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Resurrecting Patreon

Yes, I’ve decided. I’m resurrecting Patreon as one of my platforms.

About time management and project planning…

PJD resurrecting PatreonI’d retired it some time ago until I could regroup and consider how Patreon might fit into what I do between my day job and writing careers. And recently, I’ve had a lot of questions come to me about when I’m going to teach more classes or hold more workshops on time management and project planning, particularly as they could be used by writers. There’s a lot of writers who are balancing a day job career with a writing career. Add in life, and family, and friends and finding time gets complicated.

I do teach at least once a year, maybe twice, at various conferences. But not everyone can attend those conferences or the workshops/panels that I might be presenting due to scheduling conflicts. I get a lot of requests for online courses or even asked when I’m going to write a nonfiction book on the topic of time management and project planning for writers.

I don’t have the bandwidth to offer those things and still be able to meet my deadlines for the fiction I love to write. So Patreon came to mind as a platform that would be great for sharing this kind of information in bite-size pieces throughout the year.

And writing via dictation…

PJD resurrecting PatreonI am also learning to find a new normal in my life due to medical challenges and the need to drastically change the way I write… anything. I started to try learning dictation earlier this year, just about the same time I started physical therapy. So I got the basics down. But as soon as the physical therapy started to help me get back my functionality with my hands and I could type again for short periods of time, I went back to typing my manuscripts.

That’s not sustainable.

I will experience flareups in my future and my physical condition will deteriorate. So I really, really need to learn how to dictate now, not later.

Wonderfully generous people have given me their advice, their insights, and some great tips and tricks. I need to practice in order to incorporate what they shared with me. I need to make dictation and writing via dictation a habit. And writing via dictation, for me, means retraining my brain. Patreon becomes the perfect platform again for my adventures in learning how to dictate. It’ll be a place where I can be accountable while I share my trials and tribulations, what works for me and what really doesn’t.

So. There we have it. I’m resurrecting Patreon and I will be sharing information in two major categories:

  • Time management and project planning for writers, particularly with the day job to balance with their writing.
  • My progress as I learn writing via dictation, the tips and tricks I pick up along the way, and lessons learned.

If you’re interested in what I have to share or would like to join me on this journey, I hope you’ll subscribe to my Patreon. I’ll see you there.

 

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The Space Between 2018 and 2019

This year has been complicated. In fact, right now, I’m waking up to the dawn of a new year in one time zone while it is still the previous year in the time zone where I actually live. I’m in between 2018 and 2019 and it’s an interesting time to look back and also to look forward, I think.

Matthew has been talking to me about what drives me. His perspective is valuable to me, not just because of who he is to me as a partner but also because he can observe objectively and provide shrewd insight.

We both agree that I am driven to continually accomplish and achieve, so much so that I run myself ragged. With every story, every deadline, I think if I can just finish this or hit that deadline, I’ll be happy. But then I immediately dive toward the next goal, writing the next story and hitting the next deadline. Where was the happy?

I agree with Matthew that I need to celebrate more. Savor. Be happy about what I’ve accomplished.

What did I do in 2018?

  • Moved from Phoenix to Seattle
  • released Total Bravery
  • turned in Fierce Justice
  • turned in Forever Strong
  • released Siren’s Calling
  • signed a 4 book deal with Sourcebooks
  • recorded 20 Minute Delay with Gail Carriger
  • featured author at Coastal Magic Convention
  • survived pneumonia, again
  • panelist at RWA national conference
  • survived medical challenges
  • instructor and staff on the Writing Excuses workshop and retreat cruise
  • panelist at Emerald City Writers Conference
  • featured author at Fresh Fiction Readers ‘n Rita’s

There’s more, though those are the highlights. Every book has an entire cycle of draft/edit/revision involved. Every convention or conference has preparation.

I also did all of this in parallel to my day job. I did this while Matthew was away on orders. I managed to keep Corbin and myself fed and in reasonably good health. I even improved both our physical fitness levels. I faced depression and anxiety, learned to recognize what they were doing to me, and am taking steps to navigate through.

That’s awesome. Looking back on 2018, it was a lot of accomplishments in the face of a number of challenges behind the scenes and I did some great things.

Looking forward?

I have hopes and dreams. I have ambition.

I want my writing career list to be more focused on actual writing.

I am exploring new genres.

I am trying to remember to celebrate with each accomplishment and enjoy each burst of happiness as I go.

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Task Management and Kanban

Kanban is a method for managing work to be done without overloading the people doing said work. The method is applicable to writers, especially when undertaking complex projects. It allows the author to have a nice overview of what needs to be done while still having it easily organized into do-able tasks.

Kanban starts with creating a few basic categories for your work. I divide my process into Triage, Do Today, In Progress (right now), and Done. You can divide your process into categories that resonate with you and match your personal way of doing things.

Post It Notes and Kanban

At first, I take each of my tasks and put them in the Triage category. These should be finite, do-able tasks. If I’m drafting, this could be researching a particular detail or writing a specific scene. If I’m revising, this could be addressing a specific revision note like clarifying my order events and timeline or adding more detail to my hero’s backstory.

At the beginning of my day’s work session, I pick one or two tasks–no more than three–and put them in the Do Today category. Then when I’m ready to start working, I pick one task and put it in the In Progress category. Then I get to work.

This allows me to focus on the task at hand. And maybe I’ll finish it, so it then goes in the Done! category. Or maybe I’ll have worked on it as far as it can go before I finish other tasks, so I’ll leave it in In Progress and take the next task from Do Today.

The goal here is to not be overwhelmed by all the things floating in the Triage category. I’ve identified them. I know they’re there. I can even add more. But on a given day, I’m only focusing on the few tasks I’ve placed in Do Today. Because I’m focusing on them, I can get them done.

Kanban method can be done on paper. I have big Post-It notes on my workspace wall, actually. Or there are online web apps to let you organize. I use Trello, for example.

Trello and Kanban

Using the kanban method to manage my “things to do” is effective to keep myself productive and protect myself from getting overwhelmed. It makes me feel better to have all my random, free-floating to do’s in the Triage category. It let’s me focus on the specific tasks I’ve pulled into my Do Today. It feels really good to drop a task into my Done! category.

Does this method interest you? I’d love to see examples of this method applied to other authors’ work.

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Passion Planner Giveaway! Celebrating September

Deadline adventures continue as we head into September and the end of summer. Where the heck did summer go? We’re coming up on Labor Day weekend and it’s my birthday month! (Thus the Passion Planner giveaway to celebrate, but more on that below.)

It’s the start of a new school year for people of all ages, though it’s been a long time since I’ve graduated…various levels of education. But I still love September to start new projects and planning initiatives. It’s like Back to School without the new bus schedule.

I’m planning to finish the year strong with 1 more contracted manuscript to turn in (Deadly Testimony, a Safeguard novel) and 2 short stories before diving into NaNoWriMo to start drafting the final books in each of my romantic suspense series: Safeguard and True Heroes.

I’m still really enjoying using a paper planner to keep my writerly tasks clear in my head. In fact, I’ve been looking at great features of other planner systems (though I’m still using my Erin Condren planner!). For example, I’m loving the concept of inkWELL Press‘ mission boards. There’s also the clean, simplistic look of Passion Planner’s Academic layout with the area for mind-mapping and thoughtful doodling.

These nifty features are helpful to keep monthly or weekly goals in mind as well as encourage brainstorming. Trust me, I’ve been doing a lot of brainstorming recently. September is travel heavy and I want to make the most of my writing time. Optimizing the use of my paper planner is key. Plus, I want to enjoy all of it as I go and playing with washi tape and stickers in my planner makes me happy. 😉

We’re headed into Labor Day Weekend and it’s my birthday month so I’ve decided to give away a Passion Planner Academic Compact planner for August ’15 – August ’16 to one winner (open to US and International entrants).

So what are your goals for September? or the rest of the year?

Passion Planner
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Giveaway! Erin Condren Life Planner

I’ve got some challenging deadlines writing both the Safeguard series (mercenaries, explosive action, strong heroines) and the True Heroes series (hot military heroes, the women who love them, and the dogs that always have their backs). The time management involved can be intimidating.

So you might have seen me get excited about Erin Condren Life Planners somewhere around social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or heard me talk about them with Katee Robert and Robin Covington in my most recent #EMEPiper podcast episode. If not, shoo! Go check it out somewhere.

But come back!

Because I decided the Erin Condren Life Planner helped me organize my writerly life so much, I wanted to share the organization fun (really, it can be!). So to celebrate this Independence Day weekend (Happy 4th of July!) I’ve decided to give away an EC Rose Gold LIMITED EDITION 18-month life planner to one winner (open to Residents of the US only this time).

It’ll be enough to get you started in planner fun right away in July 2015 and take you right to the end of 2016.

Erin Condren Life Planner

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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