It's That Time of Year Again...

Every December, I get in my Marie Kondo mode. Out with the old and in with the new. I always dread the cleanup, but it feels good to start the new year with a clean desk (even if it’s only temporary). Here are some of my organizational to-dos that help me get ready for the new year.

• I clean up my desk. It’s not as bad as the picture, but it’s cluttered. I always end up with tons of sticky notes all over the place.

• I put all the contacts in my database and all the appointments on my calendar.

• My photo collection always needs attention. I archive all of the current year’s photos to my external hard drive.

• It’s also time to clean up the email files and my saved documents. Don’t forget to clean out the Sent and Trash, too. The old stuff takes up space.

• And it’s tax time. I always procrastinate on the task of pulling all the tax information together. I set up files for the current year and close out the old one.

And if I’m still in an organizing mode, I might get around to the closets. (Or maybe not)

Happy New Year. I hope you have a safe and productive year.

What are you planning to do to get ready for 2024?

Daunting Tasks - Tips for Writers

We all have tasks that cause us to procrastinate. For me, editing is the hardest writing task. I have to figure out ways to keep myself motivated and focused. It never fails. I’m supposed to be updating a manuscript with edits, and then I’m off watching llama or cute dog videos. Here are some ideas when for those pesky, daunting tasks.

• Break huge, hairy tasks into smaller chunks. That way, you can see progress when you finish the smaller milestones.

• Reward yourself when you finish. I take a social media break after five chapters of editing. I get to switch gears for a minute, but I know that I’m also working on what I’m supposed to.

• Make lists and prioritize items that need to be done first. That way, you can schedule things that don’t have to be done right away. It doesn’t feel as daunting when you realize everything doesn’t have to be done right away.

• When I’m doing my not-so-favorite tasks, I make sure that I’m super comfy…warm socks, favorite pen, awesome playlist, and my favorite drink.

• If I don’t pay attention, paper, sticky notes, and copies of things pile up on my desk. I try to keep the loose paper under control weekly. If I don’t, then there’s a mountain of clutter which becomes its own challenge.

• Try to make a schedule for things you need to do on a routine basis (e.g. updating your website, checking your social media sites, answering emails, etc.) If you know you have a timeslot for that work, it becomes part of your normal routine. And like the mounds of paper, it’s much easier to tackle a little at a time.

Spring Cleaning! Tips for Authors

We’re having our upstairs painted this week, and we spent a lot of time moving things, pulling down pictures, and getting rid of stuff we don’t use any more. Since it’s that time of year, we may need to do some spring cleaning or purging in our offices and files. Here are some places to start…

1. Clean your work space on your desk. I found so much junk that was no longer needed (and about 50 sticky notes that were outdated).

2. Look at your bookcases. I cleaned out two shelves of old style guides and dictionaries. I sent a bunch of writing prompt books to the Friends of the Library.

3. Make sure that you’re backing up your files regularly. Your work is too valuable to lose.

4. Go through your graphics, pictures, and videos. Archive or delete what’s no longer needed. These take up a lot of storage space.

5. Remove duplicate files.

6. Go through your email contacts and purge any you don’t need.

7. Look through your favorites on your web browser and delete outdated ones or broken links.

8. Read through your author biography and update it.

9. Then check your website and social media sites. Update your photo and biography.

Getting it Together - Organizational Tips for Writers

How do you keep your writing projects organized? When you don't tame the details, chaos takes over (and I end up with way too many sticky notes stuck to my desk).

Writing/Book Details

1. I keep a Word table for each series I write. The first column contains all the characters and locations. Then the other columns represent books in the series. This helps me keep the details about each organized. I can also see if I overuse character names. And I can track which books characters appear in.

2. I create a Word document with blurb, synopsis, book links, and author biography for each book or anthology that I'm a part of. I make sure my website, press kit, and social media sites are updated with the new information. This document becomes my reference when someone wants the ISBN, number of pages, etc. 

3. I also keep a spreadsheet of ideas (e.g. character names, crimes, or cool locations). I can sort by the columns. And I know I have one place to go when I want to look up something. (Before, there were hundreds of sticky notes.)

Emails and Contacts

1. I create a subfolder in my email software for events, promotion, and business. I keep all critical emails in these folders for reference. I also make sure that receipts go immediately to the tax folder.

2. When I get someone's contact information, I write down when and where I met them. I try to transfer phone or business card contacts to my email contact list when I get them. 

3. Back up your email and phone contacts regularly. I'd be lost if I couldn't access them.

Social Media

1. My social media feeds are clogged with all kinds of posts, and I don't always see what I'm interested in. I make friend lists in Facebook and lists in Twitter. This help me to see a customized newsfeed of what I'm looking for.

Prizes and Book Swag

1. I have a section in my storage area for give-aways and swag. You never know when you need a prize or a gift. I can put together a nice swag bag in a matter of minutes.

2. I have notecards with my book covers on one side. I use these when I write thank you notes.

3. I keep a bag packed with pens, bookmarks, and books. It's all ready. I just need to grab it for the next event.

What else would you add to my list?

Making a List - Keeping Your Social Media Feeds Organized

After a while, your newsfeeds in Facebook and Twitter become jam-packed with updates from friends, pages you've liked, and promotions. And the social media sites are always tweaking their algorithms to adjust what you see.

There are groups of people that I like to keep up with so, I create lists in Facebook and Twitter to organize my newsfeeds. I like to see what members in my writing groups, critique groups, and anthologies are talking about. I group them in lists, and when I select to view it, I get all their latest posts in one place. My instructions for creating lists are from the web version of each of the social media sites. If you're using the application version, the links may be in different places.

For Facebook, open your personal site.  Look on the far left list of links and locate "Explore." Move down the list and click on Friend Lists. Click the Create List button. When the dialog box appears, name your list and add people. Save your list. The new list will appear under your "Friend Lists." Click it to see a newsfeed filled with posts from people you added.

To create a list in Twitter, click your photo in the upper right corner. When the drop-down appears, click Lists. The Lists page appears with all the lists that you're a part of. Click Create New List in the top right corner. Name your list and provide a description. Save it. You can add people to your list. Note, if you add someone to a list in Twitter, it appears on their updates page.

Twitter lists are fun. Others have added me to quite a few lists. I'm in one for redheads. Someone else created a Twitter list of "Heathers." It's neat to see what's out there. You do have the option to remove yourself from a list if you choose.

This is one way that I organize my social media time, so I can see the items that I'm looking for instead of wading through lots of other posts. Let's connect on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites. Drop me a line or add me to a list. I look forward to hearing from you.

Taming the Email Box

Email has been around for a while, but it seems to take over my life from time to time. I get about 400 emails a day among all my personal and work accounts. If I don't stay on top of them, they expand exponentially. Here are some ideas I use to control the chaos.

1. I have one home email address that I use when a company or website asks for an email address. I skim that inbox and delete the junk quickly.

2. I have one email that I use for my writing, publishing, and book promotion. I also have one that is for personal things like hair and doctor's appointment reminders. This helps me keep my life organized.

3. I create folders in my email program for emails I want to keep for reference. I have LOTS of folders (e.g. book events, book marketing, critique group, etc.). I make subfolders if needed. This helps me keep contacts with book events and reporters with news articles.

4. Only things that are not addressed stay in my inbox. Emails either gets deleted or filed.

5. If I receive a new contact, I add it immediately to my contact list - before it's lost.

6. I update my calendar immediately when things change.

7. If I need to keep my reply for some reason, I move a copy to its folder. When I'm booking events, this helps me remember details of proposals, recommendations, and confirmations.

8. I make sure to keep a copy of all contracts, royalty reports, and any other important documents.

9. I read and delete emails throughout the day on my phone. If there is something I need to address, I leave it in my inbox as a reminder. 

10. I also print all receipts for tax purposes when they arrive. This makes it easier at tax time.

What else would you add to the list?

Get Rid of the Blahs and Get Your Writing Life Organized

My living room and foyer look bare without all of the holiday decorations. It doesn't help that it's gray outside, and we're expecting a bunch of snow tonight. Winter is my fourth favorite season. It seems that January is the time that I start to count down to spring. It's just blah, and I want to hibernate.

You may be stuck inside, but there are lots of things you can do to get your writing life organized and kick start your creativity. Here are some ideas...

1. Clean off your desk. Get rid of the clutter, so you have a place to work.
2. After you clean up your desk, work on your electronic files. I bought an external hard drive, and it's where I store all of my archived photos. At the beginning of each year, I migrate last year's photos to free up space on my computer. And don't forget all the old photos on your phone.
3. Look at your blog, website, and social media sites. Do they need an update? It's a new year, and it's time for a new look. Nobody revisits a site with outdated content.
4. Look at your biography - especially on your social media sites. Is it current and consistent across your platform?
5. Organize your book marketing supplies. I designated shelves in my office closet. It's where my posters, flyers, bookmarks, prizes, and extra books live now. I'm all ready to go for my next event.
6. Make sure that you back up your electronic files regularly. It is devastating when you lose your work. There are lots of backup and storage options these days. Make an investment and ensure that your work is secure.
7. Look at your author photo. Is it current? It may be time for a new one. It surprises readers when you show up at an event, and you look fifteen years older than your photo.
8. Organize your calendar. I have way too many electronic calendars, and it was difficult to keep them all in synch. I bought a pocket calendar, and all my writing commitments go there.
9. Dig out an old project. We all have those files of unfinished work. Maybe it's time to give it a new life.

I hope you enjoy your weekend. Here in Central Virginia, we're expecting about eight inches of snow. It sounds like a writing weekend to me.

Fighting the Chaos - Organizational Tips for Writers

When my desk gets too cluttered, I have to stop and straighten it. For some reason, chaos creeps in when I'm writing. And I have to be able to find things. Here are some tips to help organize your writing life.

Calendars - Pick a calendar and use it regularly. I maintain the blog rotation for a couple of writing blogs. It's like herding cats sometimes when lots of folks are involved. My friend Tina Glasneck suggested Google Calendar, and it's been a lifesaver. I loaded up our blogging schedule and gave everyone access to it. It's a great way to keep us organized.

Keeping Your Plot in Order - I plot my novels chapter by chapter on paper. I use a Word table, but you can use index cards, paper/pen, Excel, or any number of mind-mapping or drawing tools. I color code the parts that have romance, comedy, clues, and action. This helps me see where they're located throughout the story and allows me to spread them out. It also is incredibly useful later when you're editing.

Keeping up with the Details - I write a short biography of each main character and important location in my novels. I use a Word table. Then I add to it as I revise the work. I use this to keep up with hair color, eye color, favorite foods, cars, pets, and any other little detail that I could forget. I have a separate column for each book in the series, and I can track which characters appear in which book. It definitely helps with the details when you're revising.

Idea File - I keep a notebook with me to jot down ideas (e.g. ideas, names, funny phrases, and interesting stories). I used to keep a manila folder with pictures and ideas. I keep these on my computer now. I also use Pinterest to save ideas, recipes, and photos of great locations.

Contacts - I put all of my contacts in Outlook. I add a note to help me remember where I met the person. Also, when people give me a business card, I write the location on the back to help me remember later.

One Location - Have one location where you keep all of one thing (e.g. keys, papers, ideas, photos, etc.). It sounds simple, but with every-day life, things get misplaced too easily. And you waste a lot of time hunting for them. 

By keeping the minutia under control, you have more time for writing. Best wishes for your writing projects!