This is the question I keep asking. I see dozens of blogs
every week dishing out the sage advice for us overworked and over stressed
writers who just want to be left alone to write. The same thing always comes
up, work smarter, not harder.
Easy to say, but the question arises, how? I feel
like I’ve tried everything possible (yes, I know, I’ve barely scratched the
surface) but nothing seems to produce different results.
Okay, I’ve always preached the gospel of asking a different
question, hopefully a better one. If I am going to figure out how to work
smarter, I need a better handle on how I spend my time every day. Once I have
logged everything I do at the computer for a couple of weeks then maybe I can
figure out how to work smarter.
On that note I have started a log book of what I do at the
computer and how much time I actually spend writing. I can get close to 1K words per hour when I’m
on a roll, so the object of the game is to make sure I can fine 1.25 hr. of
uninterrupted writing time each day.
If I can manage this I should be far more
productive than I am right now. So, I am adding a new goal to my ROW80 list.
ROW80 check-in:
Goals:
1.
Write 10,000 words per week.
(I’ve managed about 8K this week. I’m happy, all things considered.)
2.
Read 10,000 words per week.
(Got it.)
3.
Edit ten pages of a
completed MS. (Got it done for this week.)
4.
Feature a new author every
Friday (I wasn’t able to this week. Sorry.)
5.
Read and comment on 10 blogs
per week. (Made it.)
6.
Log my computer time to see
where I can change my work and play habits for the better. (Starting Tomorrow.)
Well, that’s pretty much it for this week. If you want to
share any ideas about how to work smarter, I’d be happy to listen.
Folks, if you are an author and want to be featured on
this blog, just drop me a line here: prudymac@gmail.com
Posts
Prudence, I love the idea of a log book! I'm gonna take your idea and run with it. I think we're all trying to fit so much into our days. It will be a great incentive to see those words accumulate. Thanks Pru!
ReplyDeleteHi Karen, I'll post updates to let you know how it is working out. Fingers crossed.
DeleteI'm in the same boat as you, Prudence. And everything always takes longer than I think it should. Even when I'm not constantly interrupted by the children. The log book is a wonderful idea. Although I know from personal experience that I start things like that and end up failing miserably somewhere along the line. I don't have a good track record at keeping tally of my work. I need to get better at that.
ReplyDeleteHi Debra,I know what you mean, I have a lot of partial journals that span a lot of years. All I'm hoping for here is to establish new work habits, once I figure out what they need to be.
DeleteGreat idea.
ReplyDeleteIf I read yet another work smarter not harder I'll spit nails. If we're independent authors, it's a nightmare!
The key for me is to not touch the internet until the words are down. Even if I think, 'I'll just make sure there's nothing urgent - bang - I'm on the internet for hours with not a single word written. And that leaves me chewing tack nails, frustrated and miserable.
Keep us posted on how you get on with this, because 'they' might have the loglines but they sure as hell don't have the answers.
x
Hi Christine, I hear you there. This morning I changed my routine and didn't go on the net until I'd put in two solid hours of work. I'm amazed at how much I got done. I can see that I'm my own worst enemy here and the net is way too distracting.
DeleteYeppers, I'll be posting results. :)
Debrakristi, I use a diary. Of course I don't always remember to write in the thing, but that works, when I use it and remember it actually exists!
ReplyDeleteI never thought of keeping a log book for my writing. It's a great idea, although, I suspect that I'd be quite dismayed to see where all my time goes (my children) instead of to writing.
ReplyDeleteI'll be interested in seeing how this experiment progresses!
Hi Kate, yes this is scary. tee hee I'll keep you posted. :)
DeleteSeeing where the time goes is the best first step to reining it in! That helped me a lot. Of course, it only helps when you actually USE what you learn - as in, I know I need to spend less time playing computer games! A book you might want to check out is 2k-10k by Rachel Aaron. It's basically all about finding ways to use what writing time we have more efficiently. (More stuff I need to put into practice.) Good luck and have a great week!
ReplyDeleteJennette, does three hours of online chess, scrabble, Facebook, and World of Warcraft count as lost time? blush I am so ashamed. sigh
DeleteForgot to mention, the book by Rachel Aaron is a $.99 ebook, so it won't break you up. :) She also has a good blog post about the basics - just search for Rachel Aaron 10,000 words.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, checking it out. :)
DeleteLike your idea of a log book. Started something similar, but was just logging what I did, not how much time I was spending at the computer and why. I think this will work better to get the answer to the ever-illusive question: Where did the day go???????
ReplyDeleteHi Sherreya, I'm beginning to see where the day goes. eeesh, it's frightening. On the up side, there's lots of room for improvement. :)
DeleteThanks for dropping by.