What Counts as Writing Time?
August 9th 2010 12:59
When creating and following a writing schedule, you must also decide what to include in your writing time. This will vary greatly depending on the kinds of writing that you do. For a writer of non-fiction or even historical novels, research is so essential to writing that it takes up writing time. For a high fantasy writer, worldbuilding is essential so it takes up writing time. For a blogger, sometimes even things like email are part of 'writing time'.
I have two different kinds of writing time: fiction writing time and blogging time. My fiction writing time is divided into worldbuilding, plot building, editing, and writing various short stories and novels. Blogging time is divided into writing posts, responding to comments, preparing workshops, and brainstorming. I've also started setting aside time for my other website and its blog.
For the next week, track the things you ordinarily do during your writing time. Decide which ones are unnecessary distractions-talking on MSN or Facebook, checking non writing related emails, reading books that aren't for research of some kind-and which ones are essential to your work-writing a chapter of your novel, filling in important background for your world or characters, or proof reading your final draft.
Try to find another time to do things like socialize online, play computer games, and read for enjoyment. Then take all the important things like research, worldbuilding, writing, and editing, and give them each a time slot. You can organize your time in hours or in days. If you have a lot of hours to spend on your writing, you can spend an hour a day on each important aspect of your writing, or work on several different stories. If you only have one hour each day, then you might work on writing a story one day and editing the next and so on.
Because my schedule is so fluid-just a goal of writing for one hour every day-I've decided not to schedule my days either. I have however decided that I would like to spend two hours a week working on my blogs and three hours a week working on my fiction. Since it takes half an hour for me to write the average blog post, my goal is to consistently write two posts a week on each of my blog for the next six weeks. I do hope to eventually increase the amount of time I spend writing, but I'm starting small and working my way to the top.
Write down your schedule somewhere where you will see it every day, and give yourself a check mark-and a pat on the back-every time you follow your schedule for a day.
I have two different kinds of writing time: fiction writing time and blogging time. My fiction writing time is divided into worldbuilding, plot building, editing, and writing various short stories and novels. Blogging time is divided into writing posts, responding to comments, preparing workshops, and brainstorming. I've also started setting aside time for my other website and its blog.
For the next week, track the things you ordinarily do during your writing time. Decide which ones are unnecessary distractions-talking on MSN or Facebook, checking non writing related emails, reading books that aren't for research of some kind-and which ones are essential to your work-writing a chapter of your novel, filling in important background for your world or characters, or proof reading your final draft.
Try to find another time to do things like socialize online, play computer games, and read for enjoyment. Then take all the important things like research, worldbuilding, writing, and editing, and give them each a time slot. You can organize your time in hours or in days. If you have a lot of hours to spend on your writing, you can spend an hour a day on each important aspect of your writing, or work on several different stories. If you only have one hour each day, then you might work on writing a story one day and editing the next and so on.
Because my schedule is so fluid-just a goal of writing for one hour every day-I've decided not to schedule my days either. I have however decided that I would like to spend two hours a week working on my blogs and three hours a week working on my fiction. Since it takes half an hour for me to write the average blog post, my goal is to consistently write two posts a week on each of my blog for the next six weeks. I do hope to eventually increase the amount of time I spend writing, but I'm starting small and working my way to the top.
Write down your schedule somewhere where you will see it every day, and give yourself a check mark-and a pat on the back-every time you follow your schedule for a day.
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Comment by ski guy
Skiing Reviews
Bargain Value
skiingreviews.net
EL CHEAPO
PRO DEATH POLITICIANS
Yet another thoughtful post from your
keyboard regarding cataloging writing
time.
Let us not forget though, the importance
of feeding your creative mind by reading
both fictional and nonfictional works by
others, particularly classical literature.
Reading exercises the brain as opposed
to television which tends to dull it.
Keep up the great work and enthusiasm
for the craft!
Comment by RedParrot
Regarding what counts as writing ... when I'm writing fanfic, I try to do a chapter a week. This summer - I have abandoned fanfic for weekly fiction ... which is an upgrade since this is all orginal characters and work (whereas fanfic is mostly pre-existing characters). I've been doing a drawing/writing blog and a running blog. Running blog x3/week, drawing x1/3weeks or so.
I also write at work (reports, powerpoints, e-mails) - while not the "good stuff" ie fiction, it is writing none-the-less and I regularly have to remind myself that words on a page are always words on a page, no matter what the subject. It was a revelation to me when I was told in no uncertain terms that this is so. It was like a light went on in my head. Oh. Yeah ... writing is writing ... so I pay much closer attention to work writing and know that I am practicing, learning and crafting. I think the biggest thing I practice at work is ... ah ... how to build an argument. Construction is critical to getting to a point, selling an idea or swaying an audience. One of my favourite genres is mystery fiction and "order of operation" is critical there, too.
As always, looking forward to tomorrow's prompt. : )
Cheers!
RP
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
Reading is very important, at least as important as writing. That said, reading shouldn't-unless it is research of one form or another-count as part of writing time. A serious writer, in my opinion, should make an entirely separate commitment to writing-whether that be an hour a day, a chapter a day, or a few blog posts each day. I'll be writing more about that later this week.
~Dianna
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
I have similar reading, usually with two books in progress-something light or at least completely fictional for time in transit, and something heavier or non-fiction for reading at home. I'm also building a list of writing books that I would like to read. I need to go to the library tomorrow or the next day to pick out another book for reading at home because I currently only have one in progress, but I'd like to catch up on some blogs first.
I really like the writing commitment you've made and I think for someone not seeking professional publication that it's excellent. I'm glad that you've spread your wings a bit and stretched yourself from fanfiction to original fiction and I think you've got a great cast of characters to work in in Elgin's world. I've quite enjoyed reading your work and conversing with you about writing and I look forward to many more.
Writing is writing and that's something I've really learned through school and through Nanowriye. Though I spend a lot less time editing my essays and such for school than I do editing even my short stories, I know that the practice of writing essays does help me learn to get my point across more concisely. Though there are many important factors in non fiction writing that do not exist in fiction writing and vice ver sa, both kinds of writing help you develop your skill especially with things like grammar.
Have you written any murder mysteries?
~Dianna
Comment by RedParrot
Yes ... I have written 2 proper mysteries. Each one was a nano-effort. Second one is much better (more sophisticated) than the first. It seems the way I learn is to do EVERYTHING wrong, see it as wrong and then *know* in real-time what to avoid the next time I do it. Thus #2 >>#1.
I'm thinking about the next nano and have some ideas about which character is murdered and circs surrounding it. Lots of fun and something to think about when I'm training on my long runs. : )
Love the latest prompt ... : )
Cheers!
RP
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
Learning by experience is key for any writer. As much as you can learn a lot from a variety of writing books, there's a lot that you can't learn from books too. A lot of writing can only be learned by applying butt to chair and fingers to keyboard. Writing books are great but they won't give you all the answers.
Nano seems a thousand years away for me. There's so much that I meant to get done this summer that hasn't happened yet. And there's so much to do before contemplating Nanowrimo, even though it's right around the corner. I know absolutely nothing about the Nanos that I'll be writing this November except that it would be kind of cool to try a new genre. Everything's still up in the air.
I wanted to do Augno but I can't seem to access the Augno forums and I'm wondering about that. We'll see...
And as always glad you like the prompt.
Thanks for reading,
~Dianna
Comment by Sam Uretsky
Random Mumblers Table
On one side, it's not appropriate to limit myself to time when my fingers are actually on the keyboard, but there are also period when I'm playing computer games -- and yet I do find the games a useful refresher. Do you have any advice on how to estimate time ethically?
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
When I am working on something with a goal or pay-getting paid by the hour or participating in something like Edmo, where your goal is hours-I usually count half the time I spend doing related things that aren't actually the work itself. It's similar to how I count half of my planning and half of my rewrites in my WriYe and various monthly goals.
Computer games, while a useful refresher, aren't actually related to your project-most likely at least-and therefore I wouldn't include them unless it's 15 minutes at the end of an hour rounding off the hour. Research and planning on the other hand does count for pay.
It's entirely up to you how you do it but I would suggest either not counting anything that isn't related or only counting half of it. It all depends on your personal comfort and your personal ethics.
~Dianna