Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Time Management for Writers--Part Four

Writer Wednesday

If you're like most writers, this isn't your full-time job. You may work outside the home. You might have children to care for. You might have a sick family member that takes up much of yor time.

Whatever it is, not many writers have the luxury of writing ten hours a day to crank out that manuscript. Here are some tips to help you manage your time better, and find more time to write:

16. Learn to say "NO." Whether it's volunteer work, school events or a position on the board of your writer's group, agree only to what you can handle and still have time for yourself.
17. Learn to ask for support. There are times you have to be honest with yourself and admit you can't do it all. If you need help, with anything from cleaning the house to taking the kids to soccer practice, ask for help.
18. Open your mail over a trash/recycle bin. This way you will only handle it once, and won't be tempted to read or keep something that is really trash.
19. Sort mail immediately upon opening--To Do or Pay, To Read, To Keep and File, etc., then put all that mail where it belongs.
20. Set a specific time of the day to read and respond to e-mail. Use only that time for opening e-mails. Do not open an e-mail if you know you won't have time to read and respond to it immediately.

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