Write Now Editing

Coping with Deadlines by Annette Irby

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I’m on a few deadlines. In addition to editing work, the first book in my series will release this September 1st, and the second book is due this summer as well. I’ve had to prioritize and strictly enforce my schedule lately and I’ve spent hours and hours at my computer, writing and rewriting for my summer deadline. I have other projects in the works, so the sooner I hand this project off, the sooner I can work on the others that have been on the back burner.

Prioritizing

So, how do I decide what to set aside during crunch seasons? How do you decide? For me, I set aside social media, even marketing, until I can focus on it. I ask myself: what’s due soonest? Timing helps me in many ways—it both motivates and dictates my schedule. I set aside reflexively checking my e-mail, and I close all unnecessary tabs and apps/programs on my computer in order to stay focused on the necessary ones. My family needs my attention, so they are a priority. Sometimes you have to say no to extra tasks. That’s a hard one for some of us. I sometimes struggle with that. Even when I say no, I sometimes feel guilty later, which doesn’t help me focus on work. But our jobs as writers is important. If we honor our writing time, others will begin to respect it too.

Permission to Take a Break

Summertime is an especially challenging time to have to work 8-12 hours a day, so I do take breaks, which are so necessary. I recommend finding a peaceful setting to decompress. When the sun moves around the house to my flower garden, I love to go out and tend my plants. (Here’s a photo from one of my hanging baskets on a rainy day last spring.) The warm sun, so different from my cool home office in the basement corner, feels good. And tending my flowers makes me happy. I catch myself walking around, smiling from the joy of a simple hobby. Breaks are also helpful for working out plot points and overcoming writer’s block. And they’re probably good for our health. We must take care of ourselves, even on deadline.

Back to Work

The thing about breaks is, you have to set a time limit and discipline yourself to get back to work. Your book won’t write itself. So, I’ll take time away for family get-togethers, and meals, and even a trip to the pool so my youngest gets a chance to swim, but then it’s back to work. 

Best Advice for Deadline Crunch Time

My writing sessions involve a lot of prayer. Prayers for grace, help, words, wisdom, insights, for the story to come together, for my readers, and for God’s glory and message to come through. He honors our prayers as we write for Him. Sometimes when I know I only have, say, a half hour left before I’ll be away from my computer for a while, panic will set in, thinking about all I have to do. Then I ask the Lord to help, and He does. Pretty soon, my fingers are flying over the keyboard and enjoying the thrill of a scene coming together in a profound way with word counts piling up.

How about you? What are your tricks for meeting deadlines and surviving the deadline crunch? I’d love to hear.

Write on, friends!

(Original post found on Seriously Write)

Annette M. Irby has been writing since her teen years. She has several books and short stories published. She has served as an acquisitions editor, and she currently works as a freelance editor. In her off hours, she enjoys gardening, photography, and music. Her family lives in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more at www.AnnetteIrby.com

Links:

Website: www.AnnetteIrby.com
Facebook reader friend group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/252272708574760/
Twitter: @AnnetteMIrby
Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/annette_m_irby.com
Writing blog: www.seriouslywrite.blogspot.com

Are You Setting Goals or Simply Dreaming? By Karin Beery

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Why set goals? Because you can either control your own destiny or hand it over to circumstance. (James Scott Bell, The Mental Game of Writing)

goalsIn case you missed it earlier this month, I’m reading another book by James Scott Bell. Though most of his books are about writing for writers, The Mental Game of Writing is inspiring my freelance work as much as it’s inspiring my writing. Last week I talked about the mental game of self-employment. This week I’d like to talk about goal setting.

Goals are necessary because they establish absolutes. You can say that you want to be a successful web designer, but how do you make that happen? First you have to know what you mean when you say success (see last week’s post). Then you have to figure out how you’re going to achieve that. Those are your goals.

You can successful set real, applicable goals in two simple steps:

  1. Set Your Goals
  2. Make a Plan

Set Your Goals

Be specific. Coming up with a mental list of things that might work is a good start, but don’t stop there. You need to create an actual list of goals that you can refine and review.

Make sure your goals are also something you can achieve. “Win a prestigious award” isn’t a realistic goal, because you have no control over the nominating or judging process. “Enter a contest” is a great goal – you have the ability to figure out the guidelines and meet the deadline.

Make a Plan

Goals without a plan are just dreams. You need to know how you’re going to achieve your goals. Using the previous example of entering a contest – plan out your steps. For example, if I entered a writing contest, my plan might look like this:

  • Finish rough draft by November 1
  • Finish edit by November 15
  • Have it critiqued by December 1
  • Finish re-write by December 21
  • Proofread on or before December 31
  • Submit to contest on or before January 5

Plans or Dreams?

Don’t leave your business success up to chance. Set your goals. Make plans. Succeed.

The Mental Game of Self-Employment

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defining-successFor many people, being self-employed seems like a dream (especially when you can work from home!). No boss. No rules. No dress code.

But also no accountability. No incentive programs. No support from co-workers.

While there are many benefits to self-employment, there are also many challenges, and one things I regularly struggle with is motivation, especially in the dry times when nothing seems to go right. It’s easy to start wasting time, or to use more of your time for house work than “work” work. The trick is to self-motivate, but how?

I recently picked up The Mental Game of Writing by James Scott Bell. More than just a writing guide, this is a self-employed/freelance workers book of motivation. Subtitled “How to Overcome Obstacles, Stay Creative and Productive, and Free Your Mind for Success,” I knew it was a book I needed to read. It only took a chapter to know I’d made the right decision when I bought the book.

I’m sure I’ll reference this book a lot in the next few weeks (months), so strap yourselves in. And the first reference I’ll make? Success. You don’t know if you’ve succeeded until you can define success for yourself.

So what exactly is success?

“Peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” John Wooden

Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill

“Success lies not in achieving what you aim at, but in aiming at what you out to achieve, and pressing forward, sure of achievement here, or if not here, hereafter.” R.F. Horton

Before you can succeed in your freelance endeavors, you need to be able to define what it means to you.

So … how do you define success?

7 Tips for Balancing Work and Family While Working from Home

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home-office-336377_1920When you work full time, it can be hard to find a good balance between your work life and your family life. When you work full time from home, it becomes even more difficult as you live and work in your office. You don’t want to become a workaholic, but you also can’t afford not to finish your work.

If you’re struggling to balance work and family – or if you’re transitioning to a home office – consider these things:

  1. Give yourself a designated work space. A private office is preferable, but anything that is specifically your work zone will work (I have a desk in the living room). However you do it, make sure you have a spot that’s for work only. Don’t let your family intrude, and don’t take your work to the kitchen table. Make the distinction.
  2. Make a work schedule. Your hair stylist doesn’t work whenever she feels like it. She has set hours. You need to do the same thing. Know when you’re going to work, and make sure you’re at your desk when you need to be.
  3. Clock out. Maybe you prefer to work four, ten-hour days. If that’s the case, don’t work on your day off. Let your work time be work time, and reserve your family time for family. Yes, we sometimes work overtime, but it shouldn’t be the standard.
  4. Make the most of your breaks. It’s tempting to sit at your desk all morning and work, but it’s not healthy. You need to get up and stretch your legs, so why not make the most of it? When I need to move, I empty and reload the dishwasher. During my next break, I’ll take the dog on a 15-minute walk. When I do these things, it clears a little more time in my schedule so I can spend time with my family when we’re together.
  5. Work together. When I started working from home, I struggled with the idea that – since I was at home – I should do all the house work. That led to an immaculate house, but then I had to work after hours to complete projects. Now, I wait until my hubby comes home and we cook and clean together.
  6. Pack a lunch. The biggest time-suck for me was lunch. When the kitchen is ten feet away, it’s tempting to make lunch and grab a snack whenever you’re hungry, but if you don’t have anything prepared you can easily lose an hour or two in the kitchen. Like #5, when that happens you end up working late and losing time with your family.
  7. Talk about it. Once you’ve done 1-6, talk with your family about it. If you all know the plan, it will be easier to stick with it.

How to Respond to a Difficult Client

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toy-37722_1280_pixabayYou sign a contract with your client. You talk on the phone and exchange emails to discuss your services and the work you’ll perform. You do the work. You stay in touch with the client. You deliver the final project, inviting questions and discussion on the work. Weeks go by. You finally receive an email from your client – he hates your work, wants his money back, and rants on and on about what a horrible editor/photographer/artist you are.

Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned vet, chances are good that you’ll encounter a difficult client. I’m not talking about making a mistake (and yes, that will happen to the best of us), I’m talking about the client who cannot be pleased. Before you meet that person, you may want to form a strategy.

But isn’t the client always right?

I grew up in a tourist town where customer service was king, and I can assure you that the customer is most definitely not always right. There are people who will try to work the system so they get something for nothing. They will complain, insult, and threaten until you surrender and give them what you want. You can cave, or you can set a standard for good service without compromising the standard and value of your work. I don’t believe in “making it right at all costs” – I believe in offering your best at all times. If you’ve done your best work and provided your best service, that’s all anyone can ask of you.

So what do you do?

  1. Do not respond right away. Take a deep breath and walk away. The worst thing you can do is respond out of anger, shock, or frustration. Give yourself a day or two to process what happened.
  2. Double check everything. Make sure you didn’t make a mistake. You want to make sure you delivered everything as you said you would – double check your contract, emails, and notes.
  3. If you made a mistake, apologize and make it right. If you didn’t make a mistake, apologize for the confusion (even if everything looks good to you, make sure your clients knows that you recognize that there must have been some type of miscommunication).
  4. Positively focus on the client. This isn’t about you – it’s always about your client. Don’t point fingers. Don’t accuse. Acknowledge how difficult it must be for your client; remind him that your job is to help him. Let him know that you’re still working for him.
  5. Make a phone call. It’s tempting to limit confrontations to emails, but it’s too easy to misinterpret intentions and motivations. Pick up the phone and call your client. A personal touch goes a long way.

What do you say to your client, especially if he’s already fired you and stated his intentions to move on? Again, focus on him, and show him how important he is. Tell him that you respect his decision, and you’d love to get some input from him:

  • What could you have done differently to make it a better experience for him?
  • How does he wish your interactions had played out?
  • Does he have any other thoughts on your work together?

As you ask these questions, don’t respond. Just listen. You’re not defending yourself or trying to talk him out of his decision – that makes the interaction about you. It’s not about you. It’s about him. Let him speak. Listen. Acknowledge his concerns, and thank him for his input.

What about the money?

If you hire someone to paint your house blue, then don’t like the way it looks, you still need to pay for the work done. If you’ve done the work you were contracted to do, payment is, in fact, due (hopefully you signed an agreement/contract outlining payment). You can offer a discount on future services, and you may even consider offering a partial refund on the work you completed, but you are under no obligation to return the money or accept non-payment.

Let it go.

Dealing with a difficult client is never easy, but it happens. You don’t need to lose sleep over it. Know that it will happen, and know how you will respond. Then move on. You have other clients waiting to work with you. Give them your time and get back to work!

ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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Substantive Fiction Editing: A substantive edit looks at the big picture. Start here to tackle the big issues before moving on to the nit-picky details. Substantive edits not only point out … [more]

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Lover of all things fiction, I also love University of Michigan football, the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings, kayaking, gluten-free cupcakes, and my husband.

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