What’s Your Perfect Writing Day?
Time management is always an issue for freelance writers. On one hand, it’s tempting to sleep in, go to movies, hang out with friends and get little or nothing done – after all, there’s no boss telling us what to do.
On the other hand, it’s so very easy to overwork, putting in 10 or 12 hours a day or more until we can’t do it any more.
Finding the right balance isn’t easy. Taking time to map out your perfect working day can be a help. Here’s what I mean. Down the left side a page, write down times in 15 or 30 minute increments. Start when you get up and continue until either the time you want to stop working, or, if you’re not sure, your usual bedtime.
Now block out your day. For example, if you spend an hour in meditation in the morning, pencil that in; if it’s an hour at the gym, put that in plus time to get there, get back and shower. If you have writing work of your own you want to address before you start working on client projects, block out an hour or two; do the same thing for client writing. Create a space for at least a 15 minute break in the morning and the afternoon, and give yourself an hour for both breakfast and lunch.
Be sure to include the time you want to stop working, remembering this is your ideal day and may not yet have much to do with reality.
What you’re doing is setting up a framework. Many days won’t go like your perfect day, but gradually you’ll discover that many do.
I find knowing about how much time I’ve got for my writing and my client’s writing also helps me when I making a proposal or considering taking on a new client.
Write well and often,
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Tags: authors, freelance-writing, time-management, writing, writing_newsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Freelance Writing Tips and Ideas, General Freelance Writing
3 opinions for What’s Your Perfect Writing Day?
Carma Dutra
Feb 10, 2007 at 4:17 pm
This is a great way to outline a business plan too.
The one thing I find difficult is how to manage the muse. When it hits you don’t want to miss that spark, that instant, that light bulb.
However, I agree that blocking out time will help to keep us from overloading our plates.
Amanda
Feb 11, 2007 at 3:11 am
This is great for business and personal. It will prevent overload and the feeling of overwhelm.
Amanda
http://thetimemastery.com
Anne Wayman
Feb 11, 2007 at 11:40 am
It seems, after awhile, a long time maybe, my muse sort of waits, most of the time, until it’s time to write… or, if s/he strikes at midnight I can jot down a note and go back to sleep.
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