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Aliventures HQ continues to be chickenpox-ridden: my four year old is covered in spots now! We're ploughing on; please excuse any slow replies to emails while I catch up on work (and sleep).
In brighter news, I've finished making a bunch of titchy updates
to Lycopolis and I'm looking for some fresh reviewers. If you'd be interested in a free copy to review, just drop me an email. I can supply the manuscript in .mobi (Kindle) or .pdf (everything else!) format.
Lycopolis is a pacy full-length novel that sits on the boundary of contemporary fantasies and supernatural thrillers. It's broadly "new adult" (aimed at 18 - 30s) but it's been enjoyed by readers of all ages.
Here's the blurb:
***
Seth's got a lot going for him: money, charm, and Lycopolis, a niche online game where he can play god.
He wants more. Much more. Because Lycopolis isn't just a game -- and Hallowe'en offers the perfect excuse to introduce a spooky twist to the story he's orchestrating.
Only one of the players refuses to take part: Kay.
Frankly, he didn't think she had it in her. But, as he
wrestles with power and faces the darkness, she's the one who keeps getting in the bloody way.
Of course, he wins. He always wins.
Except this time, he wishes he hadn't. Because something ancient and evil has been playing him all along. And by the time he understands just what's at stake, it's almost too late ... and even Kay might not able to save him. |
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Organising All Your Writing Commitments |
Whether you write full-time, part-time, or in the few minutes you can find, there's a good chance that you've got a few different writing commitments.
Maybe those are: - Freelance commissions you've taken on
- Pieces you've volunteered to
write (e.g. guest posts, articles for a small local magazine)
- Short stories you want to get written before competition deadlines
- Novels or novellas that you've got on the go
- A non-fiction book you're working on
(I've got all of these, right now!)
It can be tricky enough just to find time to write ... and if you have a constant nagging sense that maybe you should be writing something different, it's hard to stay
focused.
By organising your different writing commitments, you can free up some head-space to concentrate on the writing at hand (rather than on all the writing you're not doing at any given moment). You can also use these exercises to keep track of admin tasks, like processing emails, replying to blog comments, updating your website, and so on.
Five minute fix:
Grab a pen and a
notebook or sheet of paper, or open up a blank document on your computer. (I find it's easiest to work on paper for this one, though.)
Write down everything you can currently think of that you've got on the go. It doesn't need to be neat or even make sense to anyone but you! You might find it helpful to include a note or symbol to indicate what stage each project is at (e.g. just an idea, planned, drafted, edited, waiting for
proofreading...)
Here's my list: |
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Fifteen minute fix:
If your project list is anything like mine, it probably contains some things that need doing in the next day or two -- and others that could easily wait for months.
To organise your writing time on a day by day and week by week basis, print off a
planner. Charlie Gilkey of Productive Flourishing has some great ones available for free, here:
I find that when I don't plan my workday, it's all too easy to get caught up in the little tasks -- emails, social media, and so on. Even when I plan on a day by day basis, some projects, like my Parent Writers' book, end up untouched for months: if I want to carve out time for these, I need to plan at least a week ahead.
Thirty minute
fix:
If you've got half an hour available, look into long-term options for keeping your writing life organised.
You might want to try using an app, if you're always at your computer or have your phone handy -- or you might prefer a paper planner. After years of using various software solutions, I've gone back to planning on paper and I'm finding that works well for me currently.
Recently, I
wrote two posts for The Write Life that you might find helpful -- these are geared towards freelancers, so if you're focused on more creative writing, you may want to explore other options too.
These 4 To-Do List Apps are Perfect for Freelance Writers -
I'm currently using the Inspire Now Journal ( www.inspirenowdaily.com), which does almost everything I want: the introduction sections are annoyingly badly written, but if you skip those, the rest of the journal is well thought out!
Even if you only have a few minutes, getting some clarity
about your current writing tasks (or writing hopes!) can be really helpful. Spend five minutes (or more, if you can) organising your writing today ... and let us know on the Aliventures Facebook page how you got on: www.facebook.com/aliventures |
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