It’s all about patterns. Managing your time as a writer is so important, yet many people find this a difficult task. The problem? No one else can tell you what is best for your situation. Mom’s with kids aren’t going to get a lot done when they are home (I’m guessing), and morning people aren’t likely to do their best work at 10 pm. You can’t really listen to others when it comes to setting your writing schedule, but you can put some thought into it.
Listen to your body. Work with it instead of against it and you’ll be more productive. For example, I hate mornings. If I am really tired, I put strange things in the refrigerator, and lose my coffee cup a few times as I begin the day. Therefore, I do menial tasks first thing. File e-mails. Sift through press releases. Empty trash. As I begin to wake up, I answer e-mails and do a little research. Afternoons are where I do most of my hard writing and editing, but I’ve been known to work into the night as well. That’s fine though–I’m a night owl.
Are you scheduling things when they work best for you? Take advantage of the fact that you work from home and can manage your own time. Freelance writing is demanding, but if you pay attention to your inner clock, things will go a lot more smoothly.
I can’t function in the morning. Simply put, I’m a night owl. Most of us have times that we work well–and times that we don’t. One of the keys to writing is learning to schedule your time so that you are productive, and part of that means doing the bulk of your writing when you are at your best. It’s fun to take a peek inside the life of another writer, so in that spirit, I offer you a sample day as an example:
Here’s my routine…
I get up around 9 or so, put on a pot of coffee, walk the dog and then settle in to check e-mail. I answer the simple ones, file the old ones and leave anything that requires thought in my inbox for another look when I am conscious. Then, I take a break, eat breakfast, and grab another cup of coffee. The rest of the morning is typically spent sending out e-mail inquiries and invoicing. Then I break for lunch. When I get back to the desk, I make phone calls, and then I write. After a couple of hours, I head out for a trip to the gym, then come home and write some more. How long I go then depends on how much work is on my plate.
Separating tasks into chunks of time works well for many writers. You may want to consider what your “best” hours are and reserve that time for actual writing. Do the menial tasks when you are waking up or winding down. It may not seem like this would make much of a difference, but I’m here to tell you that it really does. I get much more done going with my flow rather than I did when I fought against it.
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