Time Management

Best-seller Debbi Mack gave me some great advice here recently, saying the secret to success in the writing, publishing, and promoting game is time managment. She's so right.

With a full-time job and a family, my writing time is spotty and limited. For the last month I've neglected it, because I've been pushing the release of my first novel and had my very first signing, which was a group signing for the Fungi horror anthology.

So my book was released ten days ago, and I've been doing a lot to get the word out. Takes an awesome commitment, and more time and energy than I can muster some nights. And as a writer, I have to keep writing, not just rely on works already done.

So last night, disgusted with my lack of new output for weeks, I buckled down and wrote 1100 good words of Book 3 of the Zack Taylor series. Felt rather good.

And tonight, I just finished a little more than a page of a new story, as I got the killer idea on the way to work.

But, as Debbi says, you have to block out time for both writing AND promotion every day. She does it, and does damn well at it-- she's got a Best Seller! I'm in awe of what she's accomplished with her work.

And here's the funny part-- she thinks I'm a hard worker! Wow- I don't feel like I'm doing enough of all the right (and write) things. I need to focus my efforts more efficiently. Truth is, I'm pretty damn tired after a long day of work and all the other stuff that needs to get done, so some days it's hard to push through and be creative, optimistic, and efficient.

But it's what ya gotta do if you're going to make it. Seems like success is in a box at the bottom of a huge pit filled with earth and large, heavy stones. To reach the box, you have to dig it out, shovelful by painful shovelful. Most people give it up before they reach it, because it's hard, dirty work, day after day, year-in and year-out.

I can finally see the box. A lot of work yet, but I'm digging as fast as I can, while still keeping the rest of my life together.