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!

3 Ways to Confront Writer's Fatigue

Let's be real.

Some days, it is really really difficult to get anything done, let alone work that gives you anxiety for one reason or another. 

If you are like me, you are often pulled in different directions because your curiosity gets the best of you. I love to learn and I love to get involved in activities and groups that I find interesting. My problem is, I don't know when to put on the breaks.

It is absolutely insane for me to be working on a dissertation (remotely), a full-length novel, personal essays for magazine publication, and consultant research.

But I am. 

And you know what?

I'm producing the work that I need to produce. I am completing projects of which I am proud. And I very much enjoy the writing process. So while I can't say that I am always in love with all aspects of what I do, I can say that the privilege of writing, of making the written word a central part of what I give to the world, gets me out of bed and in my office when my anxiety and frustration are maxed out.

Starting my work day with a bowl of coffee and the cover of my novel on my desktop. I don't work on my novel every single day, but having this cover on my desktop never fails to inspire me to keep going.

Not everyone is great at multi-tasking. I actually don't consider myself a multi-tasker. I consider myself well equipped to compartmentalize, at least with regard to intellectual and writing pursuits. But if I had a dime for each day that I struggled to move beyond feelings of anxiety, despair, frustration, and even fear with regard to my writing projects, I would be able to concentrate on nothing but finishing my novel. In a large cabin. By a lake. With room service.

Here are three ways that I deal with writer's fatigue. I hope they are useful to you, or at least provoke your own thoughts regarding how you might better manage whatever obstacles keep you from enjoying your writer's life:

1) It really is, honestly, okay to say no. I still struggle with this statement. Saying no, from my perspective, means missing out on opportunities for myself, as well as opportunities to help others. But what I have learned is the more I say 'yes,' the more I forget meetings and deadlines, the more stress I put on my personal relationships, and the lower the quality of my work.

2) You do you, even when others don't quite get it. This is not to say that you shouldn't take into consideration the constructive criticism you are bound to get. I live for constructive criticism, probably to a fault. I've had to learn that, not only is it okay to stick to your guns, so to speak, but in doing so, you're not just producing material, you are producing material that is uniquely you and, therefore, value added to the world.

3) Allow yourself to dream and get excited about your dreams. Everyone has seen those tag lines that implore us to 'follow your dreams.' My father always reminded me that dreams are just dreams unless you turn them into goals. This is true. But if you don't allow yourself to think beyond your measurable goals, you run the risk of losing the energy and excitement that led you to those goals in the first place.

For more tips for writers, check out the other posts on this blog, or visit my Write. Just Write. Pinterest board.

Happy writing!