Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Writing Schedules!

I got asked today about my writing schedule, which is ironic since it caused me to notice that I did NOT follow my blog-writing schedule. Sorry, folks. I'll pick it up tomorrow, promise.

In the meantime, let me tell you how schedules work for me. Each January, I think about the past year--what worked, what didn't, what I want to do different--and I make a schedule accordingly. Working around the school schedule. I always devote a couple of hours to just writing, then divide the rest according to tasks, usually assigning dedicated time each week, whether I have definite plans for the week or not.

Then, when the new school year starts, I revise the whole thing to suit the new schedule.

So, for September-December 2010, my schedule looks something like this:
5:30-8:30: Get older kids ready for school.
Do household chores and one load of laundry. Make chores list for the kids.
Pray Divine Mercy Chaplet and read daily Gospel
Wake younger kids, get them to school

8:30-10: Write my current novel
10:15: exercise (haidung gumdo or go on rosary walk with the dog)
--12:30 e-mail and other chores
Mon=website work/marketing
Tues=CWG/CWCO
Wed= 30-minute marketer/marketing
Thurs=Dragoneye Newsletter/marketing

--1:00 lunch
--3:00 write

Friday is simply errand day and blog day. If I write, good. If not, I'm taking care of my family. Last Friday was birthday party prep day and we were coming off a very bad week, family-wise, so blogs got forgotten.

That's the ideal, of course. Right now, for example, I am editing Mind Over Mind, and a lot of stuff is getting tossed by the wayside in order for me to get it done. Other days, I might be dealing with a child issue, or Guild work or whatever.

Next week: Principles and tips for managing writing and home

3 comments:

Rosemary said...

Thank you for writing this! I am a writing grad student trying to learn to schedule my time and, in that way, really commit to my writing ... which is a large part of why I came to grad school in the first place.

I hope to someday be married with children, so it's very helpful to see how others manage that on a practical level.

Looking forward to next week's post. :)

Walt said...

Rosemary, it's easy. Ya don't sleep. You'd be amazed how much writing you can get done. And if you write science fiction or fantasy, sleep deprivation is just another tool.

Karina Fabian said...

Rosemary, don't let Walt scare you. I sleep plenty, and I manage to get a lot done.