A Terrific Reminder!

Over the weekend I was reminded of something I knew and by sharing this information, I hope I can help someone else. I know it has already helped me.

Deep down in my subconscious, I probably had the information, but I just never had it pointed out so clearly as I did Saturday afternoon. I had the opportunity to listen to a counselor turned author who talked about making time for your writing. And boy, did some of her remarks hit home.

She pointed out anyone who has to accomplish a special project that isn’t getting finished, needs to assess the amount of time they spend doing things other than working on that project. She suggested keeping a journal and writing down what you spend time doing. I didn’t have to write anything down…. I knew!

As I thought about my typical day, I realized what I had been doing. Answering e-mail – constantly, running out to the kitchen for a bottle of water, a snack, standing at the refrig deciding what to have for dinner. Oh, a thousand ways to spend unproductive time.

When she talked about nesting jobs together, and planning ahead, I immediately thought about taking my snack and water to my office before I started to work, so I didn’t have to run to the kitchen every little bit. The part I think I liked best was to turn off your browser, so you aren’t tempted to go to your e-mail every little bit. I especially liked that one because I’m constantly checking e-mail.

Then there was her suggestion about setting goals. Okay, so I get remiss in that department too, but I always have an idea of what I want to get accomplished each day. It’s just that lately I’ve really had trouble meeting my goals. As I listened to her explaining what some of the best selling authors did, I realized I was setting my goals in the wrong way. I was planning just for the day. And, she was emphatic about putting everything down on paper, which I had never done.

Today I did just that. I wrote down what I needed to accomplish in the next year. Then, I divided the tasks into how much I’d need to complete each day to reach my goals. And surprise, surprise! It’s doable. Even with the interruptions that come with raising a family and maintaining a home.

So, if you’re like me, and struggling to get accomplished what you think you should be doing, think about looking at the big picture, write it down, and then consider what you have to do each day to reach that goal. I hope you’re as surprised as I was, when I realized I could complete planned projects with just a bit of effort on my part. Some of you may already have figured this out, but it was a revelation to me. So with my yearly and daily plan in hand, I’m willing to bet I’ll have my projects finished before the end of the year.

Allison

www.AllisonKnight.com
"It's All About Romance"
"Heartsong" named Best Novel of the Year
"A Treasure for Sara" available now

December is looming!

Well, here it is, almost the end of the year! December
is a day away, black Friday has come and gone, and
before you know it, the New Year will be upon us.

2008 was a good year for me, for I did sell two books.
Heartsong came out in August, with the print copy
following in October. Now I'm waiting for the edits
to the book coming in March. However, my writing
has taken a beating. There just never seems to be
enough time. Too many other things have gotten in
the way. (I let too many other things get in the way!)

December for me means the end of several of the
consuming issues I blame for my lack of writing
time. So, I'm making my resolutions early this
year. Back to making lists and sticking with them.
I'm not going to let really unimportant things take
my writing time.

I'm working on three books and have two more ideas
I want to begin work on, so I have to concentrate!
Big Time!

The pros call it "Setting Goals". I call it making
a list. Off to make my first list of things to do.

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
"Heartsong" available in digital
format and print from
Champagne Books, Inc.

Letting The Real World Interfere

This has been a bad month. Not because it's March.
Nope, the season, the month itself has nothing to
do with this being a bad month for me. I just haven't
had any time to work on my work.

When the rest of the world takes all your time, you
have to make some decisions. I've made mine. I have
to write. I not only feel guilty because my characters
are playing through my mind, urging me to tell their
story, but I also feel like I'm not being true to
myself.

As I've said before - I have to write. So, when I don't
all kinds of stress results.

So what to do about it? Easy question to ask. What is
needed is goal setting and list making. Many authors
talk about getting up very early and writing. I'm more
a night person. I'm going to give up reading at night
and spend more time at the computer. I've set my goals.
Then my characters will leave me alone and I will feel
more complete.

I'll let you know how it works...

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
A medieval romance - "Heartsong" coming in August
A romp through the Yukon "A Treasure for Sara"
coming in March of '09