I didn’t have a lot of time in week 1, which I already knew about. I had two appointments in the midlands that took out two complete days, and I had editing work to do on the three days I was in the office.
Saying that, I did manage to do some planning work in week 1.
Monday
The first job was to gather together all the materials already started.
The next job was to decide which planning system I’m going to use: Scrivener, Writing and Selling your Mystery Novel (see 52 Books in 52 Weeks book 41), or the Marshall Plan. For this novel, I chose the Marshall Plan.
I printed off the worksheets I already have on the computer as templates. And I photocopied those from the workbook I’d also like to use.
I commandeered a nice binder and emptied all of the plastic reinforced pockets that were already in there. (There were recipes in these torn from magazines.) Then I fed the photocopies and print-outs into the reinforced pockets, in the order of work.
Weekend
Yup, the next chance I had to even look at it all was at the weekend.
The poet had grown so tired of me complaining that I never have any time to do my own work that he took on all of the household chores I usually do so that I could do some work.
So, to save time in the coming week, I wrote and scheduled this post, I wrote and scheduled 52 Books in 52 Weeks book 41, and I brushed up on my reading for the Marshall Plan and revised the system, ensuring I had everything I needed to get going.
The worksheets I completed were:
- Writing Time and Place Chart
- Title Brainstorming Worksheet
- Suppose List
- Story Idea
- Crisis/Goal Checklist
And I did the diary for the coming week.
I also realised that for the past four years at around this time of year I start planning for the *next project*, and by 1 November I’m ready to write the first draft. So that’s the plan for this time as well.
The coming week
This coming week I have a five-day working week and I have one book to finish editing and another to proofread for lovely already client. I have my own book to proofread, which comes out on 30 November. And I have another novel to polish. I also have some short material to write.
I have time blocked out for The Beast Within, which will still, at this stage, be planning work. This week I’ll (at least) be working on some of the characters.
Good luck, hope all goes well.
Thank you!