Writers Unbound

Very busy is fun. I am challenged to accomplish more and organize my time better. Fortunately my energy is much higher than last year thanks to Dr. Dan Cobb, D.O.M.. Old articles may still re-charge the batteries too. Ann Mueller, a previous blogger here had left this draft. It was long but looked good. So I’ll share it with you.

Tips to Keep Yourself Writing This Summer

• You must have a basic plan for your week, which translates into a basic plan for each day. Use a calendar/ planner, something online or in your pocket or on your desk. Get something you’re comfortable with that will work with your lifestyle. If you are very mobile, a tablet PC, Blackberry, or small planner you can put in your purse or pocket might be most helpful. I prefer the larger weekly planner with 8×11 pages, so I have plenty of room to write in my appointments, errands, household tasks, and article deadlines, submissions, and project work.
• Have a master list of your ongoing projects. Use the master list to break each project down into the tasks needed to accomplish it, so you know where to start and how to schedule.
• Write in appointments for yourself on your planner. Mark specific times for accomplishing the different parts of each project. Treat these times seriously, as if you were meeting with a client.
• Don’t forget about time needed for research, both off line and online. If you write nonfiction, research is essential, and you will often need primary sources which can mean a trip to the library. If you blog, you need time to find relevant links, graphics, and related articles. If you write fiction, you need time to research your time period, setting, language.

Comments: By me Mary MacIntyre
I think these words are fine. However summer also is a great time to play, be with famil and vacation. So here are a few other ideas.
1) Don’t overschedule. Set fair and obtainable goals for projects. Example: 25 new articles.
2) Take pictures and notes while on day trips, and vacations. Also pick up local brochures etc. for places and events you have visited.
This will provde research for new travel articles for local and regional publications, or your blogs.
3) Identify “down times or days”. My best tme to work in my office is early morning and late evening. It is cooler then. You might build it around your famiy’s activities. At a baseball game for your daughter. Have a notepad and create article ideas.
4) Create shorter assignments that will take less time to complete.
Enjoy the summer! Live your life fully! Rest and rejuvenate. Mary MacIntyre