A Writer’s Life: How I stay organized

I am a list-maker. It’s in my very nature and always has been.

I think it has something to do with my need to see progress. I love making a list and crossing things off. It just makes me happy and I’ve come to a point where I’ve stopped worrying out why.

After watching several of Sarra Cannon’s Heartbreathing videos about planning, I decided to give it a go.

I resisted it for a long time, but I have since discovered that it really works for me.

I love using my planner. My layout is similar to the above, and I use the 3 sections for each day for every day stuff, exercise, and writing related endeavors.

I told myself I wasn’t going to go so far as to use washi tape and stickers in my planner. What am I, a scrap booker?

Yup, I lied. I use both.

I set up my planner for the next week on Sundays. I add colorful, motivational stickers and pretty washi tape at the bottom. I put in my goals (like my twice weekly blogs, my exercise goals, etc.) I can see my weekly goals at a glance, I know what needs to be done every day.

But wait! There’s more!

Erin Condren also has this nifty check-list book/planner.

A whole book full of these amazing check lists (with 8 columns, which is perfect for 7 days and a done column!).

I fill this out on Sunday’s too, with all of my weekly goals for writing and other things.

I find this amazingly motivating.

I sit down and make a list of everything I know I need to do during the week, and add more items as they come up. I carry it around the house with me, and if I have a moment of nothing to do, I pick something from the list and knock it out.

To be fair, I tried 3 different planners until I found one I really liked. The one I currently use is a full size spiral bound (which I find superior to the rings), with a weekly vertical layout.

There are so many different layouts! There is a perfect one for everyone.

That’s how I keep myself on track.

And then, there is actual writing organization….

I love blank notebooks. Fancy journals. Spiral bound. I have a basket of them downstairs that is overflowing. I worried about this little addiction for a long time, but now I know I’m not alone in it. Most writers have a similar pile of these beautiful unused notebooks. Could be worse, right?

When I started The Irish Project, I ordered a special notebook for it. I had one made, with a pithy quote about first drafts, and the title of the project/author name on the outside. Erin Condren does these, and I think they’re awesome.

All of my notes for this story are in that notebook, with many post-it notes sticking out of the top, denoting acts and questions and ideas. I carry it everywhere, because I never know when inspiration will strike. When a story question will get an answer. When I feel like changing a name or place.

You just never know.

But it’s super helpful for me to keep it all in one notebook, and to make it portable.

All of these things, the planner, the check lists, the notebook… they’re not required for a writer. There are hundreds of methods out there for staying organized and getting stuff done. These are the methods I’ve chosen, and they work for me today.

But staying organized, and actually getting the things done is a boost for me. The more I do, the more I find I want to do.

Find your process, and make it work for you.