Writing/Editing Schedules & Organization

On an ideal day, I like to start off with a free write, just to get past the censor and get the juices flowing. Then, I'll spend a couple of hours dealing with blog/social media stuff. This can include commenting on other people's blogs, replying to comments on mine, catching up on e-mail, Tweeting, or even writing blog posts. After that, I'll take a quick lunch break, and then get started on the major writing project for the day. I find a fifteen minute free write helps to get things moving, so I'll do that, and then spend anywhere from four to eight hours working on whatever I have planned. This can be writing or editing a piece, or both.

I tend to focus on one project per day, even if I have multiple projects going at the same time. All of my "written stuff" is stored on my laptop and then backed up on Dropbox. Right now, I used MS Word for writing and editing, but I plan on switching over to Scrivener for better organizational tools and developmental planning. I keep everything split up into applicable folders, i.e. novels by genre, short stories by genre, blog stuff in its own folder, "Scraps" documents and folders for every story in case I end up cutting huge swaths of content, contest entries in their own folder, etc. I also maintain a designated calendar for keeping track of writing and editing projects.

If I'm neck-deep in a novel (which I currently am) and another idea arises, I'll jot down whatever comes to mind in a word document or on my phone, but I won't start working on it until I've completed my current project. I find that juggling too many things can result in a lot of unfinished projects. That said, I can have a longer project and a shorter project going at the same time, and I often write flash fiction for my blog while working on bigger pieces, both to keep the blog current and the ideas flowing. I've also found that taking a bit of time between finishing a draft and editing a draft helps me to keep a fresh perspective, so I'll usually start on something new in between writing and editing a piece.

That said, most days aren't ideal days, so I'm often left juggling social media obligations with writing aspirations and depending on what's going on in my personal life, only one can take precedence. Organization and discipline are key to making sure I stick to my own deadlines (which is another effective way that I keep myself in check). It's about balance and setting priorities and deciding what's most important on any given day.

amandakelley said:

What all of your schedules are with writing and editing?

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Don't have one.

How do you work it out?

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Work out what?

And if you're currently working on editing a manuscript and also planning or starting a new novel, how do you split up the time?

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I work on one, then I work on the other. Whenever I feel like it.

What is your writing and editing process like?

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I write... then I send off to alpha/beta readers... then I rewrite.

Also, how do you organize everything?

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In the book.

I wrote a response and accidentally pressed something that made it all go away.

Anyways, I don't have a schedule either. But I'm an inspiration writer. I tried the butt in chair method for a few years, but it was stifling and the prose suffered, as well as my enthusiasm, so I switched back. For the most part it was a good decision, although right now I'm having a block, but I think it's a combination of being away from writing for a few months being so busy, coupled with being burnt out on life as a result of being so busy. Nano has been really rough this year.

I usually work on multiple works simultaneously (three at the moment), although, like someone above, I also tend to work on just one or two on one day. It depends on my mood. If my brain is fired up, that usually means I'll work on my witty stuff. If I'm in a quiet mood, I usually work on my more serious stuff.

I am a pantser and write out of order. My general way of doing things is when I'm about halfway through the total word count, I ask an alpha to take a look at what I've gotten so far. So yes, I have to put what I've got into a chronological order before I hand it off. But it usually includes the whole storyline, albeit missing chunks here and there, but it's generally enough to get an idea of where the story is headed. It also usually includes the ending. Then they read it and get back to me with feedback. This helps me tackle any problems early on so that I don't have to waste my time finishing the whole thing only to find out 90% of it needs to be scrapped or something. It's also very motivating. Either they loved it and it's encouraging, or there's some big fundamental flaw and it gives me a clear idea of where I can make it better. It helps me feel I'm making actual progress.

Then I finish, send to alphas once more, edit, send to betas, and then any other necessary editing. These steps will differ, depending on when I finish each step for each book, as in one might be in writing while another is in editing, etc., so the phases are constantly rotating.

I write in Yarny, so it's easy to move the scenes around to whatever order I want them. For editing I also use epub and Word and marking up a hard copy. The different formats help things jump out better. I use epub for readability (rhythm, stumbling sentences, etc.); Word for quicker fixes; hard copy for extensive editing for the overall manuscript. Yarny has the capability to easily download into epub or Word.

For researching, I usually write a little when I first get an idea for a story, then stop and do extensive research, then return to writing but do continued research as needed.

By and large, I work on one project at a time, so what I do will depend on what stage I'm at with said project. Right now, I'm still in drafting stage, so all of my energy is spent on drafting. If I'm in a revise/rewrite stage, then that's what I do.

I try to work on the project every day. Work is done in the evening, after I've gotten home from my job, had dinner, etc. On weekends I can often devote a large chunk of time to my writing.

I have to say, I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'organize everything'. Each project has its own folder. There is a main document, but there are also other documents related to a project. Sometimes I'll make a new document to try out a scene that I'm not really sure if it will fit or not. When I get to revision time, I usually have another document called 'cuts' where large chunks of material get put. Sometimes things that are cut get put back in, sometimes they don't.

I have not yet really had to deal with having an editor send me notes while I'm in a draft stage on another project. When that day comes (we'll be positive here) I suspect I'll give priority to the project that has a due date on a contract with my name on it.

I rewrite and edit each page as I go, so when I'm finished with a page, I never have to look at it again. This means I don't have to worry about organizing a time to write, and then a time to edit. This saves me a ton of time and energy.

I also don't need, use, or want beta readers, and it wouldn't work with my process, anyway. This means I don't have to do anything according to when some beta reader gets back to me.

The only organization I have to worry about is setting my schedule, and deciding which project I need to work on at the time. Deadlines often take care of this problem for me, but when they don't, I set my own priorities depending on how long and complicated a project is, and whether it's time sensitive in a way other than an imposed deadline.

I write five hours minimum each day, but they aren't always the same five hours. I try to keep the schedule firm, but there is enough flexibility to let me go do something that unexpectedly pops up every now and then. I don't miss a day of writing for anything because, well, that's bad. I seldom see it work out well for a writer who isn't already so successful he doesn't have to write at all. I do, however, occasionally move my hours to before or after whatever else it is I need to do on days when an unexpected opportunity pops up. This doesn't happen all that often, once a month or so, but it's nice to be able to do whatever I want, and still get in the writing that day.

Honestly, the hardest thing I have to do is organize my reading time. Reading is just as important as writing, and reading hours can be much tougher to schedule than writing hours.

I don't have betas either, and I try to write a minimum four hours a day, though most days I average between five and six. I write in the mornings because I'm a 'morning person' and always have been. (As a child I'd get up with the sun and wander around my neighborhood, which drove my parents crazy.)

I try to write and edit as I go, though when I'm done with a story or chapter I'll re-read it, fix things here and there, etc. I do not separate writing from editing; the two blend in together. I keep notes, though, if a story (or novel) is kind of complex. Like what happened when, what day it is, time of day - if any of this is something I'm likely to forget.

Reading time is also difficult to fit in. I keep books around my house, so if I have a free moment, or need a break from writing, I sit and read for 15-20 minutes. I spend a lot of time in waiting rooms, as I have a severely challenged, retarded and autistic adult son, so when I'm there, I'm a'reading.

I think every writer must adjust their schedules to their lifestyle, family and personal needs, etc. I'm retired now and supposedly 'have more time' for writing, but my family is often a tremendous (though not 'bad') burden on me. When they need me, I try to adjust things so I can still find my four hours a day to write.

I don't have a specific schedule. The most surefire way to get me not wanting to do something is to tell me I have to do it! I do, however, want to write nearly every day. If I'm completely exhausted or stressed or just flat out don't feel like it, I'll take a day off without guilting myself over it, which usually results in me wanting to write even more the next day.

On most days, I usually think about my novel a bit in the morning, once the coffee kicks in, which sometimes results in notes or even actual writing, but usually just percolates things. Even if I don't have work or school, I rarely work on it in the afternoon, and do errands or other projects, usually with thoughts of the novel running in the background. Sometimes, especially when plotting, I make notes--a couple days this week I've gone to the coffee shop with a notebook and fountain pen and made plot notes for a good hour or two. I tend only to sit down to write after dinner at 6 or 7. If I don't feel into it yet I set a later time--say, 9--and tell myself I can't write until then (see my dislike of being told what to do, above). That usually gets me really wanting to when the time comes. I well and truly lose track of time while writing, but I usually go for at least an hour or two, probably averaging 1500 words a session. Sometimes I have days of being reallllllly into it and write in the afternoon, or for 4 or 5 hours. If I do (and can) I'll let myself, but longer sessions usually burn me out for a day or two.

I only work on one thing at a time, although if I have ideas on something else I'll make notes or jot a quick scene. Sometimes I do a bit of editing of one part while writing another part. Line-editing type stuff I'll do in the afternoon. If it's actual rewriting, that goes in the (usually evening) writing time. I don't plot everything in advance but I try and have a good handle on the themes and general arc, and usually have the order and gist of the next several scenes laid out before writing. This kind of plotting/planning usually goes in the morning or afternoon as well, or sometimes after I've finished writing in the evening.

Organization-- for the actual writing, every writing day I create a new document named with the date, and write in that. At the end, if it's being kept in the novel it gets pasted in the current draft document. I also have a document for "scene snippets," which are usually scenes I've written out of order or just sketched and come back to when the time comes. I line edit in the novel's own document but I don't write in it. I do almost all notes by hand, and have a mess of scribbled loose papers on the sofa next to me at the moment (I did just get a new notebook though).

I don't have a schedule as much as self imposed weekly deadlines. This is what works for me, even though I like the idea of having more of a schedule. I would love to be one of those people who writes in the morning. I love the idea of waking up super early and feeling like I have gotten a lot done before most people start their day. However, I'm not a morning person. I tend to write the most at night. I think that I will just write for a little bit before going to bed. The next thing I know it is four or five in the morning. I tend to lose track of time when I'm writing. I am fully aware that keeping late-night hours is probably what is keeping me from being a morning person. But it is hard to break that routine for me.

Editing is a different thing. I like to do that in the day. If I am editing a short story, I will go through it in one sitting. If I am doing a complete rewrite, it will take me a few days, maybe a week or so. I do not like editing my work so I try to make my first drafts as clean and good as possible. I rarely do complete rewrites, but my writing skills are better than they once were, and there have been a few stories that I loved and could now tell better.

I think writing schedules are great and someday I might try better to stick to one. But I do have a writing routine and am able to produce a good amount of work this way. When setting up a routine or schedule for writing, I think it is important to have clear goals like a chapter a week or 2,000 words a day. Things like that help you get in the grove of writing and stick with it.

I make strict monthly and daily goals for both writing and editing (writing by word count and editing generally by chapter). I can't keep to a schedule, so this is what works for me. I do both writing and editing at the same time, though not on the same project since I don't edit at all until I'm finished the draft. I only edit one project at a time because otherwise it gets to confusing, though I will be working on drafts of 3 or 4 projects simultaneously.

I don't have any set way of splitting up time, as I find looking at things from the perspective of time unproductive. What matters is that I get my daily quotas done; if I dawdle and take 12 hours to do it, then I've simply blown my chance to do anything else that day. This keeps me working at an impressive speed instead of spending 90% of my 'working time' on TV Tropes.

gettingby said:

I I would love to be one of those people who writes in the morning. I love the idea of waking up super early and feeling like I have gotten a lot done before most people start their day. However, I'm not a morning person. I tend to write the most at night..

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I've never been a morning person, either. For most of my life, I wrote at night. I did so when I lived alone, and I did so for most of my married life. For me, the sunrise was always a beautiful thing to see. . .right before I went to bed.

And then we downsized, and i lost my office for a couple of years in the process. This, and other responsibilities meant I had to write during the day, and had to start as early as possible. I found I could do it well enough, and this surprised me. Then we upsized slightly from our downsizing, I got my own, nice office back, and the family responsibilities went away, but without any real conscious thought, I never went back to writing at night, except in an emergency.

I have to sleep sometime, and found that sleeping at night gives me more time to get out of the house and do things during the day, while still getting in my writing time.

I still miss the quiet, the silence and solitude, the peacefulness, of writing at night, It's a different world, and I like it, but I don't know that I'll ever go back to it.

My desire has always been to have a schedule like Ben Franklin did. I'm not sure how anyone manages to get by on fiver hours sleep, or less, but he did, and his daily schedule sounds like something only a man of some special nature could keep up for long, but he managed it for years on end. It's simple, but remarkably challenging, I'd think. You can find it on this list of writer routines: http://www.brainpickings.org/2012/11/20/daily-routines-writers/

Jamesaritchie said:

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I've never been a morning person, either. For most of my life, I wrote at night. I did so when I lived alone, and I did so for most of my married life. For me, the sunrise was always a beautiful thing to see. . .right before I went to bed.

And then we downsized, and i lost my office for a couple of years in the process. This, and other responsibilities meant I had to write during the day, and had to start as early as possible. I found I could do it well enough, and this surprised me. Then we upsized slightly from our downsizing, I got my own, nice office back, and the family responsibilities went away, but without any real conscious thought, I never went back to writing at night, except in an emergency.

I have to sleep sometime, and found that sleeping at night gives me more time to get out of the house and do things during the day, while still getting in my writing time.

I still miss the quiet, the silence and solitude, the peacefulness, of writing at night, It's a different world, and I like it, but I don't know that I'll ever go back to it.

My desire has always been to have a schedule like Ben Franklin did. I'm not sure how anyone manages to get by on fiver hours sleep, or less, but he did, and his daily schedule sounds like something only a man of some special nature could keep up for long, but he managed it for years on end. It's simple, but remarkably challenging, I'd think. You can find it on this list of writer routines: http://www.brainpickings.org/2012/11/20/daily-routines-writers/

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This link is great! Thanks for sharing it.

I find it interesting that you were able to switch from night writing to day writing. Even when I write in the day, it tends to be no earlier than late afternoon. Come midnight, I feel a surge of inspiration. I have been doing this long enough that I think it would take a lot to change my sleep schedule let alone my writing-time habits. I was wondering if you could share a little more about changing your schedule. Was it hard at first? Did it take some time to get used to? Did it have any effect on your writing?

I am far too old to be pulling all nighters, but, still, I find myself doing this. Just last night, I found myself writing away as the sun started to light up my room. Slept almost all day to recover, and now I am likely to do the same thing tonight. I did just get back from an evening writing session at Starbucks, but there is just something I am drawn to about writing in the middle of the night. However, I would like to change this.

Ben Franklin was the one who said, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

I think going to bed early really does make a difference. I'm also a night owl and even if I get the same hours of sleep, I feel more rested if I've gone to bed at an earlier time. Also, my body literally starts to hurt if I go to bed too late.

gettingby said:

This link is great! Thanks for sharing it.

I find it interesting that you were able to switch from night writing to day writing..

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It really wasn't by choice, but I'm happy I managed it. I really do seem to have more time to do other things now. It's weird, but most of the world seems to sleep at night, and does some cool things during the day. Who knew?

This said, I think I'm like a recovering addict. There's always a danger of falling off the wagon.

chompers said:

Ben Franklin was the one who said, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

I think going to bed early really does make a difference. I'm also a night owl and even if I get the same hours of sleep, I feel more rested if I've gone to bed at an earlier time. Also, my body literally starts to hurt if I go to bed too late.

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For most of my life, I believed, "Early to rise, early to bed, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and dead."

I know every writer is different, so I was wondering what all of your schedules are with writing and editing? How do you work it out? And if you're currently working on editing a manuscript and also planning or starting a new novel, how do you split up the time?

What is your writing and editing process like?

Also, how do you organize everything?

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Amanda, thanks for starting this conversation. Exactly what I needed to look at right now.

I have been so busy with overtime at work this last year, which involves plenty of legal writing, that I my schedule for creative writing has become very sporadic. I write, but when I find time. For me, this is not good, because this is not what I want to be doing.

I need my writing schedule back. I need to set aside that time after work to sit down for an hour or two and work on my stories, and then do my overtime for work (which I do at home as well, and am able to set my own hours).

Or, I can do it in the morning before work. After all, I do get up at 4 a.m. to go to the gym and workout, and by the time I'm home I have a few hours left before the office.

I just know without my writing schedule I am lost. Thanks for the reminder.

http://www.brainpickings.org/2012/11/20/daily-routines-writers/

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James, great link, thanks for posting it.

I agree with StoryofWoe: First write should be a free write so you can quickly get all your ideas down.

Here's what I do often that has proven most helpful for me. Anytime I'm writing, whether it be the free write or one of the edits, and I realize that there's a contradiction or for something to work, I need to go back and add a line in the beginning . . . anything like that I type the word 'edit' and give a small sentence on what I'm thinking at that particular moment. Then I continue.

When I finish the first draft or one of the edits, I use Microsoft Word's 'search' tool and type in edit. It's sooooo easy and helps organize. Also keeps my mind focused on one edit at a time - instead of thinking "I should change this, but what about that? what if I forget this?"

I use the search tool in Word so much. Right now, I'm searching all adverbs and words I tend to repeat, so I can change them. Can you believe I had around 160 "smile," "Smiled," or "Smiling" in my MS. smh.

I also right click on a word and search for synonyms if I find myself using it a lot.

Hope this helps! I also wrote this pretty quickly, so hopefully it all makes sense

gettingby said:

I find it interesting that you were able to switch from night writing to day writing.

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I've gone the other way. During a period of unemployment my writing time was during the day, typically in the morning after the kids were at school and the wife was at work. I loved it, though I certainly didn't like not earning a paycheck. My 'new' job has 'normal' daytime hours, so it's not possible for me to write during the day, but I've managed to be fairly successful in the evening. It did take some getting used to, however. I come home and I'm tired. There are things to do. There are more people around who want my time. Carving out writing time takes more of an effort, because there's less time for it. However, to achieve my goal of being published, I have to keep writing. To keep writing, I have to make time.