I'm curious how you structure your time/energy between all the things relevant to your writing life that aren't typing words on the screen. Specifically, how we know it's time to attend conferences or join associations like WPA, WFWA. I'm now convinced we have to "act as if we're ready" before we get a book deal (or this is my impression - I promise your book is in my TBR so apologies if you've said this or have said the opposite!), but/and as people who have all the things you mention (sick parents, kids, jobs), even once we give over more and more of ourselves to this pursuit, I'm struggling to figure out which things within this general pursuit get my time and attention.
Oh, one more thing. Maybe you can't answer it, but I'm curious if you - or any other readers here- have thoughts about friends. I'm an introvert and I like people, with a preference for one-on-one vs a big group. I'm involved at my kids' school (in what I perceive as a meaningful way with boundaries). Some people want more of me than is available, especially in group settings (e.g., moms' night out). I have a long-distance bff to whom I speak on the phone weekly and an in-town bff I try to see on weekends with our families. I feel full/sated. And yet, I also feel like I'm often turning down lunch, a spontaneous play date, hours to do things I genuinely like with people I genuinely like and respect. I recognize this is 'good' problem, but if you have comments on showing up for your community and protecting our time as creatives - I'm all ears.
I have a question about when your 'day job'/your non creative writing life is also intellectually and emotionally taxing. I'm a single mom and so have had to be good at time management. What really has begun to hit home as I get older (I'm 46) is that making space for my creative life is not just about setting aside time, which I know how to do, but about having emotionally recovered and recharged from other demands (for me, teaching and other work responsibilities) so that I have enough internal leisure to show up to the page. It's like I know how to make the hours, but struggle with the internal space. Hoping that makes sense. Thank you!
Thanks for opening comments to free subscribers today. I’m currently re-reading Before and After the Book Deal. (Third time!) I am a “before” person and the book is super inspiring.
I’m considering signing up for the time management class but not sure if it’s a fit because I DO have time to spare; it’s energy I’m lacking. As in, when I get time, I’m so exhausted from work and chronic health fatigue and brain fog that I’m useless. I’m not sure if my issue is time management or energy management or some magic mash-up of both.
And having chronic health issues means advice involving getting less sleep is a hard no for me.
Do you think the class would be a fit? No worries if not—the blurb doesn’t promise to address any of this, so I don’t expect it, but want to check. Thanks.
Great topic! I LOVE that your class is focused on people recognizing what works for them. That really is the only effective time management approach, from what I have seen.
I've been coaching writers on this for 24 years and what I have learned is that commitment + flexibility is what works in the long haul. It took me 19 years😮 to realize that setting up a schedule "I'll write on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:00 - 10:00" rarely sticks longer than 2-3 weeks. Every week is different, or as I like to say, The Shit Will Hit the Fan. The biggest strength we need to cultivate is getting back into the writing flow with little drag or self-recrimination.
My commitment now is one hour on weekdays and Friday mornings for a mini writing retreat of 2 hours. My goal to get another draft done by April 11 helps me stick with it and flow when the specific times don't work. If I don't make a session, I ask myself, when will you make up this time? The flexibility - yesterday I was just too tired to get in an hour of focus. I got about 30 minutes in. That counts, and I accept that as a win.
Okay, blah blah, enough about me and what I have learned.
My question is about content calendar creation. I've used them to varying levels of success. I am setting up my content calendar for my novel's Substack in Notion now.
How do you keep a sense of freshness about your ideas if you don't write them right away?
Do you use categories for your topics to stay organized and how does that help you?
Do you use software or just a plain ole scribbled list?
Thanks, Courtney. Your classes look great and I will attend the ones I am available for!
Thoughts on how to juggle writing goals with careers with chronic illness? In good weeks, I work all week (academic) and stick to my weekend morning writing habit. But the writing is what goes out the window first when I get sick. So far, I just try to have grace with myself. There's only so many spoons. But if you have any tips or insight I'd love to hear.
Oh I am here for this! My questions (challenges) that we can talk about in class:
- Do you have tips for people (like me) who feel paralyzed in the headlights of a much too long To Do list and will welcome the distractions of work/childcare/Instagram/anything to relieve the anxiety of tackling tasks?
- And maybe this is a harder question: Let's talk about self-worth when it comes to making time for yourself and your practice. Do we feel entitled to taking this time to write or make art? Do we feel we deserve it?
So many of these comments and responses are validating! I want to give a special shout out to Courtney for acknowledging caring for a sick and/or aging pet. Fortunately I'm not in that situation currently but have been and it's really hard and sad.
Oof. Where to begin. New mom working in tech dodging the layoff gauntlet while trying to become an author over here!
For those of us with only small increments of time to write, do you have any recommendations for how to maximize that time? Sometimes I struggle to immerse myself in the scene before the time is up.
Second, how do you divvy up time between revisions and starting a new project? I'm feeling torn on where to dedicate my time.
Would love to hear your thoughts on how motherhood has changed your writing/work schedule! I love my dedicated/regular practice and am terrified how babies will change it (and exactly what to ask for from my partner to support me on that)
Love this topic, which has been a major focus of my year and goals thus far. I have enjoyed reading through the comments here about where others are at...so many relatable struggles and good questions. I just signed up for the 2/28 masterclass, can't wait!
A few things I'm looking forward to and/or would love to see covered
*This idea of a "content calendar" -- how you define that, what program/framework you use, etc... I tend to burn out when I set goals that are too lofty or time specific and tend to do better working off an overall "list" of things I hope to knock out that day/week month, and getting in even a little time at my desk most days. BUT - I want to be less "last-minute" when it comes to things like what I'm going to write about for my next Substack etc... I often wait for inspiration to strike when I'm down to the wire, which can be good or bad. : )
*Splitting time between projects in various stages (e.g. edits for agent vs keeping momentum going with new WIP)
*Micro vs Macro goal-setting in regards to how we view our time and fill our calendars
*Wanting to be a good literary citizen but also knowing when to say no (e.g. I've stopped eagerly offering to review query letters for every querying newbie I cross paths with, because I need to better protect my time, though I WANT to be able to help others in this way and feel I'm good at it.)
Adding--I've recently been pursuing co-working dates with friends where we meet up and each work on whatever we're doing, and also have been doing some Zoom online writing dates (WFWA has a robust calendar for this--free for members!). Both have been wonderful motivational tools for me as I am someone who thrives on accountability and struggles with discipline/making the most of my time when no one is watching. :)
So looking forward to next week's class and conversation!
I’ve had a long career as a personal growth writer with a biz around that work and also a biz coaching writers. I’ll be querying my first novel early next year 🤞and trying to gauge how much time to spend on nudging my platform toward the novel. I’ve been getting a lot of different advice about effort and trying to gauge how much time to spend on it.
I'd love to know your advice for how much time to dedicate to the querying process. I've done two rounds of 10-15 agents each and am gearing up for a third round (with the goal of about 6 weeks in-between each round). Should I be sending more queries at a faster pace? I want to make sure the letters I'm sending are personalized and it takes me hours to find agents that I feel are a legitimate good fit for my work.
I got actual rejection letters from the 1st round but the 2nd round...crickets. I know this is par for the course but it's honestly deflating and makes it difficult for me to find the motivation to send out more letters when I could be investing that time and effort into my Substack, or creating community in real time.
Thoughts on juggling this part of writing with other writing endeavors? Should I go all in or keep slogging away?
I'm using a good old Excel spreadsheet for word count while drafting my novel and an Excel workbook as a content calendar for my history Substack. Is there a better tool for content that's not Scrivener? (We aren't well-matched)
Hi Courtney, I have a full time job as a journalist and I have a book coming out in August (my second book but first novel). While I'm very grateful for the both in my life, my journalism job (editor for a wine mag) is totally unrelated to my book (literary fiction). I know from last time that the next six months will be super busy (and last time I didn't have a FT job!). Do you have any advice on juggling FT work and launching a book? Or resources I can turn to if I'm time poor but have a bit of disposable income to invest in making it all work? Thank you so much for everything you do!
Do anticipate ever plan to offer Turning Points retreats at different times in the year, like during the summer or spring break? I'd love to apply, but I'm a teacher and can't take a week off during October. All the other districts in my area get a fall break, but mine doesn't!
I'm curious how you structure your time/energy between all the things relevant to your writing life that aren't typing words on the screen. Specifically, how we know it's time to attend conferences or join associations like WPA, WFWA. I'm now convinced we have to "act as if we're ready" before we get a book deal (or this is my impression - I promise your book is in my TBR so apologies if you've said this or have said the opposite!), but/and as people who have all the things you mention (sick parents, kids, jobs), even once we give over more and more of ourselves to this pursuit, I'm struggling to figure out which things within this general pursuit get my time and attention.
Oh, one more thing. Maybe you can't answer it, but I'm curious if you - or any other readers here- have thoughts about friends. I'm an introvert and I like people, with a preference for one-on-one vs a big group. I'm involved at my kids' school (in what I perceive as a meaningful way with boundaries). Some people want more of me than is available, especially in group settings (e.g., moms' night out). I have a long-distance bff to whom I speak on the phone weekly and an in-town bff I try to see on weekends with our families. I feel full/sated. And yet, I also feel like I'm often turning down lunch, a spontaneous play date, hours to do things I genuinely like with people I genuinely like and respect. I recognize this is 'good' problem, but if you have comments on showing up for your community and protecting our time as creatives - I'm all ears.
I have a question about when your 'day job'/your non creative writing life is also intellectually and emotionally taxing. I'm a single mom and so have had to be good at time management. What really has begun to hit home as I get older (I'm 46) is that making space for my creative life is not just about setting aside time, which I know how to do, but about having emotionally recovered and recharged from other demands (for me, teaching and other work responsibilities) so that I have enough internal leisure to show up to the page. It's like I know how to make the hours, but struggle with the internal space. Hoping that makes sense. Thank you!
Thanks for opening comments to free subscribers today. I’m currently re-reading Before and After the Book Deal. (Third time!) I am a “before” person and the book is super inspiring.
I’m considering signing up for the time management class but not sure if it’s a fit because I DO have time to spare; it’s energy I’m lacking. As in, when I get time, I’m so exhausted from work and chronic health fatigue and brain fog that I’m useless. I’m not sure if my issue is time management or energy management or some magic mash-up of both.
And having chronic health issues means advice involving getting less sleep is a hard no for me.
Do you think the class would be a fit? No worries if not—the blurb doesn’t promise to address any of this, so I don’t expect it, but want to check. Thanks.
Great topic! I LOVE that your class is focused on people recognizing what works for them. That really is the only effective time management approach, from what I have seen.
I've been coaching writers on this for 24 years and what I have learned is that commitment + flexibility is what works in the long haul. It took me 19 years😮 to realize that setting up a schedule "I'll write on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:00 - 10:00" rarely sticks longer than 2-3 weeks. Every week is different, or as I like to say, The Shit Will Hit the Fan. The biggest strength we need to cultivate is getting back into the writing flow with little drag or self-recrimination.
My commitment now is one hour on weekdays and Friday mornings for a mini writing retreat of 2 hours. My goal to get another draft done by April 11 helps me stick with it and flow when the specific times don't work. If I don't make a session, I ask myself, when will you make up this time? The flexibility - yesterday I was just too tired to get in an hour of focus. I got about 30 minutes in. That counts, and I accept that as a win.
Okay, blah blah, enough about me and what I have learned.
My question is about content calendar creation. I've used them to varying levels of success. I am setting up my content calendar for my novel's Substack in Notion now.
How do you keep a sense of freshness about your ideas if you don't write them right away?
Do you use categories for your topics to stay organized and how does that help you?
Do you use software or just a plain ole scribbled list?
Thanks, Courtney. Your classes look great and I will attend the ones I am available for!
Thoughts on how to juggle writing goals with careers with chronic illness? In good weeks, I work all week (academic) and stick to my weekend morning writing habit. But the writing is what goes out the window first when I get sick. So far, I just try to have grace with myself. There's only so many spoons. But if you have any tips or insight I'd love to hear.
Oh I am here for this! My questions (challenges) that we can talk about in class:
- Do you have tips for people (like me) who feel paralyzed in the headlights of a much too long To Do list and will welcome the distractions of work/childcare/Instagram/anything to relieve the anxiety of tackling tasks?
- And maybe this is a harder question: Let's talk about self-worth when it comes to making time for yourself and your practice. Do we feel entitled to taking this time to write or make art? Do we feel we deserve it?
So many of these comments and responses are validating! I want to give a special shout out to Courtney for acknowledging caring for a sick and/or aging pet. Fortunately I'm not in that situation currently but have been and it's really hard and sad.
Oof. Where to begin. New mom working in tech dodging the layoff gauntlet while trying to become an author over here!
For those of us with only small increments of time to write, do you have any recommendations for how to maximize that time? Sometimes I struggle to immerse myself in the scene before the time is up.
Second, how do you divvy up time between revisions and starting a new project? I'm feeling torn on where to dedicate my time.
Would love to hear your thoughts on how motherhood has changed your writing/work schedule! I love my dedicated/regular practice and am terrified how babies will change it (and exactly what to ask for from my partner to support me on that)
Love this topic, which has been a major focus of my year and goals thus far. I have enjoyed reading through the comments here about where others are at...so many relatable struggles and good questions. I just signed up for the 2/28 masterclass, can't wait!
A few things I'm looking forward to and/or would love to see covered
*This idea of a "content calendar" -- how you define that, what program/framework you use, etc... I tend to burn out when I set goals that are too lofty or time specific and tend to do better working off an overall "list" of things I hope to knock out that day/week month, and getting in even a little time at my desk most days. BUT - I want to be less "last-minute" when it comes to things like what I'm going to write about for my next Substack etc... I often wait for inspiration to strike when I'm down to the wire, which can be good or bad. : )
*Splitting time between projects in various stages (e.g. edits for agent vs keeping momentum going with new WIP)
*Micro vs Macro goal-setting in regards to how we view our time and fill our calendars
*Wanting to be a good literary citizen but also knowing when to say no (e.g. I've stopped eagerly offering to review query letters for every querying newbie I cross paths with, because I need to better protect my time, though I WANT to be able to help others in this way and feel I'm good at it.)
Adding--I've recently been pursuing co-working dates with friends where we meet up and each work on whatever we're doing, and also have been doing some Zoom online writing dates (WFWA has a robust calendar for this--free for members!). Both have been wonderful motivational tools for me as I am someone who thrives on accountability and struggles with discipline/making the most of my time when no one is watching. :)
So looking forward to next week's class and conversation!
I’ve had a long career as a personal growth writer with a biz around that work and also a biz coaching writers. I’ll be querying my first novel early next year 🤞and trying to gauge how much time to spend on nudging my platform toward the novel. I’ve been getting a lot of different advice about effort and trying to gauge how much time to spend on it.
It’s making me a little crazy. 😵💫
I'd love to know your advice for how much time to dedicate to the querying process. I've done two rounds of 10-15 agents each and am gearing up for a third round (with the goal of about 6 weeks in-between each round). Should I be sending more queries at a faster pace? I want to make sure the letters I'm sending are personalized and it takes me hours to find agents that I feel are a legitimate good fit for my work.
I got actual rejection letters from the 1st round but the 2nd round...crickets. I know this is par for the course but it's honestly deflating and makes it difficult for me to find the motivation to send out more letters when I could be investing that time and effort into my Substack, or creating community in real time.
Thoughts on juggling this part of writing with other writing endeavors? Should I go all in or keep slogging away?
I'm using a good old Excel spreadsheet for word count while drafting my novel and an Excel workbook as a content calendar for my history Substack. Is there a better tool for content that's not Scrivener? (We aren't well-matched)
lol fully hoping the time management class will change my life. And since you’re a pro, how to manage fatigue is an issue for me.
Also:
Time management for someone with an erratic schedule.
Finding motivation for unpleasant, but necessary tasks.
When to delegate and outsource.
Social media addiction sucking time.
Any useful automations you’ve discovered.
I also really love learning and sometimes I just want to learn all day instead of doing more important work.
Hi Courtney, I have a full time job as a journalist and I have a book coming out in August (my second book but first novel). While I'm very grateful for the both in my life, my journalism job (editor for a wine mag) is totally unrelated to my book (literary fiction). I know from last time that the next six months will be super busy (and last time I didn't have a FT job!). Do you have any advice on juggling FT work and launching a book? Or resources I can turn to if I'm time poor but have a bit of disposable income to invest in making it all work? Thank you so much for everything you do!
Do anticipate ever plan to offer Turning Points retreats at different times in the year, like during the summer or spring break? I'd love to apply, but I'm a teacher and can't take a week off during October. All the other districts in my area get a fall break, but mine doesn't!