The Productivity Post

Maybe because it was January, or maybe because I get sick of always talking about writing and the MILLIONS of story ideas that zoom in and out of my head...but recently I took a look at what I actually accomplished in 2010.

I had six story starts (geez...) and only one novel completion. I'm sure that's not terrible, and I'm already ahead of 75 percent of the wannabe writers out there. But it's not good enough for me. I want more. I want to be more. I want more to show for my dreaming and my doing when 2011 comes to a close.

But I also have a whole lot of real life standing in my way. A husband in engineering school full time. Two beautiful boys. A pregnancy just about to reach the halfway point. A 40-hour a week job. The list goes on. And on.

I was lucky enough to happen upon a workshop hosted by an online RWA chapter I belong to that featured Kerri Nelson. The title "The Book Factory: Producing Multiple Novels in One Year" screamed out to me. And I took the class. And despite the fact that there were 85 students on the loop and it felt incredibly CROWDED (I am such a baby about loops, much like I was in large auditorium classes in college. I tend to disappear in large crowds)...Kerri posted her lectures in the file sections where I could read them without all the chatter and I really picked up some great ideas. I won't share all of them with you (you should take the class!), but the golden goose I walked away with changed the way I look at my time.

Previously, if I didn't have a three-hour block on hand to write, I felt like it was pointless. I take forever to get going. I need to feel the vibe. Get the coffee. Check the email. Crack the knuckles. Dust the ceiling fan. Make a tweet. And then maybe write. (Not very productive, right?)

But in her workshop, I learned the value of just 15 minutes.

That's right, a quarter of an hour.

This past week I've given up lugging my laptop out anytime I have an extra fifteen minutes and instead, I use a cheap little notebook and a pen and I write. I get a few pages out before it's time to pick the big kid of up from wrestling and when I get the chance to get to my computer, I have material. I don't have to check Facebook again, I don't have to see what you posted on your blog (but I promise I will, I swear!). I have paragraphs to get me started so that my longer chunks of time are not started from a stand still.

So last night I sat down and took a long, hard look at 2011. Yes, in July (or June!), I'll have a newborn screeching, so maybe I ought to schedule a month off there. But that's it. In reality, if I stick to my goals, there's no reason I can't put out two novellas and two novels this year.

So here's to goals and productivity this year, and here's to valuing your time. It's precious and you deserve every second you manage to squeeze out of your day.