Tuesday Tips: Managing Multiple Projects (with a free printable project planning sheet)

In the interest of consistency, and as an experiment to see whether my abstract sequential mind can handle it, I am declaring Tuesday "Tips for Writers Tuesday." I don't necessarily want to inundate my readers with too many or too few "writing tips" posts. This was the solution that came to mind.

So mote it be.

What are the best practices for writers handling multiple projects?

This is a question that I receive (and also ask) frequently. I think the people that have the best solutions for multiple projects are 1) freelance writers and 2) prolific academics. Below are four tips for managing multiple projects (including a free printable planning sheet!)

Multiple project management can be broken down into two categories: physical management and intellectual management. Physical management has to do with how you organize your materials and time. Intellectual management has to do with how you many your ideas and productivity.


Physical Management:

1. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of maintaining an organized filing system. And for project management, you're going to want something more than a simple hanging folder for all the materials included in the project. In fact, you should be keeping, not only the latest materials and drafts, but your notes and previous drafts, as well.

These manilla folders with multiple tab sections are amazing. I've tried other folders that include project sections, but these are much less cumbersome.

2. A project planning sheet is, in essence, a glorified task manager. I develop one for every project I pursue, even if I'm still not 100% sure if the project is going to make through to submission. Sometimes, because of timing or other interferences, we must make choices about what projects we develop. These project planning sheets allow you to place projects in 'purgatory' without losing any work you've already done until you let them go, or until you can come back to them later.

If you are interested in using my version of a project planning sheet, head on over to the Printables page on this blog for a free pdf.

Intellectual Management:

3. Honor your ideas, thoughts, and mental processes. Always keep a notepad or something to write with on your person at all times. No idea, no thought is insignificant. You can sift through these at a later time, but as you write them down, you'll find that, added together, these little thoughts can lead to big revelations.

4. Block out your time, but be realistic. I know that it takes me, on average, about 15 minutes in the morning to get into my 'zone.' In the evening, I know it takes even longer. Don't try to cram an entire day's worth of work into an hour-long period. If you're strapped for time, choose to tackle tasks that fit the timeframe.

The bottom line is, you should know where you've been, where you are, and where you're going on each and every project you have going at any point in time. Color code these projects onto a master calendar for added accountability. But always keep your project planner and your notes updated.

For other writing tips, check out the other posts on this blog and head over to my Pinterest page for writers (on the right column of this page).

Happy writing!