How I Work

April 8, 2019 / Motivation and the Writing Life, Uncategorized / 17 COMMENTS

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’m a fan of a series that Lifehacker is running: “How I Work.”  In it, various people in different industries describe how they got where they are, what a typical day looks like, and tips/hacks for how they handle their workload.

Every time I go through my blog feed reader, I always stop to read posts where writers describe what a typical day looks like for them.  It fascinates me, although I don’t think I ever adopt what they’re doing, because I know what works for me.

I thought I’d do my own version, edited for space (theirs has lots of helpful details). Keeping their series in mind, here’s my take on it. After writing it out, mine looks a bit repetitive, long, and not as interesting! I think that’s because I’m doing this all day long and not part of a day like some are.

A workday in March: 

Got up( 4:45)  put workout clothes on, came downstairs, took dog out and fed him, fixed coffee and sat down in front of laptop.

Worked on Edit to Death (1st draft) until reached word goal.

Worked on Checked Out (edits) for 30 minutes

Scheduled several time-sensitive tweets relating to publishing news for the day.

Shared my blog post on Facebook and scheduled a Twitter share.

Quickly checked emails and found that there was a problem with Babelcube’s paperback edition to Amazon (actually 2 separate German translations).  Marked on my list to address it later that day.

Had breakfast with my daughter before she headed to the high school.

Went to the gym for a 25 minute workout.

Came back. Responded to comments.

Saw my husband off to work.

Emailed my cover designer about another Babelcube project that is ready to publish: an Italian edition. Asked her if she could squeeze in an altered cover for the translation.

Responded to emails and used my canned response feature for a few requests regarding the blog. 

Took another look at the Babelcube issue that I was informed of first thing in the morning.  Was told the metadata didn’t match the cover.  But…it did.  Took me a while to proof it because it was in German, but everything matched.  I found the contact info for Babelcube support and wrote them an email for more information.

Worked more on edits.  This is a first read-through, so I was mainly making minor adjustments to word choice and fixing typos. I noted any big issues that I wanted to change in a separate document.

Wrote a bit longer on the first draft.  Made notes about where I wanted to pick up the next day.

Scheduled tweets for a day that was a couple of weeks in the future (these are the writing-related links that show up on my blog on Sundays).

Ran errands for the better part of an hour.

Ate lunch.

Wrote two blog posts.  Found images and hyperlinked links in both posts.

Mailed a book that a reader won in a giveaway.

Cleaned the house and did laundry for 45 minutes.

Responded to blog comments again.

Responded to emails.

Prepared supper. 

Made another quick sweep around the house to clean up so that I wouldn’t wake up to any mess.

Checked my calendar and made notes on my to-do list so that I knew what the next day looked like.

My workspace:  I have learned my lesson about the dangers of sitting. I move between a chair in the den with good back support and my kitchen counter.  I don’t really need a special place to write in.

Keeping track of all I need to do:  The day before I make sure to check my Google calendar and then transcribe it to a Notepad (Microsoft) list of things to do that day.  I have one saved Notepad text file for every day of the week and update it as I go.

Favorite shortcut or hack:   I write straight through a first draft without even pausing to put in chapter breaks. I never fix anything as I go, although I carefully note on a separate document any major issues that I’ll want to change after I finish the first draft.

How I recharge and take breaks:  I take lots of micro-breaks during the day to keep myself motivated. Most of what I did on the day above was done in short periods of time with a timer.  I love to recharge by reading a good book or watching a good show. On the day in question, the show was a documentary called “California Typewriter”.

What I’m currently reading:  An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good

Best advice I’ve ever received:  Each day is a clean slate.  Don’t worry about the day before but pick up where you are and try to meet your goals.  Or, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Finish and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

That’s my rendition of the Lifehacker series.   Does your writing day have a lot of the same elements?  What’s your favorite shortcut or hack?  Best advice received?

Writer Elizabeth Craig: 'How I Work': Share on X

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  1. I like reading about how other writers get the job done, too. Thanks for sharing your day.

    My work day typically looks like this:

    Business stuff in the morning – blog posts, reading other blogs, FB posts and marketing, checking sales and updating spreadsheets. Then I move on to pay-job stuff and cleaning. Then errands, if there are any. I’m useless in the afternoons, so I read and watch TV. Nights are for creative stuff – writing and editing.

    Right now, I’m trying to edit throughout – basically whenever I’m sitting in the living room with my Kindle and notepad. Mornings, afternoons, nights… it’s all fair game. Gotta mix it up a little sometimes.

    1. I’m always so impressed with evening writers! If I’m pressed (or way, way out of my routine) I *can* write in the evenings, although I’m usually not happy with what I’ve written.

      Like you, though, I can edit all day. I’m low-energy in the late-afternoons and evenings, but can definitely edit at those times. Sometimes editing makes me a little keyed-up though (I’ve no idea why…apparently I’m high-strung, ha), and it can make it tough for me to wind down enough to sleep when I need to.

  2. Thanks, Elizabeth, for sharing the way you get so much done. One thing I like about what you do is that you build in time for yourself. It’s so important, I think, not to let the batteries get so drained, so to speak, that we don’t take time to exercise, to recharge, etc..

    1. I used to think that I didn’t really *need* to recharge as much, since I’m working from home. But I found out years ago that wasn’t the case at all. You’re right…it’s so important.

  3. I’d have to get up before 3am to do all that before my husband left for work. Yours must go in much later than mine.

    My mornings are also more productive and involve more items. I find that by the time I hit 1, time speeds up and I don’t get much else done the rest of the afternoon.

  4. I don’t like to sit too much either and work on my kitchen counter too. I have a table top stand I can use if I want to stand at my dining room table as well. Loved seeing how you stay productive all day.

    1. My kitchen counter is tall enough for me to stand and write there, which I really *need* to do. I keep *telling* myself that I need to do that! Maybe if I put it on my calendar.

  5. Love it! I can’t write at tables/counters – they’re never at the right height. Even my desk isn’t correct so I’m writing from soft chairs with my laptop but I do worry about my hips and back. Being short has some issues! :)

    1. That would be frustrating! I sometimes have the same issues because I’m too tall. I’ve found if I stretch every morning (and I don’t think I put it in this blog post, but I’m sure I did) that I’m better during the day.

  6. Very informative. I think early mornings are more productive for me, if not then late evenings. I used to do all my typing standing. Now I sit at a desk and I don’t think it is as good for me as the standing was. Need to get back to doing that again.

    1. It’s just when I have the most energy. :) I think that’s key, no matter what time of day it is!

      And…it was a fun book! A little edgy, believe it or not, but the titular old lady was pretty amazing!

  9. Hi Elizabeth,

    which books will be translated into German?

    Regards
    Nina from Berlin (Germany)

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