Before, I get to today’s post, October’s mystery sales promotion is half over. If you haven’t had a chance, please take a moment to browse through a diverse roster of mysteries and thrillers. The $.99 sale for my books, Knock Knock and The Blade Man ends on the 31st. You can find the link HERE.
I have the entire week off from babysitting fourteen-month-old Ellie. At our Thanksgiving dinner last weekend, she discovered a love of pie, especially with a tiny bit of whipped cream on the side. She literally vibrated with excitement after her mom placed the spoon in her mouth. As you’ll see from the photo, meals are generally happy occasions.

I find myself with plenty of extra writing time this week. One of my ongoing challenges is to write and edit more efficiently, so I’ve implemented a strategy that’s worked before. First, I gave some thought to the projects I want to work on.
These days, it’s three novels. The urban fantasy is currently under weekly critiquing and my Casey Holland novella is nearly ready for beta readers. After working on notes, character profiles, and an outline, I’ve also started writing the first draft of a paranormal mystery.
Each project is given one hour during the day, give or take. After the first hour of work on a book, I stop for exercise. After the second hour on a different project, I stop for lunch. After lunch, I work on the third, and so far. If I want to work longer I can, or I can switch to marketing tasks.
This strategy works well if I don’t have appointments or other commitments, but because I find it tiring, I use this approach in spurts rather than month after month. I’ve always found that working on the same project all day, even with breaks, doesn’t always bring clarity, focus, or new ideas to the page.
On Monday, I’ll be back with Ellie for the next three days and feeling like I’ve accomplished a lot. 🙂
Wow. You are so organized. I can never do something if I tell myself I have to. I guess I’m a natural rebel against authority, even my own;) Ellie is getting so big. That will be August next Thanksgiving!
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Thanks, Wendy. Discipline and time management are pretty much in my nature. Yes, Ellie’s a walking toddler now, although a little unsteady on her feet. Her dad’s spending his week off from work babyproofing the cupboards 🙂
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Ellie is so cute, Debra! I love her smile. Is she eating well?
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She’s eating very well, Miriam. She likes just about everything she’s given, except for the beets at Thanksgiving. Big fan of turkey, potatoes, squash and broccoli, though. 🙂
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Good to hear that she’s eating well. That makes grandma happy!! I don’t like beets either! 🙂
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The new project sounds fascinating and I agree, seldom can I work too long on the one project. I feel a need for time to consider the next step.
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Lovely plan, Debra. Mine is similar, breaking up writing into segments. It works really well!
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I think it also helps with our stamina and enthusiasm to keep going on projects.
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Ellie is adorable. You seem to make the most of your time. I agree, you need to take breaks or the creative energy drops. Happy writing!
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Thanks, Darlene!
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