Wasting Time

I don't know about you, but I never have enough time to write. Don't get me wrong. I write every day. Sometimes I even write a lot. But there's never enough time to write as much as I'd like. I've been working steadily at getting rid of some of my little time wasters. Even when I'm logged in and working on the computer, I can sometimes go MINUTES without checking email. I'm exaggerating--a little--but my point is that I know I'm guilty of wasting time like this, and I'm working hard at creating better habits.
The WM Freelance Connection has a fantastic post today, When a Writer Wastes Time on Unnecessary Evils (and That Writer is Me).  It's an honest look at some of the little ways in which we wast time--and then complain about how we don't have enough time to write.

One of the things I cut from my routine was writing my blog, but I think I've carved enough "few minutes" out of my time wasting to get back at it.

Quick Tip: Do Less

I've been running on fumes lately and have had a tough time getting motivated. So, this morning, instead of trying to get anything done, I met some writing friends for breakfast, and then headed off to my daughter's school for an absolutely fabulous Thanksgiving feast. Filled with turkey, stuffing, the best potato salad I've ever tasted and a decadent eclair, I returned home to, well, do nothing. I read a bit, played Snakes & Ladders with my youngest son, knit a few rows (I picked up a knitting project again after bragging the other day that I do nothing but write. Guess I'll have to rewrite that post now!) ... In other words, I relaxed. Not something I do nearly enough of.

And now ... I feel refreshed and ready to tackle the next batch of queries, the rejection in the inbox and the rush article that's waiting on my desk, not to mention preparations for our big Thanksgiving feast, complete with the typical ridiculous assortment of desserts. Sometimes by doing less, we find the energy and motivation to do more.

Links Tent: Time Savers

Here are a few free tools that will save you time.

PDF Tools:

• PDF 995 allows you to easily convert your Word files to PDF files by clicking on your "print" command. A companion product, PDFEdit 995, allows you to combine PDF files or extract pages from a PDF. Both products are free, but sponsor pages will display when you use them. You can also purchase a key if you would prefer to not see the sponsor pages.
• PDF to Word converts your existing PDF files to Word or RTF files.

Time Tools:

• Online Stop-watch offers an online stopwatch and timer. You can keep track of how long you are spending on a project, or set the timer to ring when it's time to move on to something else (or collect the kids from the bus stop).
• Google Calendar allows you to create several calendars to manage all the rings in your circus, assign each of them a different colour, and then view them separately or all together. You can share part or all of a calendar with others and you can easily set up events from your messages in Gmail. 

Timelines/Days in History:

• Josh Hosler presents The #1 Song on Billboard on this Date in History.  
• WhoWhatWhen will display a timeline of events that occurred in a fictional character's or actual person's life from 1000AD to the present. 
• Any-Day-in-History lists the major births, deaths and events of any given day. On this day (October 7th) in 1950, the NY Yankees swept the Philadelphia Phillies in the 47th World Series, and in 1985, Lynette Woodward was chosen as the first woman on the Harlem Globetrotters.
• Writer's Dream Tools includes Today in History and History by Decades at no charge. Other databases, including clichés, slang and quotes are available with a one-time subscription fee.

Words, Words, Everywhere There's Words:

• Reverse Dictionary lets you plug in the definition, and it will tell you the word you need.
• Dictionary.com includes an online dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia and translator.
  

No More Excuses

Like everyone, I'm busy. On any given day I can be found knee-deep in paint and plaster (literally, unfortunately and embarrassingly), tied up with my kids (figuratively--thankfully) or chasing an uninvited squirrel or bird around my house. I have dozens of reasons for not spending more time writing. But I don't let that stop me.

I treat the freelance end of things like a job and put in the hours every week--writing, research, querying, digging up new markets--through rejection, discouragement and frustration. No excuses.

I'm more flexible with my fiction writing, but I still make time to write every day. When my hands are busy but my brain is not--when I'm vacuuming or folding laundry, for example--I write in my head. That way, when I have a free moment to put pen to paper, I always have something to say.

I figure I have two choices: I can make time to write, or I can make excuses not to. So I make time to write.  I don't go out often, I don't watch much (if any) TV, I don't surf You Tube, I don't pursue a bunch of hobbies. I've even cut back on my volunteer commitments. Instead, I write.

So that's my big secret, how I manage to fit my writing life into my busy home life. 

Don't make excuses. Make time to write. It's much more rewarding.

Friday Quick Tip: Google Reader

The blogs I list to the right are not the only blogs I follow, they're just some of the best ones--the ones that offer good information and advice on a regular basis. Others only have new posts once in a while (but those posts are worth the wait), some only have relevant (to me) information occasionally, some are friend's blogs, and so on.

I don't have a lot of time, and I definitely don't have time to waste sifting through blogs to see if there's any new information on them. Which is where Google Reader comes in.

If you're looking for a technical explanation of what Google Reader is, well, you're in the wrong place. Basically, Google Reader provides you with a list of new posts for the blogs you subscribe to. Then you can quickly skim through the posts, label the ones you want to easily find again, and discard the rest.

You can also receive news feeds from your favourite news sites in the same fashion. Just look for the "RSS Feed" button or a "subscribe to" link. You'll then be able to choose which feeder you want to subscribe with, and you're done.

You can even add Google Reader to your iGoogle page, making it faster and simpler to keep up with your favourite blogs.

If you're not yet sold, take a tour of Google Reader and try it out. And for more information about RSS, check out the What is RSS? RSS Explained site.