten to know the characters then I smooth things out and do a point form of what has to be done. That way if I get stuck on a particular scene I can scroll forward and write a future one, even if it's basically an elongated outline, it's still something to expand upon.
And don't get stuck trying to figure out a particular word, or research point - again, that's for the editing stage. Vow to yourself that you will write 'moving forward' every day.
It's tough, but you can do it!
Heck, why am I telling YOU this, you've been published, and I haven't!
Leah - thanks for your tips, especially about the internal editor. I ALWAYS go back and edit what I wrote the time before. I just can't help it!! I'll try to stop, God help me, if it means moving forward more than 200 words a session :)
... I just noticed that NO ONE has commented on the pic of Sawyer! Why not? He is so dang HOT.
Hi, Wylie! I've been slowed down with productivity because of the RSI issue... but I need to spiff up my time management skills, too. I think weekly word count goals for writing is an excellent idea (in my case, I like weekly chapter goals, as in "I'll write (x) number of chapters (today, this week, whatever))." And I hear ya on the blogging thing, too -- I love blogging, but it can sure eat up time!
A biggie for me lately has been sticking to one WIP at a time -- in my case it's been one WIP, one dandy idea I haven't started yet, and two completed novels I'm still tweaking -- or was still tweaking; I'm done (I think... ) with MB, at least!
I just read over this comment, and whoa, I sound like a spaz! :) I think my little boykitty, Chairman Mao, is rubbing off on me... ;-D
I'd comment on the pic, but I don't know who that fella is! (LOL!)
Sawyer is hot shit. Thanks, Wylie. I needed some eye candy (I replied to your comment at my place; it's been a rough day. If you want to hear about it, e-mail).
Time management...
1. My kids are old enough to run off and play together. For hours. I am blessed.
2. I find that the more blogs I read, the more motivated I am to write. But I'm going to try to cut back a bit, too. I only have 150+ feeds in my reader. ONLY. Some of those already do wait for others. *wink*
As for focusing on one, I have one main project at a time, but I like to dabble in other things, too. I think it's healthy; it gives me another perspective on the main one.
Hope my babble helps; I think I'm going to sneak out for a bike ride to feel better about today.
Umm I've been lurking alot too. I don't know what to tell you because I have an EDJ and the kids to deal with. Those are good goals, and you shouldn't worry so much about the newsletter, it ROCKS! You're awesome at it. :)
Oh. My. God.
That is a beautiful pic of Josh. He was on The View last week and as soon as he came out Rosie was barely able to take a breath and mutter "you're beautiful"...it was such good tv to see how cute a lesbian boy crush is!
How amazing was that finale!!!??? I was just sitting there shaking my ehad I couldn't believe it. It reminded me of the movie (not the diet book!) Shangri-La how when the protagonist left Shangri-La he spent the rest of his life trying to get back...I must rent that movie soon...and oldie goldie!
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I think your scheduling of blogging sounds very good. Going to your fave blogs every other day...is still a valuable and valid amount of time. I find I go around every other day or so...and I tend to read several posts and comment on them and then catch up.
I find I have gotten faster at reading and knowing what to talka bout. I also put my shoes on and get slightly dressed while reading blogs and also if I have to make phone calls and go on hold...I can read then too.
Sometimes, it's good to take a little break from blogging and get rejuvenated.
First off... I must tell you that I've never seen a half ass TRW newsletter... actually nothing less than perfect! So I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you probably couldn't even create anything half assish if it was your ultimate goal! :)
Good luck with the goal setting and not lurking other sites! :) Can't wait to hear how it works out!
Yes, rationing out your blogging time is a good thing! Personally, I'm more like Susan Helene Gottfried - the more blogs I visit, the more motivated I am, the more great tips I come away with. Also, the act of sitting down at the computer to blog keeps me there to work on my WIP. So it's all good.
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