One week from today my kids go back to school!
For someone like me, that means I get to go back to work. I work at home, so when the kids are on vacation, they think I am on vacation as well. It definitely affects the amount of work I get done. Which got me thinking about how much I realistically can produce.
I am a schedule type of woman.
So when I write, I have to sit down and make out a schedule. As of Sept 1st, I will have exactly 6 months to write Trouble in the Tarot which is due March 1st. For me, that requires making a schedule. Normally I write 4 pages an hour. When the kids are in school, I write from 9:30 until 11:30, then take a one hour lunch break, then work again from 12:30 until 2:30. Boys get home at 2:30 unless they have sports.
If all goes perfectly, that's 16 pages a day (sometimes it doesn't if I need to brainstorm, etc.) so all in all I realistically shoot for 10 to 15 pages a day, with evenings and weekends off. That's 50 to 75 pages a week. My books are roughly 320 pages long. That means I can write a book in 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 months...and yes I have written books in as little as 4 weeks, but that's so not pretty or healthy.
Then I build in a couple weeks for polishing, so realistically I can "finish" a book in 2 to 4 months. That is IF I stick to my schedule and not have to resort to the writing marathons I am known for. This time I am determined to "stick to my schedule" no matter what.
Another tip, build in vacations, etc, right on your calendar. I keep my calendar right on my desk and write down the pages I am supposed to hit on that day. I build in doctors apt's, no school days, etc. That way I know exactly what I have to do.
Sept 1st falls on a Thursday, so I am going to use that Thurs and Fri to finish plotting out book three, and then start writing on Monday Sept 5th. That means in a perfect world, even if I take the full 4 months, I should be able to turn in book three on January 2nd. Although with Christmas in there, let's build in two extra weeks and make it January 16th. That's a whole month and a half early, which is what I need, because we all know I just might fall off the writing wagon at some point during that time frame :-) Either way, there will be no excuse not to meet my deadline come March 1st.
Which I need because we all know what comes after March 1st. 3 months of preparation for book two's launch in June! And trust me, people, there is no writing during promotion!
So wish me luck and keep me on track...I need it!
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4 comments:
So tell me, how much do you all produce? When do you write? Have you ever figured out just how much you realistically "can" write, during what time, on what days? If you do, then you know exactly how many pages per week you can write and roughly how long it takes you to finish a book :-)
Let's hear it, people, what kind of writer are you?
PS full time jobs are 8 hours a day. My writing is only 4 hours a day. That's part time and so doable. No excuses, people. Where there's a will, there's a way, so just do it!!!
Did you figure in Thanksgiving break and what about sick days-you and/or the kids.
I hope you can stick to the schedule
Oh shoot forgot thanksgiving. So Make that Feb 1st in all reality. Still one month early so it buys me time in case I do get sick :-)
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