Staying on Task…SQUIRREL!

Dug from the movie UP

I’ve been “officially” working at this writing thing for a month now. Staying on task, not so much. I’ve been feeling an awful lot like Dug from UP and the mere thought of a squirrel sends me scurrying in another direction. Not a great start. Nor is it the manner I wish to go forth.

Amazingly, or not, time management seemed to be the topic of blogs this past weekend. Rather timely. It’s not that any of the blog posts I read were new or life-changing but taken together created a series of ahh-ha moments for me.

The first ahh-ha was Kristen Lamb’s Time Management for Writers–Getting More Done in Less Time. Who doesn’t need that?!

I also make lists every day and no longer try to just “keep it in my head.” I then look at that list and whatever item makes me cringe when I read it (FROGS)? That is what I do first. Remember, 20% of our activity is going to account for 80% of our results.

Kristen Lamb also recommends Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brain Tracy…yep that’s on my to buy list!

In the meantime, I’m working my way through all of Kristen Lamb’s blog posts on social media because I’m a newbie at all that. I’d been just fine and dandy with my little family blog (and Facebook page I opened kicking and screaming for a family reunion), but this writer’s life is a whole other beast.  Social media can be overwhelming, distracting, and if it’s not managed, a complete time suck.

I did set myself a rule early on that I could only get onto Twitter, Facebook, or MySpace  AFTER I’d done whatever my assigned writer related duty was for that day.  Most days it works.

The second ahh-ha came from Zoe Winter’s 5 More Minutes.  I literally hit my forehead.  Duh!  I’ve been a follower of the FlyLady for years. She has a simple motto: You can do ANYTHING for 15 minutes. Why the heck wasn’t I applying THAT to my writing life?

The final ahh-ha blog post came from Lynn Viehl’s Productive Task Listing. So simple. Alternate the dull tasks with fun tasks!

You know the old saying about all work, too, so try to devote a little time every day for play.

I’ve combine these ahh-ha moments.

Nailing that social media thing was my first priority. So, I pulled out an old Things To Do Today form left over from one Evil Day Job or other and wrote that in three times for my professional persona and two times for personal. Keeping up with the blogs I read came next, I’m limiting myself to checking Google Reader once a day per persona. Then I filled in the minimum FlyLady duties. I ended up with something like this:

1. Walking and/or D&E Writing (new wordage)
2. [30]Professional:  Check E-mail, Social Media, and Blog Comments (on my blog not following up on others)
3. [60]General Cleaning and Laundry
4. Professional:  Google Reader and Commenting (Twitter for re-tweets only)
5. ___
6. ___
7. [15]Personal:  Check E-mail, Facebook, and Blog Comments (on my blog not following up on others)
8. ___
9. Personal:  Google Reader and Commenting
10. ___
11. Professional:  Research, Write, and/or Schedule Blog Post
12. [30]Professional:  Check E-mail, Social Media, and Blog Comments
13. [30]Zone Cleaning, Re-boot Laundry (put in dryer), and Hot Spot Cleaning
14. ___
15. ___
16. Personal:  Research, Write, and/or Schedule Blog Post
17. [15]Personal:  Check E-mail, Facebook, and Blog Comments
18. ___
19. ___
20. ___
21. ___
22. [30]Professional:  Check E-mail, Social Media, and Blog Comments
23. END DAY WITH SOMETHING FUN!

Taking a page out of the FlyLady’s book I’ve put this basic list into a page protector. This allows me to use a dry erase marker to write in the date and fill in any of the blank lines with date specific tasks.

In keeping with Lynn Viehl I alternated the dull with fun tasks and made a note to end the day on a positive note.

From Zoe Winters (and actually FlyLady, too) I will take a 5 minute break after each task (see the numbers in brackets — my maximum time for said task) with a 15 minute break every hour (or four completed tasks, whichever comes first). It is all about pacing.  I think I need a timer.

Based on Kristen Lamb’s 20/80 thing I put the two things I struggle with up front. The dreaded exercise, I live in the desert, if I’m going to get my walking in it has to be Dark and Early, so I’ve got it first on my list while allowing myself Dark and Early writing if I’ve got new wordage screaming to get out. And, the bane of my existence, general house cleaning. Seriously folks, I’m surrounded by males.

I want to add yoga to my day, especially after reading Kait Nolan’s review of New U Fitness First Yoga and Pilates, but I’m not sure where it will fit yet.

This is still a work in process.  I’ve only been working with this schedule since Monday and according to the FlyLady it takes 21 days to build a habit, so we’ll see how I’m doing in three/four weeks.

So, talk to me:

• Do you have any time management tips or tricks?
• Have you had an ahh-ha moment about staying on task?
  • How did you act on it?

Story Length

I’m a recovering short story snob.  There I said it.  In my defense, though, when you’re forking out hard earned dollars toward your addiction hobby you do want to get the most bang for your buck.  I wasn’t kidding in my bio when I said I was “an avid reader able to gobble up 100,000 words in a single sitting.”  (For you readers who don’t pay attention to word count, a 100,000 word story is approximately a 400 page paperback book.)  I inhale books at a disturbing rate, just ask the bookshelf that collapsed over the weekend.

Wallpaper by Pickyme Digital Artist

However, the advent of e-books has me rediscovering the joys of reading shorter works.  And with my handy dandy Nook I can carry a lot of those babies around with me.

But that hard earned dollar thing comes into play with e-books, too.  For example, I won’t pay more for an e-book than I would for its corresponding paperback (which I can sell or trade or gift) unless it only comes as an e-book.  So for a 100,000 word e-book I’m not going to spend over the $6 or $7 bucks it would be in paper.  And realistically, not over $4 or $5 because I can’t sell, trade, or gift (or even loan in most cases) that e-book once it’s mine.  Therefore, a 50,000 word e-book isn’t going to find its way to my Nook for more than $2 (well, maybe $2.99 if I really, really love the author).  So where does that leave Novellas (and stories under 50,000)?  A Novella (20,000 to 50,000 words) might get me at $1.99, definitely at $0.99.  Which really puts the other short stories in a bind.

I know there has been tons of blog posts on the subject of e-book pricing and I don’t really want to hash it out again here, well, maybe I do if it opens a discussion.

But, as an aspiring author, I’ve been thinking about story length.  How long should my WiP be?  Am I aiming for a category romance?  My friend Maria Zannini seemed to think it might fit. And here’s another confession, I’ve never read a category romance. Gasp. It goes back to that inhalation of books I mentioned. Yet, I know a number of people who read nothing but category romances. So, where does that leave me? Other than rambling here, LOL

Let’s get a discussion going in the comments. What is your preferred format? How fast do you go through books? And, for kicks and giggles, what are your thoughts on book pricing (e-book, paperback, hard cover, and how about audio)?

What’s in a Name?

That is the question according to good ol’ Shakespeare.

Ancient Barclay Hunting Tartan

I’m very proud of my Scottish ancestry.  (Yes, I can claim Barclay.)  I like saying I’m three-quarters Scottish and one-quarter Welsh, just to keep things interesting, and I have the family tree to prove it.  I love my tartans, all three clans.  The Barclay hunter tartan is a beautiful and subtle mix of blues and greens, which is appropriate when you consider a hunter needing to hide amongst the heather and broom of the Scottish moors.  I wish I spoke with a Scottish brogue or could at least fake a decent one.  That Man is worried I’ll never come home if I ever set foot upon Scottish soil — he’s probably right to worry about that.

Barclay Dress Tartan

Alter Ego.  Pen Name.

Nom de Plume.

Pseudonym.  Alias.

Yep, Raelyn Barclay is all of those.

(Yeah, I don’t know what they were thinking with those bumblebee colors either, LOL)

I got amazing advice from Joely Sue Burkhart, Maria Zannini, and Kait Nolan, friends and mentors.  After a lengthy game of Pros and Cons, I decided Raelyn Barclay would be born.  I’m a long way from publishing that first story.  However, donning Raelyn Barclay has made me serious about this writing dream in a way I haven’t been before.  I feel my writing has become a career instead of a hobby.

There are a lot of blog posts on the subject and whether an author should write under an assumed name.  Most seem to advise sticking with your own name.  The mentality that a pen name offers the author privacy is old school in this fast paced, online world.  On the other hand, authors often take a different name for a new genre.

Modern Barclay Hunting Tartan

Writers:  Do you think the old adage of different pen names for different genres still holds true?

Readers:  If you are following an author, would you prefer they stick to one name?  Or is branding different names important so you know what you’re getting when you see a certain name?

What Kind of Author Do I Want to Be?

I’ve been pondering that a lot lately.

It’s one thing to look in the mirror and tell myself I’m a writer yet another to actually give myself the title “author.”  I’m not published.  I haven’t even shared my WIP with anyone and am fully aware that I have a long, long way to go on this journey.

I recently read a couple posts on this writing life I’ve decided to pursue.

The first, The Type of Author I Want to Be by Deborah Burns discusses the random acts of kindness she’d like to show.

• Holds the door for people.

I love that visual.  Lending a helping hand whenever you’re able is good karma.  I’m not in a position to offer advice, I’m still very much learning, but I can support others by listening to what they have to say and sharing their insight.

• Picks up whatever a person drops and hands it back.

I’ve been that harried mother with my hands full.  This falls under the karma of “do on to others as you’d have done on to you.”  The Internet is a strange place.  We develop relationships with people we’ll likely never meet in real life and sometimes we forget that golden rule.  If I wouldn’t say it to your face, I won’t say it.

• Remember my roots.

I’m blessed with one of the craziest and most supportive families on the planet.  What this point says to me is not to forget the other areas of my life.

In the end I can only try to be true to myself and hope that shines through.

The second, 4 Ways to Avoid the Pitfalls of a Writer’s Solitude by KM Weiland reminds us writer-types to live a broad life.

• Schedule your writing time.

This is so important, especially when you also happen to be a writing MOM.  How does that fit with the kind of writer I want to be?  Simple, I want to remember to keep my family in the forefront.

• Reach out to the writing community.

This comes back around to Deborah Burns‘ first and second points.  I hope to pay it forward, give newcomers the same chances I’m being given.

• Seek out non-writing jobs and hobbies.

Traditionally, one of my hobbies overwhelms the others to the point of distraction.  Now that I’ve moved the writing from hobby to career, I’m finding the non-writing hobbies all the more important.  But having the hobbies isn’t enough, scheduling the time to partake in them is just as important.

• Connect with readers.

They will keep you humble; after all, readers can make or break an author.  As a reader, I know how much I enjoy hearing from my favorite authors and I want to extend the same.

What resonated with me from KM Weiland‘s post is balance.

It’s quite the juggling act.  How do you maintain balance between the different areas of your life?

Welcome to my little piece of the web

I’m glad you stopped by. I’m still trying to figure out where all the furniture goes — moving in is such hard work — but kick off your shoes and make yourself at home.

In the upcoming days, weeks, I’ll set up the rooms…er…categories, unpack the boxes, and dust off the ramblings. I have a plethora of interests so there will be many different things I will post about. Feel free to drop me a note about any topics you’d like to see here.