So.  Now that I've jumpstarted my brain function with cheap coffee and my sense of humor with a replay of the Austrian Rugby Team, I'm ready to tackle the week ahead.  My personal To-Do list for the week is ridiculous--many necessary tasks of a family and household nature, lots of gardening chores, and some medical stuff--so I'll stick with the writing goals.

• Wallum Lake:  Today and tomorrow I need to revamp the protagonist's story arc, rewrite the intro, and write the first draft of two scenes.  There's a co-writer meeting on Wednesday, at which time we'll set new interum goals.
• The prelude and first chapter of the novel I can't yet talk about. 
• Read the Pathfinder material, sent two or three story ideas to the editor.
• Once a story idea is chosen, write and submit an outline.
• Write the first draft of two pieces of flash fiction.  
• Catch up on orders from the Book Cellar. Update that page on my website.

Which raises a question:  How many stories-in-progress can someone successfully juggle at any given time?  

This is a prime example of YMMV, but here's what I'm finding:  I can handle three or four, as long as I have clearly defined times for working on them; i.e., Wallum Lake in the morning, one of my solo projects in the afternoon--but only one per afternoon.  In the evening I can read, brainstorm, do website chores, and sometimes work on short fiction and articles.  As long as I have a structure and a schedule, I'm okay, but without it, the stories all start running around in my head at once, like a cageful of panicked squirrels.

I also find that after completing one story, I need some time to clear it out of my head before upgrading a new story to in-progress status. This is something I need to work on, because I'm just now getting to the place where Reclamation and the third Changeling book are not rattling aimlessly around in there.  So another, less easily defined task for the week is working on my ability to segment, catagorize, and focus on the task at hand.  This is a process, but I can define small steps toward improvement.  This week, I'm going to resist rereading and revising a short story I completed last week.  That might not sound like much, but I tinker.  A lot.  Also, I am going to check my email only at the beginning and end of each project-specific work session.  After the morning internet routine, I'm off the web for the day unless I need to use the online thesaurus or some such.  

If you'd care to share your weekly writing goals and the methods you use to reach them, I'd love to hear about them.  Sometimes it helps to encourage and challenge each other.  

Tags: book cellar, flash fiction, pathfinder, short stories, wallum lake, writing, writing: time management, writing: writing schedule

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There are all kinds of good weekends.  Some weekends might include day trips or quick getaways, family events, concerts, or lazy summer days spent poolside, barbecuing former animals and sipping Smithwicks. Mine was nothing like that at all, but it was a good weekend nonetheless.  

I got a bunch of springtime yard work done, hammered out a cover design proposal for the upcoming graphic novel with my co-writer and editor, did a bunch of work on the script (which I'll finish and send today), compiled my 2007 writing-related expenses on an Excel spreadsheet  in preparation for doing the tax return Schedule C, did some work on another spreadsheet that compiles sales info from all my royalty statements (I input data back to 2002--only ten more years to go!), and read two novels--the second and third Dexter novels by Jeff Lindsay.  (Very creepy and quirky, and almost as good as the Showtime TV series based on the first book.)  I also locked down a detailed writing schedule for April and compiled my work/personal/home TO DO list for the coming week.  In short, I'm feeling focused, organized, and productive, ready to tackle the new month and gleefully beat it into abject, bloody submission. 

Today's plan:  finish the first draft of the script for the Worlds of DnD graphic novel, write a short-short that's due today, meet with my co-writer to work on the thriller we're writing on spec.  

That is all.

Tags: book reviews, writing: time management, writing: writing schedule

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