I had quite a hefty to-do list last week, one that even made me gulp, and only 4½ days in which to do everything. However, I got through pretty much most of it in the end. In fact, I had quite a good week.
Here’s how I did:
- choose illustrations for history book
- write captions for illustrations for history book
Yes! I did both of these, and by Friday evening I was able to send the caption list to the editor and a disk with the photographs and caption sheet on to the publisher.
I needed some more modern pictures as well, though, and scouted a couple of stock photo libraries. In the end, I selected four from a stock library, two historic logos, and a current logo from the current owner’s press assets on their website.
During the week I received an email asking for a selection of photographs that could be used for the cover, either as standalones or in a montage. On Wednesday I selected the first six, then on Friday I selected the final six. The cover designer also wants a blurb and an author bio, so those will be added to this week’s to-do list.
- write to family member for a foreword for the history book
- write acknowledgements page for history book
No, I didn’t manage to do either of these yet. They will both move on to this week’s list.
- reply to email from my allocated editor
Yes! I did this, and we exchanged several emails by the end of the week. She’s off on her hols now for a few days, so I won’t hear from her for at least a week.
- write a blog post every day
I didn’t write blog posts on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday, but I did write this one on Saturday.
- complete 1 proofreading job for favourite client
Yes! This job was completed on Thursday and delivered Thursday evening by hand.
- consolidate proofreader and author corrections for 1 job for favourite client
Yes! This job was completed on Saturday and delivered over the weekend by hand.
- write up 2 posts for 52 books in 52 weeks
Yes! On the days that I did write blog posts, two posts were for 52 books in 52 weeks.
- finish reading 1 book for 52 books in 52 weeks
Yes! I finished one book and hope to write it up this coming week.
- start new book for 52 books in 52 weeks
Yes! I finished reading one book and started to read the next.
- scan the jobs board on a daily basis
- pitch for 3 jobs
I did check the job boards each day, but there were no jobs I wanted to pitch for. Besides, on Friday, a new proofreading job arrived from my favourite proofreading client.
- start Camp NaNoWriMo
Yes! Of a fashion … I started my new story bible, which meant collating stuff from several other existing notebooks I found lying around, but I only managed to write any words on Monday and Tuesday.
- write up ‘D’ for Alphabet Adventurers
I wrote this by hand in the Alphabet Adventurers’ notebook, but I’ve not transferred it to screen yet (at the time of writing). I’m currently writing this post up on Saturday, though, so that may have changed by the time this one appears on Monday.
- daily competitions
- daily online surveys
- daily videos
- check bank every day
- complete 2 daily polls every day
Yes! Once again, all of these tasks were done within just one hour a day between them. Once the hour was up, I stopped.
- diary work
Yes! I did this on Friday.
- weekly backup of the pc
Oops, no – I forgot to do this on Friday. I MUST do it this week.
- weekly invoices/finances
I didn’t have any invoices to raise on Friday, nor did I get around to any finance work.
Over the course of the week I also added 2,818 words to Diary of a Cool Cat (do you see a theme forming here?).
Still to do today (Saturday) is our ‘E’ adventure, but the weather forecast has changed and we may have to do that tomorrow now. I have two packages to drop in at the publisher, though, so we do have to nip out at some stage.
So, then … this coming week I have 5 whole working days. Here’s how the to-do list is looking:
- write to family member for a foreword for the history book
- write acknowledgements page for history book
- write cover blurb for history book
- write author bio for history book
- write a blog post every day
- read through Catch the Rainbow and send next instalment to beta readers
- write 1 guest blog post for friend
- start new editing job for favourite client
- complete 1 proofreading job for favourite client
- finish reading 1 book for 52 books in 52 weeks
- write up 1 post for 52 books in 52 weeks
- start new book for 52 books in 52 weeks
- scan the jobs board on a daily basis
- pitch for 3 jobs
- continue with Camp NaNoWriMo
- type up ‘D’ for Alphabet Adventurers
- write up ‘E’ for Alphabet Adventurers
- daily competitions
- daily online surveys
- daily videos
- check bank every day
- complete 2 daily polls every day
- diary work
- weekly backup of the pc
- weekly invoices/finances
Another big list, but I have an extra half a day. Working without interruption is usually better, and we’re both getting very used to working in the new office.
As usual, the blue jobs are all allocated just one hour a day between them, the red jobs are weekly jobs.
What’s on your to-do list this week?
