Becoming an Organized Writer

From Cheryl's Writing Crate

When Kate and I started our blog, The Writer’s Crate, I was so excited I could barely contain myself.  With writing as my passion, I thought sure it would be effortless for me to come up with one post a week in a timely fashion.

Wrong!  Though ideas for individual posts are not usually a problem, organizing my time between my large family (I promise I’m not using the 8-kid thing as my trump card!), my paid writing jobs (thank you Lord for those—I never take a single one for granted.), my part-time job at a school, and keeping my household in order on top of PTO, church activities and making time to keep myself sane and healthy while not forgetting play time each day with our two dogs, I guess I got a little ahead of myself forgetting that blogs don’t write themselves, at least not good ones.

Ever grateful for the dynamic presence of the internet and the plethora of on-line articles available for helping nearly any cause one might be searching for, I found some wonderful tips that I believe are going to get me on the “write” track during this New Year so that not only will my weekly blog post be on time and written to the best of my availability but they will trickle into other areas of my writing and personal life as well.

Here are some great tips from writer K.M. Weiland I intend to try as soon as this post is uploaded!

An Organized Desk or Writer's Crate

Whether your desk is your bed (not unusual for us writers), your kitchen table, or an actual desk, the important thing is putting and keeping your stuff in places that are both memorable and convenient.

Tip:  Use a large desk calendar to keep track of all of your writing commitments whether they are for fun or for paid writing jobs.  If you prefer, create a spreadsheet on your computer but the key is to check it every single day so you’ll never forget what’s coming up.  It’s also helpful to break your writing down into chunks of time.  For example, if you’re writing a piece that requires you to interview two different sources, schedule the proper time for each interview, then perhaps time to outline your article then time to actually write it and submit it to your editor.  Don’t underestimate how much time each portion of your assignment will take, that is where writers can easily get into time-management trouble and fall behind. 

Tip: Big drawers are often just hidden messes, so optimize them by dividing them into smaller, more specific niches. Use metal bookends to divide my drawers into smaller subdivisions. Pens go in front, iPod/Pad/Kindle/phone cords in the middle, little-used odds and ends in the back.

This Year, I'm going to get "back on track" and get my writing area organized and as inspired as this desk!

Organizing Your Computer and Browser

In our mad rush to clean our houses, we can sometimes overlook the one place where we actually spend the most time: the computer. If you haven’t sorted through your files lately, make time to look through every nook and cranny of your computer.

Tip: Delete files you no longer need (but make sure you really don’t need them!) and organize the files that remain into sensible categories.

Tip:  To keep your computer as clean looking as possible, organize files into the smallest number of folders so you can save time by not clicking through numerous subfolders before finding the one you finally need.

While you’re elbow deep in computer dust, take another minute to sort through your browser’s bookmarks and add-ons. 

Tip: Make extensive use of folders and subfolders in your bookmarks.

Tip: Every couple of years, go through all the bookmarks and delete any links that are dead or no longer useful to me.

What keeps you organized and on track in your writing world?