Getting it organized

Organization is NOT my strong point. I know where my keys are, where my coat and purse are, and where I might find my shoes, but none of these things are put away. As long as they are visible, I can find them. The result? Clutter crazy!
For writing, I'm a little better. I have a general outline of my plot, but then my unruly characters decide to do their own thing, behaving in some pretty unpredictable ways. I find that I need to keep notes on them: personality, appearance, beliefs, background, fashion, education, and all the other things that make a character real. I also need a timeline. I have to figure out when events happen, and one of the hardest things is to keep a calendar of this.
Then there is the act of writing. Choosing words written per day, what to edit, what to post, due dates for cover design, and deciding on which novel to chase out of my head.
So here is my newest week layout. I haven't filled it up yet, since I want to add lots of dates and notes. But I did add a new decoration! I put a little picture of my cover, The Parrot Told Me, on the page to dress it up. I like it!!
Thanks again to the same website that I got the last printable stickers, Pink Bows & Twinkle Toes.

Planning to Write

I d

on’t actually get writers block. I’m not bragging, I just have so many different stories swirling in my brain that if I get stuck on one, I just switch to another. This means that I am generally writing two to three novels at one time. Oh, and I’m editing one, or maybe two, during that same time. So keeping all of this straight is a challenge. For driving a novel, just getting the words on a page, I use a Nanowrimo type philosophy. For a month, I try to get fifty thousand words written. This is the goal for the National Novel Writing Month that comes around every November. I now use this every few months to get down some significant storylines for a rough draft. If I don’t reach the total word count, that’s fine because I still got a lot written. The following month is rereading the story, adding and editing, and usually writing the last few chapters.

              All this amounts to getting the book written and edited. Then it’s on to my beta readers, my editor, designing covers, and getting ready for release. Then it’s social media, this little blog that keeps slipping my mind, and tweeting and posting. That’s a lot to keep going. This is where my planner is helping. I have chosen this year to use a completely separate planner to write out my goals for each day of the week. I have plans for posting, for writing, for editing, and am also adding to my ever growing list of plot ideas. I bought a Mini Happy Planner that I am decorating with stickers, book print outs, and encouraging statements. A little cuteness is always helpful for the creative mind. Now, I just have to concentrate on not taking more time to plan than I am writing!

              The overlap will happen with events. I hope record all the events in both my writing planner and my regular family planner. That way, I can keep track of all our appointments and how they might overlap with the kids’ activities. I also plan to take the writing planner to my events. I can keep up with my titles, the ones that I sell, the people that have them signed, and add names to my email list for news and updates.

              I have already noticed that my planner is making me much more deliberate about my writing. I am thinking of ways to organize my day and use my time in a more efficient way. Only time will tell how my productivity is impacted by my new planning, but I have high hopes!

              If you are interested in any more information, about Nanowrimo, about writing a novel, about my books, or getting on my email list, let me know!!