Productivity and Organization Tips for Writers

This week we’re talking about the nuts and bolts of productivity: not inspiration, but actual aids to being productive. Without some way of organizing your writing life, you will quickly feel lost in a swamp of Writing Stuff: where are all the versions of my chapters? My character notes? My research? How do I organize my submissions? How do I figure out what to work on every day? You say having a writing habit it essential – how to track it?

The trick, my friend, is systems. If you go too long without putting a system in place, it will become too overwhelming to tackle later on. However, no time is ever too late, so read on to find out what has worked for me, and other writers.

            Tracking your work-in-progress (WIP):

I use Microsoft Word. I know, boring, right? But all I need is a way to make folders and subfolders, and a way to access them wherever I am (I save everything to Dropbox). I have folders for Characters and Research and even Architecture - anything useful for my project. Some of these are mostly links to web pages. Some include cut-and-paste, and my own notes. I can access everything in a flash without having to open another program. I also have folders for Draft 1, Draft 2, etc. (I’m currently on Draft 6 of my current WIP). Within that, I have Chapter 1, Chapter 1a, Chapter 1b, etc. labeled so I always have all previous drafts, knowing the latest alphabetized one is the most recent. When I compile my manuscript, I might have Chapter 1e, Chapter 2c, Chapter 3a, and so on. But if I need to go back and insert an earlier version, I know where it is. The good news is that each successive draft has fewer documents. I also have the all-important Miscellaneous Scenes doc. That is where bits and pieces go that get yanked from the main WIP but that I can’t let go of (i.e., all my “darlings” I have to kill). You can have as many folders and documents as you want, and label them however you want, but when it comes to labeling simplest is best. You don’t want to be wondering what “robots_tea_island.doc” is.

Of course, there are lots of other organizing apps out there, Evernote and Scrivener being two of the most popular for writers. Caveat: they cost money (the Evernote Basic plan is free, but it is, well, basic). Try them for free, and see if you like them. If not, don’t worry. They’re cool, but they can also be overwhelming. With Evernote basic, you can organize all your research – snap web pages, makes notes and lists, and so on. A lot of writers love Scrivener. You can make a project outline, and access your research as you write, and make index cards with story notes as you go, and rearrange stuff easily. When it’s all done, you can export your document in a variety of formats, including ones suitable for self-publishing. However, it does have a learning curve for optimal use (or even sub-optimal use. I got a 30-day trial about five years ago, and still haven’t used up my 30 days). It just didn’t feel intuitive for me, more like a lot of work when I just want to write.   

            Submission tracking:

Here again, I go (reasonably) low-tech: An Excel or Google spreadsheet. I have columns for: agent name; agency; website and contact info; what to submit (query + 10? Query + 5 + synopsis?); any notes from my agent research about why I’m pitching to this particular agent; date submitted; expected response time; response; and notes (for feedback if they give it). So, it’s pretty thorough. I can see at a glance what the response patterns are, make sure I don’t submit to the same agent or agency twice, and most important, always know the next round of agents I’m pitching to. Again, this is all much easier to set up if you do it when you first start querying, instead of trying to cobble it together later on.

            Daily habit trackers:

There are oodles of them out there – search the Apple App Store or Google Play and download one that looks good to you. I like to keep it simple, just something where I can plug in my desired habits, then check off each day I succeed in doing it (I’ve used HabitBull for this). However, here too you can definitely go low-tech, I’m talking pen and paper. You can use a printed calendar, you can make a giant chart to hang on your wall, you can use a habit journal (make your own, or buy one online). It can be immensely satisfying to make a check mark each day you accomplish your writing goal. There’s a famous Jerry Seinfeld quote that says “just don’t break the chain.” Seeing the marks accumulate each day is even more satisfying. This year I have a habit journal, and it’s a place where I can write down main goals, break them down into doable steps, and see the results over days, weeks, and months. I use lots of colors to make it more interesting.

The main thing is: use what works for you. It’s great to get ideas from people, but productivity hacks are only motivating if they actually keep you writing. If one method doesn’t work for you, try another. Organization can feel like a huge challenge for creative people, but once you have systems in place, everything becomes a lot easier. You can spend your time and energy on your writing, not searching for information. And that is how a lot of small wins turns into a Big Win: a finished book.     

Have a productivity or organizational idea? Please share in the comments!