Printing Progress

This post is by Erin Thorne.

Many people keep journals for various reasons. They use this medium to inscribe personal thoughts, vent difficult-to-handle emotions, and as a record of special life events. However, a journal is also an ideal place in which to track one’s writing progress.

I recently began to do this as an integrated part of my work. A writers’ group to which I belong has a feature that, once a week, lets us share with other members what we’ve accomplished in the past seven days. At first, my writing journal was strictly utilitarian. There was simply no way I could have remembered what I’d done if I didn’t write it down. By degrees, it became a motivational tool.

Some weeks are busier than others. During those that are packed with activities and obligations, I sometimes feel as though I’m not getting any writing done. This, in turn, leads me to feel badly about my lack of effort. To break out of this spiral, I take a peek inside the journal section of my day planner, which is where I enter my daily progress. Often, I’ve found more entries than I expected, and this has given my confidence a boost. On the other hand, I’ve occasionally been stared down by blank pages that I’d meant to fill. This has provided the impetus to do more, and to intentionally make time to write.

Overall, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the results. I have finished projects ahead of schedule, and kept a more positive mindset about the whole writing process. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I feel encouraged. I don’t dread sharing my week’s work with others, because I know I’ve done my best in spite of all the demands upon my time. I’d recommend this technique to others without hesitation; no matter what line of work you’re in, nothing lifts your sprits like seeing how far you’ve come. It inspires confidence, and gives you hope about how far you’ll go.

Don’t lean, clean!

This post is by Erin Thorne. I, like many teenagers, first entered the workforce via the avenue of the fast food industry. It was a hectic environment in which employees hustled to take food orders and speedily deliver bags and trays of greasy goodness to hungry customers. We were especially busy during the breakfast, lunch, and dinner rushes. Once the hubbub had died down, there was an overall tendency to mill around and goof off.

One manager in particular had a personal vendetta against this kind of behavior. In her mind, it reflected poorly upon the establishment, and upon herself as a taskmaster. It simply wouldn’t do for us to lack a productive occupation. She had a mantra which she encouraged us all to repeat: “Don’t lean, clean.”

At first, it irritated us to no end. We couldn’t take so much as a five minute breather; sure enough, this woman would swoop in and attack our indolence with her motto. I didn’t see the wisdom and practical application of this saying until many years later, when I applied it in a broader sense to my writing career.

Of course, I didn’t take the maxim literally; I abhor housework as much as anyone. I seized the spirit of it, the admonition to take advantage of one’s downtime instead of using it to lounge about. This comes in handy when I’m not sure how to move my protagonist from point A to point B in my work, when I’m stuck between plot highlights, or when I only have a small amount of time at my disposal.

I have a day planner with all of my tasks, large and small, penciled into their appropriate boxes. In the event that I have a few (or several) idle minutes, I take a peek at my datebook and check it for upcoming obligations. Often, I’ll find something in there which grabs my attention – a batch of press releases that must be sent to promote a future appearance, or perhaps someone whom I need to contact. On those occasions when writer’s block rears its ugly head, it’s helpful to do other things that are just as essential as the creation of new works.

In this way, I’m able to alleviate the feeling that I’m not achieving anything that day, in spite of the absence of inspiration. Frustration and unproductiveness are banished; impending duties are fulfilled prior to their assigned deadlines, and when I’m finally ready to sit down and write again, I can do so with the knowledge that I’ve used the interlude for my own benefit.

Where Does the Time Go!?

This Post by Gayle M. Irwin

About 10 days ago many of us changed our clocks, moving ahead one hour for Daylight Savings Time. Does moving the hands of time on our clocks really save time? Rarely do I adjust to the time change very well – it takes weeks for my self-clock to adjust.

My birthday is just around the corner, and it seems the older I get, the more quickly time passes. That’s especially true with my days off from the “9-to-5” job. I’m fortunate to work just part-time away from home, yet my four days away from the office speed by like NASCAR vehicles on the track.

I’ve taken on several writing projects in the past few months, creating newsletters, brochures, press releases and advertisements for other organizations. Add this to my time working at the clinic, and writing articles for the community magazine, and I’m spending more than 40 hours each week working for others, even though much of that work is writing. The additional money comes in handy, but my own writing projects suffer from neglect. Because, of course, there is also time spent cooking, taking care of my pets, and cleaning house (well, actually, not much time cleaning house these days!). Time slips away like water through a drain. Is there enough time to write for others, earning money, and for my personal writing projects?

Time management is a trait many employers desire; it’s a trait I believe I used to possess. Afterall, I was the editor of a small town paper with only one additional employee, and yet faithfully we interviewed people, wrote stories, took photos, gathered and created ads, set the layout of pages, printed and distributed the paper, and took phone calls and met with clients and readers. Granted, we worked nearly 75 hours a week and, at that time, I was 20 years younger, so I still had energy to take care of my home and spend time with friends.

As writers, we need to manage our time. We may also need to turn down a project that pays in order to not let our own writing lapse. Or, we may choose to forgo our own endeavors in order to make ends meet during a tough economic season in our home life. Or, we may choose to arise an hour earlier, or stay up an hour later, so as to not neglect our own writing while working for others. It’s a personal choice, but sometimes choices need to be made. We also need balance, juggling family, friends, home, work, writing… We also need to rest; we need “downtime”. We need to listen to our own clocks and discover, if we don’t already know, when our best creative time is and how long we can endure pushing ourselves. For example, I am best between 5:30 am and 12:30 pm.; afternoons are not my most creative. Therefore, I try to rise at 5:15, get coffee and meditate, then start my day at 5:30 when my household is quiet. I have discovered I can push myself to work, write, think, develop, etc. until 6 pm, but then I get aggravated more easily and patience evaporates more quickly. So, I’ve learned to shut down no later than 6, and I try to shut down by 4, especially if I’ve been going since 5’ish in the morning. One needs to learn one’s own clock, respect it, and shut it down when the batteries run low… and before someone gets hurt!

When do you find the best time to write? How do you juggle your writing duties with your other responsibilities? Have you come to learn more about yourself and your ability to time manage and multi-task?

My larger, time-zapping projects come to a close later this month; I plan to spend Easter weekend at a friend’s ranch basking in the serenity, the river humming nearby, no cell phone or Internet. I’ll watch ducks swim, hawks soar, deer graze, and turkeys strut; I may even be fortunate to see a pair of sandhill cranes return to the ranch to nest and raise young. I will be revived by the sights and sounds of my friend’s property, a place I visit a few times a year to be rejuvenated… and to still my own busyness in order to write my own work. It’s here that I edited Walking in Trust… and rewrote the final chapter after Sage’s passing. I’m blessed to have a fine friend who opens her guest house to me for such times I need them, especially as I await the snowmelt from my own sanctuary 8,000 feet above sea level. I’m thankful for these places to which I can retreat and where time doesn’t feel so much my enemy.

I have the same 24-hours as every other human being. Perhaps I just need to re-learn time management… or accept the fact time does pass more quickly after 50.

 

A Free Ebook on Time Management for Writers is available here:

http://www.thursdaybram.com/free-ebook-time-management-for-writers

Gayle M. Irwin is the author of Walking in Trust: Lessons Learned with My Blind Dog and other books about her dogs, including stories for children. Learn more about her writing and speaking at www.gaylemirwin.com.