# Are your plot and main subplot interwoven from the beginning of the story? (A second subplot can be introduced slightly later.)
# Have you given your readers a chance to get to know the people in both your plot and subplot before the story gets underway? (Readers care more about what happens to people they "know".)
# Is your subplot closely related to the main story? (The story should be able to stand alone without the subplot, but don't, for example, make it about two minor characters that the reader doesn't care about.)
# Have you shown how the events in the subplot cam affect the action in the main plot and vice versa?
# Does your subplot follow the same basic pattern as the main plot? (Developments and setbacks; crisis and resolution.)
# Have you made sure that the subplot doesn't overshadow the main plot?
# Is the subplot interesting to readers or an annoyance that drags them away from the main action?
# Have you structured your story so that when the main plot is going through a calm period, the reader is given something of interest to read about via the subplot?
# Have you ensured that your subplot doesn't have a 'tacked on' feeling to pad out the story? (Introduce it near the beginning and weave it in skillfully)
# Have you made sure that everything is resolved in the subplot by the end of the story? (All loose ends need to be tied up, just as they do in the main plot.)
Section 4 – Getting Organized
A large part of being an effective writer is being able to put your hands on what you want, when you want it. That might sound simple, but unless you’re already supremely organized – it’s not.
How many times have you frantically hunted through your computer folders, looking for some notes you made, or for a vital checklist? How many times have you saved and re-saved something in several different directories, and not been able to find the most recent when you need it?
How many times have you worked in a teeny-tiny space because you’re hemmed in on all sides by piles of paper and books?
In a comment added to a Weekly Challenge on my Writing Challenges blog (the Challenge was to ‘whip your office into shape’) one writer said: “I was getting frustrated with the pile of ‘stuff’ near my desk. The pile was getting taller and messier and my writing not progressing as I seemed to be distracted by the ‘stuff’. So I ignored websites, challenges and all else and set about creating order in the chaos…. I work in a limited time frame with many family commitments so often feel a focus on neatness an unnecessary luxury, but in reality a sense of order eliminates distractions and saves time when I can find what I need quickly. For anyone out there feeling frustrated and ‘out of sorts’ a good ‘clean out’ clears not only your personal writing space but the mind as well. I’m not a fanatical housekeeper but order in my writing corner is essential to my creative being.”
Enough said.
Even if you don’t want to get organized now, the time will come. When it does, it really helps to have a checklist at hand.
These three checklists will help you organize your time, your working space, and your files. If they don’t suit your present needs, use them as a basis to create your own ‘Get Organized’ checklist.
Checklist 10 – Organize Your Time
Before you can start using your time more productively, you need to be aware of how you currently use time. This checklist starts with that, then goes into other aspects or organizing time.
# Know how you use time: draw up a chart in half-hour increments, starting when you get up and finishing with your normal bedtime. Fill in hours already taken (your job, household duties, social/family commitments etc), and then fill in what's left as you do it. Keep this record for 2 days. Then start culling.
# If you don't want/need to be on certain committees or a member of social groups, do what you need to (phone/write/visit in person) to opt out.
# If you are carrying too much of the household chores, create a new roster or outsource some of the work.
# If you watch certain TV shows just because others like them, block off that time and use it to write/plot/edit instead. Or else keep a notebook by you and use the time to jot down plot/character ideas based on the show.
# Eliminate anything that you either don't enjoy or don't need to do.
# Look at all areas of your life: family, health and fitness, recreation and relaxation, self-development, finances, employment, writing. Rank your goals in order of importance. Now look at the time you are allocating to achieving each of these goals, versus the time you NEED to allocate. Juggle the allocation until the most important goal gets the most time.
# Create timelines to achieve your goals. Remember you don't have to achieve everything at once. Some goals can be worked on in 3-6 months' time.
# When you have decided on the amount of time you want to allocate to your various goals, plan your day the night before. (Especially what you want to achieve with your writing.) Don't overload your 'to do' list. Set yourself up for success, not failure.
# Balance your to-do list to maximize success. Put fast and easy tasks at the top of the list. Next schedule the 'big' tasks - those that need concentration or a large chunk of time. (Place your not-so-favorite tasks here, while you're still fresh. If they threaten to run over time, decide whether it's more productive to finish them now or continue the next day.) Finish off your list with smaller, more easily achievable tasks, or ones that can get away from you (e.g. social networking, email.)
# In a notebook, draw up a list of small tasks you can work easily wherever you are. (Make these things you can finish in a short time - anything from 5 to 30 minutes. E.g. think of a name for a character, write an opening hook, write 10 lines of dialogue, create a setting. Keep the notebook and pen in your handbag.)
# Institute a system of prioritizing/dealing with tasks as they arise. The easiest is the 4-D method: Dump it, Delegate it, Delay it, Do it. (The trap for the procrastinator is the 3rd 'D': 'Delay it'. Keep that particular list SMALL.)
# Learn to say "NO" gracefully (but in a way that leaves no room for negotiation). Your time is precious.
Checklist 11 – Organize Your Work Space
To organize your work space, you first need to understand your needs and your work flow. Then you can organize your work space to accommodate those needs.
# Do you need to move your work space somewhere else? (Two contrasting scenarios: you might need to move your work area somewhere closer to the kids' TV/play area so you can supervise them while you're working, OR you might need to move your work space AWAY from family noise.)
# Do you need to negotiate with family to give your writing a higher priority? (E.g. is it more desirable for you to have office space than it is to have a rarely-used guest bedroom?)
# Do you have to share your work space with someone else? (School-age child, spouse, parent, friend?) If so, is there a fair division of space? Stake your claim to YOUR share of the space and enforce it - no overflowing files/mess!
# How much space do you have available? (If necessary, measure it so you know better how to place your furniture and/or files.)
# What are the things you can't do without? (E.g. laptop computer and portable file box.)
# What things DON'T you have that would make your work space more efficient? (Desk - chair - lighting - printer - filing cabinet - storage cupboard etc.)
# Write down the list of things you have that you want to keep.
# Write down a list of things you need to buy/acquire to make your writing space work better.
# Start pruning. For optimal use of space, digitize as much as possible. If you have a computer file, throw out the paper copy. If you don't have a computer file of a document, consider scanning it. Save all digital files a) to your computer and (b) to a backup disk.
# Get rid of unnecessary furniture. (Don't hang on to a set of shelves or filing cabinet simply because you 'paid good money for it'. If you no longer need something, give it to fam
ily, friends or charity.)
# Start organizing (or re-organizing) your work space according to your work flow. Ensure that tools you use all the time are close at hand (stapler/sticky tape/pens/note cubes), and the used-only-occasionally things (reference books/software manuals/fan or heater etc.) are stored neatly nearby. If you store things in boxes, LABEL those boxes.
# Storage: Establish an organized system that works for YOU. (Do you want a couple of storage trays, or do labelled suspension files work better for you? Do you use notebooks or is everything on the computer? What size notebooks work best? Where will you keep them?)
Checklist 12 – Organize Your Files
The key to good organization of your files is simple: you need to be able to find any of your stored information quickly. This applies to email, contacts, manuscripts, passwords and usernames, research and checklists.
# Make a list of all the files you use in your work. (This includes all the files mentioned above plus any others that are relevant.) Survey your computer and storage systems to see how you are currently organizing your files.
# Identify your files with a color, number or code to identify those that belong together.
# Work out the best way to make the various types of files work for you. (In a filing cabinet? In folders on your computer? In drawers?)
Paper Files
# Label folders, boxes, or file drawers clearly.
# Ensure that each file is stored appropriately. (Tip: Keep a small notebook as a Master File List, or open a Word document or Excel spreadsheet to record where everything is.)
# Keep often-used files within easy reach. (Your current project can be kept in a portable file box next to your desk.)
# If you use folders, work out a system for those folders that works efficiently. (e.g. naming the folders, dividing them into sections, type of dividers (plastic, cardboard, plastic sleeves), naming each section, contents list for thick folders.)
Digital Files
# If you use Windows, most of your files will be kept in your Documents folder. Start by making a list of aptly-named folders to store your work. (e.g. Master folders can be FICTION and NON FICTION. Sub-folders under these can be labelled with the name of your Work in Progress. Sub-sub-folders can be labelled with different aspects of the work. (Example: DOCUMENTS >> FICTION >> Adventure Island >> then more sub-folders like Characters, Plot, Setting, Research, Adventure Island Draft 1, etc.)
# Make your current projects easier to find by using Microsoft's LIBRARIES feature. (You can create new collections [or libraries] of work, and include folders from different places - e.g. Music or Pictures.
# Microsoft's ONE NOTE is a handy way of storing your research in Notebooks which can be then divided into Sections and Pages. Anything you paste in from online research is automatically referenced to the source.
# Take charge of your email: use filters, stars, tags or whatever is necessary to organize your mail. (If you are currently checking your email via a web browser, consider using a computer-based program like Mozilla's Thunderbird as well. You can then create new folders to store your email, and filter incoming email. Use online forums and the program's HELP features to learn how to use the program.)
# If you regularly access sites with usernames and passwords, consider using a program like ROBOFORM to keep track of them all. (You can access the list with one master password. RoboForm will automatically fill in your username and password with one click.)
# Back up everything. If you do not have a backup system, organize it ASAP. For peace of mind, back up your work (a) on your computer, (b) on a disk, external drive or thumb drive and (c) online. (An example of online storage is Just Cloud. (http://www.justcloud.com) There are plenty of others; do your own research... but DO choose one!)
Checklist 13 – Organize Your Projects
A project can be anything from writing a novel to establishing a presence on Twitter/Facebook or planning a workshop. Each project you begin should have a timeline (starting point and finish point) and milestones (interim goals). Most of us work better with deadlines: they give us something to aim for.
# First, determine how many projects you have. Make a list. (E.g. write novel, build a Twitter following, increase number of 'likes' on Facebook, start a critique circle, write a blog post every week/every day, etc.)
# Determine how much time you want to give to each project. (You can do this on a weekly or daily basis. (E.g. of daily time allocation: 3 hours fiction, 1 hour articles, 1 hour blog posts, 1 hour social networking.)
# Identify, in a logical order, the different things you will need to accomplish for each project. (You may find some of the other checklists in this book useful for this. Create your own checklists if you need to, so you won't forget a step.)
# Decide how much of the project you can accomplish yourself, and which parts of it you may need help with. (This may be in the form of training courses, pre-reading, or paid help.)
# Make a list of the resources you need for your project. This may range from software to 'how-to' books to a new computer.
# Decide whether you need to outsource any of your project. (Example 1: if your aim is to create a website and you don't want to spend the time to learn, get someone else to build it - but in a way that gives you control of the content. Example 2: If you want to create a book trailer to promote your book, you may want to outsource it.)
# Look at the cost of the project. If you are doing it all yourself, the only cost may be time. If you are outsourcing, or paying for a critique, how much are you prepared to invest? Decide on the project COST at the outset and try to stick to it.
# Create a timeline for each project, based on the amount of time you have allocated to each one. The timeline will include the following: Start date, milestones, deadlines, and a finish date. BE REALISTIC. (Example: a novel may have one deadline for the first draft and another for delivery to an editor or upload to Kindle. A Facebook business page may have deadlines of so many status updates and so many 'likes'. Aim to reach deadlines for different projects at different times. Stagger the starting and finishing dates.)
# Create a master calendar for your projects, beginning with the start date of the first project begun and ending with the finish date of the last project. (You can buy a calendar for this, or use a personal organizer, or create your own calendar on your computer. Do an online search for downloadable/printable calendars.)
# Leave room to add new, smaller projects as you go along.
# If you find a project timeline blowing out, STOP. Take the time to sit down and analyze the problem (e.g. Has it blown out because you're taking on too much? Because of a family emergency? Other factors beyond your control?)
# Step 2 for a project that has blown out: come up with a solution. Your main choices are (a) abandon it (b) revise the timeline (c) get help or outsource some of it.
Section 5 – Critique Groups/Partners
Writers’ groups and critique partnerships work best if you’re organized from the beginning, and everyone shares the same expectations. Some groups are mostly social: the members just want to meet with others who understand what it’s like to be a writer. Others are tightly focused on giving and receiving critiques, so authors can continue to develop their skills.
Every group is different, so it’s best to use these checklists as a guide, and tweak them to ensure that you’re getting what you need.
Checklist 14 – Group Meeting Checklist – Mostly Social
A ‘mostly social’ group is all about support and fun with like-minded people. If you are setting up and running a social group for writers, these are some of the things you need to consider.
# Where do you want your meetings to be held? (One venue all the time? Private house or public hall? Members to take turn hosting?)
# How often will meetings be held? (Monthly? Two-Weekly? Weekly?)
# On what day and at which time will the group meet? (Morning, afternoon or evening? Weekday or weekend?)
# Is there a process for admitting or voting in new members?
# How will refreshments be served? (Roster? Host provides? Restaurant? Snacks or full meal?)
# Will refreshments be served at the beginning or end of the meeting?
# Who will run the meetings? (Is there a different organizer for each meeting, or will one person be elected each year?)
# Is there going to be a group newsletter? (If so, who will collate it? Who will contribute? Who will send it?)
# What is the meeting format? (Is it completely social, or will it encompass a discussion about writing? Will the group decide on a topic ahead of time, and choose one person to present it, or will everyone take turns to speak on the topic? Will any writing be presented for discussion, or will this be a between-meeting thing organized by individuals who want feedback?)
# Will the group be organizing any longer social events? (e.g. yearly weekends away or writing workshops?)
# Will the group provide support for writing time for members who need it (e.g. in the form of babysitting for frazzled parents, or relief for a writer who is chief carer.)
Checklist 15 – Group Meeting Checklist – Critique Group
A writer's critique group offers support and social interaction with other writers, but its main purpose is to provide feedback on writing technique and plotting, with the intention of helping all members to develop their skills. These are just some of the aspects of establishing and running a critique group that you should consider.
# Where will the meetings to be held? (One venue all the time? Private house or public hall? Members to take turns hosting? Take into consideration that some public venues [such as the back room of a restaurant] can lack privacy for readings.)
The Busy Writer's Book of Checklists Page 3