Taming the Beast Called Time Management for Writers

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Busy writers realize they must master the feat of time management or they will fall into a hole called overwhelmed and unproductive. Editors and those depending on us will be disappointed, possibly ending a working relationship. With a few guidelines, we can learn how to take charge of our responsibilities and breathe while giving us time to spare. (Smile too)

The key is to understand life is filled with interruptions—family, health, vacations, and unanticipated delays. We can prepare for these intrusions by planning ahead.

Here are 10 tips to master and prioritize how we spend our time.

1. Record the number of work hours in your day. Be realistic. God should take first place in our lives, and His word shows us our families and friends are vital.
2. Prioritize the tasks to be completed in order of urgency—book projects, articles, blog posts, social media posts, and any other marketing and branding deadlines.
3. Calendar the due dates, preferably an online calendar that will alert the user, when each task is to be emailed or posted.
4. Count back 1 month from the due date determined in items 2 and 3. The earlier the writer can complete the project, the better. This becomes the new due date. *If the writer is working on a book project, back up the date 2 to 3 months.
5. Look at those new due dates. How many written words per day will ensure those tasks are completed by the newly established dates?
6. Record that word count in a prominent place as a daily reminder.
7. Reach out to others who have mastered time management for assistance.
8. A goal and a plan take time. If your plan isn’t working, reevaluate and begin again.
9. Take time for you. All work and no play won’t clear the cobwebs. Writers need to be fresh and excited about their work.
10. Writers who meet their deadlines are the writers who are successful.

What’s your secret for managing the beast of time management?

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DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. 

She is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Retreat, and Mountainside Novelist Retreat with social media specialist Edie Melson. Connect here: DiAnnMills.com