Two
years ago I wrote about how I sent out a wish to the Cosmos and it delivered
big time. I got to spend my mornings writing up a storm then tutoring and
helping people who want to learn to read and write in the afternoons and
evenings.
All
those morning writing sessions meant I got a lot of books written. Things have changed a bit since then
though. Last year I was asked to work
with Lewisham Young Women’s Resource Project (a charity which helps young women
stay in education or get back into it if they have become disenchanted with it
for some reason). So I agreed to step in
and teach English for them. This however cut my 5 mornings of writing down to
just 2. Initially I worried this would mean I wouldn’t get enough writing
done. I was concerned even more that I seemed
to be spending huge amounts of time updating my social media. So I decided to
rejig my work schedule a bit.
It helps
that I’m a fairly early riser and can get straight into writing almost
immediately after a cup of coffee or tea.
But this is how I set up my writing week:
Monday
– Friday Mornings
1
Check all my emails and respond to them as quickly as possible then save them
in appropriate folders and mark those less urgent for attention to be done at
the next possible opportunity.
Putting
emails in folders is invaluable for finding things at a later date when any
queries come up or I need to check my appalling memory to see if I’ve done
something I’ve said I have. It also clears my inbox so I don’t feel overwhelmed
by how many emails need sorting out.
2
Check my social media accounts and respond to messages, likes, shares etc. I
also use Hootsuite to pre-schedule posts so I know I’m making some contribution
to social media even when I’m teaching or lost in my writing.
3 Have
breakfast
4 If
it’s a teaching morning, I leave for the charity.
If it’s
a writing day, I get working on whichever novel, blog post or review I’m writing
at that point. I turn off my social media alerts so I don’t get distracted by
them. I don’t have to do this too often as I’m usually so engrossed in writing
I often don’t notice them and sometimes even forget to stop to eat.
If I remember
to have a food break then I get back to writing as soon after that as possible.
All in all I probably write for about 6 hours on my designated writing days. It’s
amazing how many words you can get down with such a limited amount of time.
Sometimes
I write a bit before I head out to teach but this is dangerous as I often get
lost in the writing and then have to run around like crazy to get ready to
leave on time so I’m not late for the teaching session at the charity.
The
Weekend
I work
on my social media accounts on Saturdays and set up scheduled posts for the coming
week. Then I try and get out of the house to meet up with friends or family or
do something cultural if at all possible.
I don’t work on Sundays but instead take time out to do Pilates and spend more time with friends or family. I find myself drawn out more often in Spring and Summer than in the Winter but love inviting people over for meals and games of Scrabble or a DVD screening in the colder months.
As soon as Spring sets in the sun comes up earlier and there’s light blazing
throughout the house. This is where my attention wanders. I also get distracted
by sporting events on telly such as gymnastics, snooker and Wimbledon. But a
little procrastination hurts no-one so I let it happen from time to time.
One rule remains constant though - my designated writing days are sacrosanct. I let everyone know which days they are and fit commitments around them. Births, deaths and taxes are the only things which disrupt this routine.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteSorry Bev, accidentally deleted your comment when I was trying to do some admin on the blog. I'm a clutz. Is that how you spell it? Would really appreciate if you wrote it again. Sorry - groaning emoticon
Delete