Pebblepup's Writing Den

A writing schedule is a document, or calendar, that indicates what you want to write and when you want to write it. It can be as simple as a list of your writing projects in order of the piece’s deadline. Or it can be as complicated as noting what stage of writing the piece is in and when you want to have it completed. For example, you might want to list title, writing stage, stage deadline, and final deadline. You decide what you want your writing control book to be.

As I said, it could be a simple list of your projects. You could create a table with the working title, and the deadlines for your project. These deadlines would be the dates you want to finish the writing, and revising. If you publish your work, you may want a publishing deadline. The layer of complexity is up to you. You can make a simple list of the project and the final deadline. I find it helpful to list the stages of the writing process and add in the dates I want to complete it. You might add in the dates you complete the stage. Again, how complex your schedule is, is up to you.

Having this schedule is helpful in that it can show you where you are in a particular project. I have a book I’ve been revising for over a year, and one I’m doing the background work before writing it. It can be a slow process, but it makes my writing better to take my time and not rush the prep work. Being able to see at a glance what I need to do as well as the deadlines I have for it, helps me to stay on track. That’s how I use mine. You may find you use yours in a different manner, but the main thing is to stay in control. That’s what this type of schedule does.

Knowing when a particular piece is ‘due’ can help you decide where to spend your precious writing time. That’s where this schedule shines. You know what you want to do. You know when it’s ‘due’. That’s even if you are the only one to know what your deadline is. That is a huge help when prioritizing your writing time. Organizing your projects into a schedule of steps can help you move them along in your process. That’s the benefit of this kind of schedule for you.

A writing schedule is another tool for your writing tool box. Maintain it well and it will serve you well. You may find yourself amending it as your writing process evolves. That’s normal. The schedule should be flexible and allow you to pick and choose how to spend your writing time. It’s a good tool to have. So create one. Use it. Maintain it. You’ll be glad you did.