Hit the ground running (list alert)

Image by alan9187 from Pixabay

I worked until 10pm gone on Friday, but I did it. As usual. I wrote my 11,000+ words, checked it over as I finished each chapter, and sent it off. By the time I surfaced on Saturday, payment had been approved and the next instalment contracted.

Honestly, if I did that every day, apart from having to be peeled up from the floor I’d have a completed novel every … week!

Obviously, though, that’s unsustainable, and I expect that the quality would eventually, if not already, be questionable. But even so … others seem to manage it admirably enough. I, however, have other stuff I should be doing too.

Anyway, I did it. I gave myself a pat on the back. I slept well. And I had the rest of the weekend to do with as I pleased.

Most of the weekend I chilled. But yesterday, Sunday, I sat down and worked out my schedule for the next 3 weeks. I have a lot of work to get through before next Wednesday and I wanted to hit the ground running today, rather than spend time on the diary first thing.

I’ve made the decision to work at the weekend. The second instalment of the ghostwriting gig was due in on 24 May, but we’ve moved it to 28 May. The final instalment was due in on 12 June, but we’ve moved it to 16 June.

The client, however, is ‘up against it’ at the other end and he could really do with the final instalment in by 14 June and the bonus short story he can wait a couple of days for. So, to try and clear as much as I can before next Wednesday, so that I have less to do on the other side, I’m going to do as much as I can before then.

However, he isn’t my only client. I also have a book to edit, some website material to edit, and a magazine to proofread.  And then there’s my own work too. I’m writing a novel, and a non-fiction, and I’m kickstarting the short stories.

So the plan is to work at the weekend and take four full days of recovery after the operation, and then return to work for just half-days. We then have a week’s holiday, and then I’m back at work full-time.

If I get through a lot of stuff before the weekend, then I’ll probably take some time off as I don’t believe in burning yourself out, if you can help it.

Here’s what my working days look like today and tomorrow:

• 500 words for Words Worth Writing
• 500 words for The Beast Within
• 500 words for Project Management for Writers
• 30-mins short story work
• 2,000 words for ghostwriting gig #4 part 2
• 1 hour book editing
• 1 hour website material editing

I was planning on writing 1,000 words for the project management book, but I think that’s raising the bar a little too high under the circumstances. But basically, I have 3 hours in the mornings for my work, and 3 hours in the afternoons for client work.

I have this Wednesday morning off for my pre-op assessment, so the only job of my own that I might do then is the blog. Then the 1 hour editing jumps up to 2½ hours editing for the rest of the week (then back to 1 hour next week), and on Friday I’ll be raising invoices too.

This schedule takes me right up to next Monday. On Monday, I have my pre-op Covid swab in the middle of the day, so my hours are reduced again. But next Tuesday, I’ll add another hour of proofreading, so long as it’s come in on time. If the magazine isn’t in for proofreading, the book will get another hour.

Then I’m out of the game for 4 days and if I feel like it, and only if I feel like it, I’ll return to 10 till 3 5-hour working the following week.

Jobs that need to be off my desk before next Wednesday are:

• the book editing job
• the website material editing job
• the magazine proofreading job

And then the only client work will be the rest of the ghostwriting gig.

The 500 words I write for the blog at the weekend will be scheduled for the following week and take me right up to next Thursday. Then the blog will be having the Friday off next week.

So, will I do it, do you think? Wish me luck.

(PS This blog has apparently run to 745 words, so already I’m in credit!)