5 Time Management Tips for Writers

Do you ever get to the end of the day and feel you have not got as much done as you had hoped? There are two main reasons for this:

• You have planned to do more than is actually possible – in other words your goals are unrealistic.
• You are not using your time wisely – that is to achieve your goals.

This second reason is why many people achieve less than they are capable of. Do these sound familiar – I’ll just check and reply to my emails, a quick game of Solitaire will start the mind working, I'm at home so I’ll get the washing on and have a quick tidy up, I must watch this episode of my favourite soap, I'm not sure which task to work on first, I'm blocked – and I'm sure you can add your own. By the time you've completed all of these really important tasks there is no time left for writing.

Here are some quick and easy tips to help you make better use of your time and get more done.

1) Set realistic daily goals – 1000 words written, an article edited and sent to a magazine, write a blog post, send a tweet, outline a new book, and/or complete a character profile. Note that these are achievable daily goals, number of goals will be dependent on the time you devote to your writing activities. If you write full-time you may decide you are able to or need to write 4000 words, if this is the case you will find it beneficial to set your goals as 4 times 1000 words because ticking tasks off your list can be motivational whereas not achieving your goals can be demotivating. Set up your daily goals for the week ahead as you then have a clear idea of what you are doing each day and can also ensure you have allocated enough time to hit deadlines.

2) Track progress – for large projects, such as a book, create a chart or written record of your progress. You can use a count up and/or countdown approach. If you are writing a book that you plan to be 120,000 words have two columns, one headed target - 120,000, the other headed completed - 0. Each day subtract that day’s word count from the target and also add it to the completed column. For small projects create categories e.g. short story, blog post, and/or article. Keep a similar record of word count and number of stories/articles/posts. You may also set a target word count or number of completed projects for each category.

3) Plan non-writing tasks around your writing (not the other way round) – many part-time writers try to find time to write when all other tasks are completed. If you do this the likelihood of you creating any time at all is small. There will be things in your day that you have to do such as going to work – plot these into your day and then plan your writing slots – everything else can get done when you have achieved your daily writing goals.

4) Set specific times to check and respond to emails and phone calls - if your email programme says you have mail you do not have to read it. If your phone rings you do not have to answer it. Set up an auto respond message for your email if you feel you need one – something along the lines of I will respond to your email within 24 hours. Also set up a message for your phone. Check emails and phone calls at a set time each day and respond to them at this point. If you need to spend time researching information or completing a task before replying then plot this into your day.

5) Turn off your Internet and delete any computer games – the amount of time that disappears into a black home as you surf or play is astronomical. Plan when you are going to use the Internet, set a time limit, and focus on any Internet tasks to need to complete whether research or shopping. Of course you can have fun either playing games or surfing the net however do not let this impinge on your writing time – do it after you have completed your writing goals.

Take this approach for the next month, this allows time for good habits to form, and you will notice an increase in productivity and you will start to realise your goals and dreams.

Happy writing.