Developing Better Time Management through Blogging

How long did it take you to write your first novel? Are you still writing it? How long has it been? Do you have other “forever projects” that you’ve been working on for… well, for quite some time now?

This is normal. Time is, in some ways, the bane of the author. Time becomes much more critical when you start writing for pay, because then deadlines get involved. One of the most famous and most “late” authors of all time is George R.R. Martin, who famously blew past the deadline for his latest installment of the book series that became Game of Thrones on television. Martin is incredibly successful, but he’s like absolutely every other writer in that he takes just as long (and longer) as he’s given to complete a project.

Martin’s problem isn’t writer’s block. It’s not that he’s sitting at his computer staring at a blank screen, waiting for the words to come to him. No, Martin has given extensive interviews about his process. He only writes when he has several days to work uninterrupted. He only works on a specific word processor that doesn’t have Internet access so he won’t be distracted. He only works on consecutive Tuesdays when the moon is full and he’s wearing that tugboat captain hat he likes so much, or something. (Okay, I made that last one up.)

The point is, George R.R. Martin spends a lot of time doing anything BUT sitting at his computer putting time into the book. He’ll start other projects, do interviews, travel, and even create new television shows, but what he won’t do, seemingly, is sit down and finish that darned book. For a beginning author, this would mean returning the advance the publisher gave him. For a successful and established author like Martin, it means… that the publisher will just keep waiting. I mean, what are they going to do, NOT publish the anticipated sixth installment in a bestselling series that has left an indelible mark on popular culture?

Simply put, Martin’s problem is your problem is every writer’s problem. It’s time management.

“The best time to act on this was decades ago. The second best time is now.” – David Brin

Managing your time is the key to becoming a prolific author, the kind of author or working writer who turns out a steady stream of completed, competent work. Some writers, like Stephen King, famously churn out incredible volumes of work (although King has slowed down in recent years). Others, like Martin, take forever (to the point that people are worried he may never finish the series). Successful, established authors and beginning writers alike, however, can benefit from learning to manage their time.

Blogging can help you achieve this. A blog succeeds when it is published consistently and regularly. Making time to write your blog pieces for each installment, making them relevant and coherent, and making sure that you hit your deadline for publication is a great way to teach yourself time management. Simply put, you have to find the time. But if you don’t already have free time in your schedule, you have to make the time.

Draw up a writing and publication schedule. Allow time to write the blog, edit the blog, and think about the blog. Set your writing time at the same time each day, keeping your publication consistent. The schedule can be whatever you are comfortable with, but you must stick to it. It’s every easy to say, “I’m busy, so I’ll skip this week.” Never do that. Once you start letting the blog slide, you’ll eventually stop keeping up with the project.

If your schedule is too busy to allow for publishing a regular blog, you need to set your priorities and start rearranging things. Make sure you eliminate things you don’t need in your life. This is important; make time for it and prioritize it accordingly. Do not give in to the temptation to burn sleep time for blogging, either. If your solution to making time is to get up an hour earlier each day, sacrificing a needed hour of sleep, that’s going to catch up to you. Find something else that can be moved or sacrificed in order to accomplish this goal. Nobody can determine what that is but you.

Time management is not complicated. You create a schedule that is realistic, one you can live with… and you stick to it. It’s that simple. Simple, however, does not mean easy. It will take some discipline and you may experience some discomfort at first. Don’t let that discourage you. You can do this, and you can do it while learning to better manage your time.

Good luck. You (and definitely George R.R. Martin) will need it.