I keep skipping the check-ins because I feel like I’m not making much writing progress. I did get some words in earlier in the week, so I’m feeling good about that. But I need to be writing at least five days a week.
Here’s my dilemma, and maybe y’all can give me some advice. I do line editing for a few different authors, and I feel obligated to work on that FIRST. I have deadlines for them, and I want to make sure I meet those deadlines, and honestly, I like to get it done BEFORE the deadlines. I always put my clients before my own writing. One reason is they pay me better than Amazon. LOL. The other reason is that I’ve always tended to put others before myself. What I need to do, I think, is set aside a certain time for clients and a certain time for me. The problem is, after I work all day, it’s hard to have the energy to do both. One thing that helps me a little bit is that I do a lot of editing during my lunch hour. I usually still have a lot of energy at that time.
So…suggestions on being more productive?
Btw, Ruth, I promise I’m not complaining! 😛
lauralynnelliott.com 
LOL I know you’re not complaining. 🙂 Hmm… Well, I don’t know what the answer is for the other authors you edit for, but I have no trouble if you need to extend a deadline as long as I have 15 business days to upload the final version of the book since I do pre-orders. I know Smashwords will give me 10 (and for all I know, they might accept weekends). But I like getting things in a little early just to have a buffer. Also, if you just can’t make the time to finish it, you can send me what you were able to get to, and I’ll pay on for the work you did on it. If you can’t fit me in at all, just let me know you can’t work on that particular book but will be able to do my next one, or whatever.
Honestly, I’m flexible. I’m going to work with my totally awesome editor! I don’t want to lose you. 🙂
Your writing needs to take a prominent slot because this is something you want to do longterm, and it’s best if you can keep getting more books out there. I don’t think anyone can begrudge you the right to write your own books. If they do, they’re not the kind of author you want to be editing.
Thanks for you kind words! Honestly, I would give up every one of my clients if I had to in order to keep you. 🙂 I really don’t have that many, it’s just that they always need editing at the same time I’m doing one of yours. LOL. You and I have had an awesome business relationship, and I feel like you’re also a true friend. How can you beat that? 🙂
I feel like when I get this other book off my plate and am editing JUST yours, I’ll have more time to write. Plus, I’m trying to find ways to organize my time and still have some “me” time. If I don’t take a break every once in awhile, I’ll go nuts. Last night, I went to Bare Minerals and got a makeover. I was trying to determine what foundation color I really needed. I got the works! I took a friend with me, and she ended up doing the same thing. My friend is stretched even thinner than I am, so we both needed it. We ended up staying until 9:00 and then went to eat. I was up way past my bedtime. But you know what? Now I feel energized and ready to take on the world. So maybe I wasn’t taking enough breaks. Maybe I would be more productive when I AM working if I do something I really want to do every once in awhile. I think the key is balance.
It’s tough fitting everything in, especially while holding down a full-time job. I don’t do editing, but I did work with two critique partners for several years and I did line editing on their submissions. I used to do that during the week (mostly lunch hours) and then reserved the weekend for my own writing. Sunday afternoons I try to dedicate 4-6 hours of writing time for my own work. That’s usually the only time I work on my WIPs. Like you said….when I come home after a full day on the job, I just don’t have the energy to tackle writing.
It really is tough, isn’t it? I really think I do need to set aside either times or days for editing and different ones for writing. Saturday is the day I have the most time. Sundays are hard because I have church both in the morning and in the evening. I do try to make use of those lunch hours unless I have errands I have to run. I’m so much more alert earlier in the day. I should have just gotten up to write this morning when my dog woke me at 4:00 am wanting to go out. LOL
It sounds like you’ve got a really full schedule all week, Lauralynn. It helps me to have a set time to write, and I’m pretty disciplined about sticking to that scheduled, but even then real intrudes. Oh to be retired and have more time to write, LOL!
I do this too with my website maintenance “work.” It’s so easy to push the things I need to do for others ahead of what I need to get done on my writing. I’ve been trying to set time aside in the mornings just for writing, maybe only an hour. That way even if I end up not coming back to it until 11pm, I’ve gotten something done for me.
I really need to start scheduling writing time just like I would schedule a client.