At the beginning of long projects, the end is, by definition, a long way off. Motivation can be an issue. One of the ways I stay motivated is by seeing progress. One of the ways to see progress is by breaking a project down into small tasks that can be checked off.
But in the case of a radical revision, as is also the case when I’m beginning a novel, it’s all too nebulous. Which is the way it should be at these points–nothing too formed, nothing too hard and fast, anything possible. If you add to that an unpredictable work schedule, before you know it, it feels as if nothing is happening. Then depression, malaise. And nothing really will be happening.
I avoid all of the above with a calendar.
At the start of the project, I go to this website and print a calendar–you can get 12 weeks at a time. Any day that I work on my novel, I check off. The days become small tasks just lined up and waiting. It’s exciting. I look forward to making that checkmark.
I don’t log minutes or hours worked. My theory is I’m just trying to keep the momentum going and create a space in my head for the project. If I miss a few days, I can still see at a glance that I’m chipping away at it–making progress. I can also see, ah hem, if it’s been too long without working on it. Which means it’s time to somehow MAKE IT HAPPEN.
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365 true things about me
why this daily practice
Brilliant. I’m trying this.
Yay! Hope it works for you, Megan. Let me know.
Super good idea. Thanks for the tip and the link. I’m going to try it too!
Hope it works for you too, Nina. Calendars work so well for me–encourage me, organize the contents of my head, make me feel as if I have some control over all the millions of things going on. Let me know how it works for you.
So much wisdom here. Thank you for being a mentor by sharing your process. I’m going to give this a try!
Yay–let me know how it goes. I made a check on that calendar today.
It must feel great making that check mark! I’m so excited about your novel.