Compartmentalizing

I'm exhausted already!

Is it just me, or is this year going by way too fast? I'm just getting around to putting some of my plans for this year in place. The trip backed me up and threw me out of muse mode.

But I realized I've gotten in the habit of setting long range goals. When I posted that I usually write around 900 words per 45 min sprint, one of our loop members said, "well, then two sprints a day and you've met your goal". That was like a wake up call.

I've been thinking in terms of the upcoming March conference, or the first of February, but not 'Today's goal is...'. For those of you who have ever used a Day-Timer, organizer, Day-Runner, or any other organizer in a book, I just want to give you a heads up. I invented it. Not really, it looks like Day-Timer did in 1947, but I didn't know about it so I can say just like plots turn up on new ground, I created my own version of it, in my little parallel universe.

Mine was kind of a personal bible to my life, work, and contacts. I bought a ring bound address book, inserted pages, a calendar and some tabs. When I need to record information about friends, I turned to F for my page labeled Friends. I for the Insurance page. or S for Songs to learn. It was such a help, I can't imagine why I got away from it. Probably after I ditched working 80 hour weeks, I figured I could handle managing my day in my head.

Wrong! I've always had a pen in my hand. I work by lists. Oh, I look over stuff on the list but I'm much more likely to complete 75% of it than if I haven't written it down. So, I'm back to that process.

I have so much that has to be coordinated in the next few months, a writing challenge, crawfish season, taxes, the mail job insurance class, and starting up computer classes again. And believe me I'm not a plotter, not in writing, and not organizing my life.

This is the style I chose. It's Flavia ( I have to have a pretty inspirational style) and I chose two page per day. See the right page is a journal page. I'm going to use that to do a minimum of 400 words per day. I know that if I write 400, I'll write more. Then I can coordinate classes, work, word counts, and appointments on the left.



How do you stay organized?

Getting Out of the Way

Sitting here with my polar fleece gloves with the fingertips removed typing. It's 35 outside and feels like 45 inside though the temperature gauge, the lying (*&@$&! is saying 65! It's not.

Trying to get back into the wip. After several days of taking notes and analyzing it - I know I shouldn't have been analyzing when all I was supposed to be doing to reminding myself of what characters knew what, who told who what, and which paranornal being can do what. But we just can't help it, can we?

I asked Michael Malone what he did to keep track of the detail. He said written notes. CL Wilson said she keeps extensive notes. MY problem is I'll write it on this little piece of paper going down the road, record it into my recorder on the route, jot major notes onto my 'current writing spiral notebook' but it's all so disorganized.

So I'm trying to use Scrivener's keywords to track clues, threads, missing folks, crimes, appearances by characters. Now that I have it setup I can read through what I've written the morning after - writing that is - and easily apply the keywords AND refresh my memory. Hopefully, now I can move through to the end and allow the characters to do their thing cause I'M getting in their way!

Free-Mind for writers

Mind-mapping with Free Mind. It's a brainstorming tool. It's an organizer. Create a mindmap to collect family information, organize your week, or brainstorm a plot thread. I've been using this little program for four or five years. With the latest upgrade it's significantly improved.

Here's an example of one I made in the early stages of RCP to brainstorm the crime, clues, suspects, and motives of characters. You can also store links and customize nodes.



A world of information will fit in a small space by collapsing the nodes and expanding as needed. It's so easy to use, so versatile and it's free!

I've see some intricately designed mindmaps and simple ones like the one at Moving to Freedom for a very simple and creative application of the program. (Preview below.)



For Mac or PC download it here.

Daily Habits

I can get so distracted, probably ADD or ADHD or whatever they call it. And it plays havoc with focusing on my writing.

For instance, I can't cook french bread in the broiler. I place it on the rack, stand there for maybe 10 seconds, then I see a spider web in the corner of the room. Must get that spider web. I grab the broom, swipe it down, put the broom up. Hmm, what's this cap doing here by the broom? Must put it where it belongs, and on and on. Until I smell smoke.

I could probably cook bread if I got CFM to tape one hand to the stove. [grin] I used to try to dry the iron skillets on the stove until one morning he put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Do not dry the iron skillets. I'll dry them for you." That was years ago. It runs in Mom's side of the family. Not anything to do with Alzheimers (I hope). I have almost a photographic memory for things I see and hear but don't ask me where I put something. Out of sight - out of mind.

I believe I was the originator of the Day Runner type organizer. I took an address book. Fitted it with notebook paper and an alphabetical index and voila. I used one for years to set my tasks for the day, to keep track of everything about my life. I had a page under B for budget, S for songs I wanted to learn, C for Computer issues, P for (I know) passwords. But when I got out of sales, I set it aside.

Now, I'm going back to a daily goal system to stay on track with one addition - my whiteboard.

I've created two columns the one on the left for the task categories that I need to complete each and every day. Column two for the variables, my optional choices.

So this week it looks something like this:

Daily
Exercise
Write 2000w or 2hrs
Revise, submit, critique
Other - pick one
Blog/ email
Read instruction/inspiration

Mind Jog - pick from list
Writing
OTHR more revisions
FIMB revisions
FIMB synopsis, query
Write forward RC, LMA, Rory, FF

Other Options
Refrigerator
Straighten office
Haircolor
Computer backups
CDs
WORK - blaah

Sunday
Blogs scheduled ahed
Groups
Wash, cleanup
Sports on TV


So far I've been able to stay on track except for writing forward because I can't seem to decide which story I'm going to pursue.

Is that a good excuse or what!

You probably already have good habits? Anything you can share?