We’ve been talking for the last week or so on that pesky scheduling problem and how we writers can manage our lives so we have more time to write.
Carrie wrote:
Of course, the real problem is that I’ve accidentally overscheduled myself. I’m having to finish up old projects I’m not interested in anymore. I took on one that seemed fun but isn’t quite as good as an almost identical project a friend brought me, but now I’m committed.
The things I want to do and the things I’ve agreed to do are not the same thing. Now if I can just figure out how to want to do the things I’ve obligated myself to do, I’ll be doing ok.
Overscheduling happens. The questions I’d be asking myself here are the following:
1) Do those old projects bring in revenue? If so, then they’re Good Things, because we all have to eat and pay the mortgage.
2) Do those old projects help your writing career in any way? If so, then they’re Good Things, whether they’re fun or not.
3) Do those old projects meet your Mission Statement for your writing career? If so, then they’re Good Things. However, if you’re finding them boring, maybe your Mission Statement is too broad.
And if they don’t fit in your Mission Statement, then maybe . . . you should escape them. I don’t know in what sense you’re obligated to do them. There are of course different levels of obligation. One thing I learned in the last year was that I needed to trim my projects down to fit my Mission Statement. In a couple of cases, that meant disappointing friends by backing away from projects that I had wanted to do with them. But the truth is that a project you’re doing that you’re not enjoying may be a project you’re not doing very well.
I’m not encouraging you to back out of firm commitments. But if the commitment is kind of fuzzy, you might do best to find a way to trim it out of your life. And definitely think twice in the future about making commitments that don’t match your Mission Statement. I didn’t have one until this year, and once I wrote it down, I suddenly had a solid reason to say “no” to things that I shouldn’t get involved in. And I continue to say “no” when people come to me with things that sound great but that I shouldn’t be doing because they defocus my efforts.
As many of you know, I learned about Mission Statements (and a whole lot more) from Allison Bottke, who helped me clean up my pesky act and start acting like I was serious about my writing business.
Mary asked today if I could talk about how to write a synopsis for a book proposal. Since I think we’ve about chewed all the sugar out of time management, I think we’ll transition smoothly into synopses tomorrow. If you’ve got questions or comments, post them here and I’ll respond to them.
Randy sed: “If you’re finding them boring, maybe your Mission Statement is too broad.”
Too broad and/or not focused on what really brings joy to your life now.
I’m actually having a similar sort of problem of having jobs I’m committed to doing but don’t enjoy anymore. The problem, I’ve realized, is that my current mission has run its course, and it’s time to find a new one. These time management tips are helping me get through the boring stuff (Thanks, Randy!), but I’m also scheduling in time to figure out my new mission and get it up and running.
So yeah, keep your mission statement focused on what really motivates you, but also keep your eyes open for signs that your mission might need either tweaking or a complete overhaul and change of direction.
Cheers,
~Grey
Like Randy, I got a Mission Statement after making the agreements. On the bright side, most of the project is done. We’re in the editing stage now, so I should be out from under it soon.
I’m just getting back from vacation … caught up on the time management topics – good stuff!
About writing a synopsis, I’ve been told to handle it as if I were sitting around a campfire with friends and telling them what my story was about. It’s a bit easier, but still a chore for me. I wonder why it is most writers have such a hard time with a synopsis.
A mission statement helped me a whole lot.
Be careful what you pray for.
I needed to be closer to our daughter after Jim got sick and all of a sudden the whole family has moved closer to help. As a result, I am busier than ever with family. Running them back and forth to school, babysitting, spending time with Jennifer while her husband works out of state for two weeks at a time. I love it and am grateful, but boy did it put a cramp on my writing time!
I am not complaining, just a different season.
In the meantime, I am plugging away on my fourth novel and have another idea for the fifth. I love writing, can’t stop.
Quit peeking into my life, Randy!!! It’s a little too scary!
I am overscheduled. My problem isn’t writing to-do lists (I actually enjoy doing that), it’s putting too much on those lists. My aspirational vs. operational goals are out of whack.
The key to get this under control is to slap at my aspirational goals that don’t really resemble reality. I may WANT to do one hour of marketing a day, but if I’m not doing it and I’m still too busy, it’s not operational.
I like the idea of a mission statement being a filter. Good stuff.
Synopsis writing couldn’t be more timely for me…
How much detail should I include? (Do I say “and things keep unraveling after this main calamity”, or do I list every crisis?)
Do I mention those little ‘threads’ that make my story interesting even if they are secondary to the plot?
All my backstory is woven throughout the novel, so where do I put it in the synopsis and still keep the synopsis reading smoothly?
My novel is a ‘whodunit’, so do I give clues and red herrings in the body of the synopsis, or just tell how it ends at the conclusion?
Should I use ‘snapshots’ of action throughout the synopsis, or keep it balanced in it’s depth of detail?
What ratio of external to internal struggle for my protagonist should I show in the synopsis?
Can’t wait to get to this subject–thanks Randy and fellow bloggers!
~Nancy
If you are spending a lot of time writing to-do lists and trying to make everything “fit” in. You are probably doing too much.
Days are very short things. Sometimes it takes an entire lifetime to really figure that out. Yes, as adults we often sense how short time really is, but unconsciously we try to put more in than possible and our lists are never ending and we never feel satisfied because just as we cross off one thing from the list, three other things surface and so on…
So, if you are doing something that causes you continuous grief, consider what you might do instead.
I think our society is far too “goal” oriented and not centered enough on joyful aspects of living.
Work is a joyful aspect when we ride it like a wave; not when we allow ourselves to be pulled under the current and we can’t breath.
Joleena
I appreciate the thoughts on overscheduling. I thought I needed to take on everything that surfaced for a writer wanting to make a living. Those don’t happen often enough to suit my checking account. But it’s harder to write something when I’m not enthusiastic about it. Saying no to one project frees me up to say yes to something that will spark my creativity!
http://sallyswords.braveblog.com
I agree with you, Joleena about riding the wave instead of drowning in our “to do” lists. We need to learn to live our lives passionately so that we experience joy in our journey! I am trying to learn that this year. It has been one of my goals. I am not a “go with the flow” personality, so it takes a lot of work for me. I’m learning!