3 Month Old Snickers
On this blog we are going to target a number of areas in the writer’s life that need routines. My overall philosophy about creating routines is to make them as automatic as possible. If left to my own devices, I’d never get anything done. Well, at least nothing productive, save rearranging the furniture. Again.
I’ve suddenly found that much of my day is consumed with following around our 3-month-old-and-not-housebroken shih tzu/terrier to see if she is about to make a deposit on the floor. I’ve gotten no writing-related work done except for the items that have firmly established routines. Aha!
Here is an example of something simple that I do. I am finishing up a middle grade novel and will be looking for an agent soon. But before I do that I have to analyze the market and research agents. This can be time-consuming (even with a market guide).
One way to track agents almost automatically is through my email subscription to Publisher’s Weekly Children’s Bookshelf. It arrives in my inbox every Thursday. That night I open a Word document where I am tracking agents and copy/paste any new information into a table that shows the agent’s name, agency, recent sales, and contact information.
I don’t have to go out and find the info. It comes to me automatically.
I’ve put together a nice list of agents along with a current list of books they have sold. This took me just a few minutes each week.
Anyone else have ideas for making your writing tasks automatic? I’m looking for some more good tips! (Especially ideas for that write-every-day thing Stephanie keeps talking about.)
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2 users responded in this post
Shonna, this is such a great insight! Keeping this one truth in mind when we are trying to change our lives is crucial. If we take baby steps, introduce change incrementally, and make that new change an established habit and as automatic as possible before adding the next, we can change our lives.
It’s funny, I am finding SO MANY ways to NOT follow a routine that used to work – and I’m seeing why I get so behind with things. For instance, at the bank today I once again did NOT write on my deposit receipt what each check was for. As a writer (and human being who has to fill out tax forms!), I have to know what deposits are from my writing, what are reimbursements, etc. All I have to do is write it next to each item. But NOT doing it at the moment you remember means MANY minutes or hours trying to figure it out later. As of today, I commit to renewing that routine! I’m going to go write the necessary information on my deposit receipt right now! See – routines for everything in your life! Make other areas hassle-free and have more time for writing!
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