Hi friends,
Here are the first two tips on how to be an organized writer. I will post a few more tips on Wednesday and then Monday and Wednesday of the week after.
So stay tuned!
Enjoy!
When writers work full time, it’s hard for them to become aware of everything they must do outside of work. You usually come home tired and sometimes even frustrated as well as anxious. If you feel this way, the first thing you should do is decompress. The easiest way to do this would be to eat dinner and watch television. Hours go by. Suddenly we may remember that we should have been writing and we get upset with ourselves. Guilt sets in along with all the negative self-talk. We feel awful as we prepare to go to bed because it represents yet one more lost day of writing. With a bit of organization and planning, it doesn’t have to be this way.
Days may pass and still you may not have done any writing. This will further frustrate you and the negative feelings associated with this situation will impact your self-esteem. You may start wondering whether you should give up and not write any more. Why try to write when you never get around to it. You feel weak willed because you can’t seem to control your free time life after work so that you can get even a bit of writing done every evening. This negative mindset can linger and further increase your levels of anxiety to the point where you are less and less likely to write. It’s easier to forget about writing altogether. You know you should be writing but how can you do so, given all your life pressures and obligations?
The good news is that there is a way out of this dilemma. The best way is to get organized by getting into the habit of writing every day, even if it’s only for fifteen to thirty minutes at a time. This way, you can be sure to do even some writing consistently. This will build your self-confidence and give you the incentive to continue writing every day as time goes on. Even if you decide to write for only fifteen to thirty minutes a day before or after dinner, try to write consistently. Writing will then become a habit. This is your ticket to becoming a successful writer. In other words, the more organized you are when you sit down to write, the more you will want to write.
Secondly, by writing every day, you will develop the habit of writing. After four to six weeks, you will want to write after dinner every day for thirty minutes. Or if you write better in the morning, you will be motivated to get up earlier and write. You will start making time to write and scheduling it in your planner of life. In the process, you will be building self-confidence and getting a lot of writing done.
Thirdly, you will get your family used to the idea that you will be writing. This will help you feel more confident that you will be given the space by your family to write every day without an argument or having to fight for even a few minutes of writing time. Non-writers don’t understand the writing life and how long it takes to complete a manuscript. Further, family members may be intimidated by people in the family who write. Therefore, consistently writing will get them used to the idea.
Therefore, make sure that you schedule time to write every day. Experiment to determine your best times to write. If you’re too busy and tired in the evening, maybe waking up earlier in the day will work best for you. Or you can try writing on your lunch hour. See what works, and then create a writing schedule from there. But be patient, yet consistent. It could take a few weeks to create a workable writing schedule. If one time of day doesn’t work, keep experimenting with different times. This will lead to success, and you will ultimately become a writer who writes consistently and completes manuscripts.
If you like writing every day, create a writing schedule before the busyness of your week starts. Then write down when you will complete a writing goal in your planner and schedule it. That way, you’ll have more of a chance to get your writing done. This is because forming an intention to do something and writing it down reinforces it. An intention provides a roadmap and reminder for what’s important in your life. Intentions give you purpose, as well as the inspiration and motivation to achieve your goals. But you have to be organized to bring them about.
Next, organize your appointments so that write around them. You may want to schedule your appointments or other commitments after work, such as going to the gym, dentist, doctor, and so on. Write them into you planner. Also, write down your overtime, if you know ahead of time that you will have to work past your regular working hours. Then take out your weekly planner and write down when you will write. Take some time on Sunday to schedule your writing times for the week. Make sure you schedule writing every day. This will help you plan and organize your writing goals so that you can successfully achieve them. However, be as realistic as possible. This will help you not overextend yourself. I will show you how to set realistic goals later in this e-book.
Initially, I suggest that you block out fifteen to thirty-minute writing sessions in your planner. You can set a few thirty-minute sessions in the evening if you have the time and inclination. Then, the next day you can write during your lunch hour. But try not to overdo it, especially if you haven’t done much writing in the past. You want to ease into writing to create the habit of writing. You first need to create balance in your life to be successful. You can do so by organizing your life. If you overdo it in the beginning, you will burn out. So, please be careful. Writing is hard work.
Also, writer’s block can rear its ugly head. This is because when you’re tired, your mind may draw a blank. If this happens, rest or take a nap after work. After you wake up, consult your organized to-do list of goals so that you can know what to work on next.
By writing every day, you will be setting an intention to write. Its such a privilege to write, even though you work full-time. Not only will you get a lot of writing done but you’ll also feel good about yourself.
Have a productive week!
Irene S. Roth
Here are the first two tips on how to be an organized writer. I will post a few more tips on Wednesday and then Monday and Wednesday of the week after.
So stay tuned!
Enjoy!
Tip 1: Try to Write Every Day
When writers work full time, it’s hard for them to become aware of everything they must do outside of work. You usually come home tired and sometimes even frustrated as well as anxious. If you feel this way, the first thing you should do is decompress. The easiest way to do this would be to eat dinner and watch television. Hours go by. Suddenly we may remember that we should have been writing and we get upset with ourselves. Guilt sets in along with all the negative self-talk. We feel awful as we prepare to go to bed because it represents yet one more lost day of writing. With a bit of organization and planning, it doesn’t have to be this way.
Days may pass and still you may not have done any writing. This will further frustrate you and the negative feelings associated with this situation will impact your self-esteem. You may start wondering whether you should give up and not write any more. Why try to write when you never get around to it. You feel weak willed because you can’t seem to control your free time life after work so that you can get even a bit of writing done every evening. This negative mindset can linger and further increase your levels of anxiety to the point where you are less and less likely to write. It’s easier to forget about writing altogether. You know you should be writing but how can you do so, given all your life pressures and obligations?
The good news is that there is a way out of this dilemma. The best way is to get organized by getting into the habit of writing every day, even if it’s only for fifteen to thirty minutes at a time. This way, you can be sure to do even some writing consistently. This will build your self-confidence and give you the incentive to continue writing every day as time goes on. Even if you decide to write for only fifteen to thirty minutes a day before or after dinner, try to write consistently. Writing will then become a habit. This is your ticket to becoming a successful writer. In other words, the more organized you are when you sit down to write, the more you will want to write.
Secondly, by writing every day, you will develop the habit of writing. After four to six weeks, you will want to write after dinner every day for thirty minutes. Or if you write better in the morning, you will be motivated to get up earlier and write. You will start making time to write and scheduling it in your planner of life. In the process, you will be building self-confidence and getting a lot of writing done.
Thirdly, you will get your family used to the idea that you will be writing. This will help you feel more confident that you will be given the space by your family to write every day without an argument or having to fight for even a few minutes of writing time. Non-writers don’t understand the writing life and how long it takes to complete a manuscript. Further, family members may be intimidated by people in the family who write. Therefore, consistently writing will get them used to the idea.
Therefore, make sure that you schedule time to write every day. Experiment to determine your best times to write. If you’re too busy and tired in the evening, maybe waking up earlier in the day will work best for you. Or you can try writing on your lunch hour. See what works, and then create a writing schedule from there. But be patient, yet consistent. It could take a few weeks to create a workable writing schedule. If one time of day doesn’t work, keep experimenting with different times. This will lead to success, and you will ultimately become a writer who writes consistently and completes manuscripts.
Tip 2: Schedule Your Writing Time Every Week
If you like writing every day, create a writing schedule before the busyness of your week starts. Then write down when you will complete a writing goal in your planner and schedule it. That way, you’ll have more of a chance to get your writing done. This is because forming an intention to do something and writing it down reinforces it. An intention provides a roadmap and reminder for what’s important in your life. Intentions give you purpose, as well as the inspiration and motivation to achieve your goals. But you have to be organized to bring them about.
Next, organize your appointments so that write around them. You may want to schedule your appointments or other commitments after work, such as going to the gym, dentist, doctor, and so on. Write them into you planner. Also, write down your overtime, if you know ahead of time that you will have to work past your regular working hours. Then take out your weekly planner and write down when you will write. Take some time on Sunday to schedule your writing times for the week. Make sure you schedule writing every day. This will help you plan and organize your writing goals so that you can successfully achieve them. However, be as realistic as possible. This will help you not overextend yourself. I will show you how to set realistic goals later in this e-book.
Initially, I suggest that you block out fifteen to thirty-minute writing sessions in your planner. You can set a few thirty-minute sessions in the evening if you have the time and inclination. Then, the next day you can write during your lunch hour. But try not to overdo it, especially if you haven’t done much writing in the past. You want to ease into writing to create the habit of writing. You first need to create balance in your life to be successful. You can do so by organizing your life. If you overdo it in the beginning, you will burn out. So, please be careful. Writing is hard work.
Also, writer’s block can rear its ugly head. This is because when you’re tired, your mind may draw a blank. If this happens, rest or take a nap after work. After you wake up, consult your organized to-do list of goals so that you can know what to work on next.
By writing every day, you will be setting an intention to write. Its such a privilege to write, even though you work full-time. Not only will you get a lot of writing done but you’ll also feel good about yourself.
Have a productive week!
Irene S. Roth
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