Good Writers Get Organized

One of the principles I harp on a lot is that writers need to be organized in all they do. Julie Hood agrees with her Organized Writer website. Writers often complain that they have so many ideas, they can't keep track of them; or they get distracted by new ideas while trying to work on a novel and it is never finished. Hood knows exactly what they mean and offers some tips to help them overcome this unproductive state. I suspect her book would be quite useful to a new writer overwhelmed with the multiple tasks embedded in the writing life.

Years ago I became a devotee of Steven Covey's "7 Habits" system, from which I learned to prioritize, schedule and effectively use "to do" lists. Hood offers writers a sample weekly schedule of activities online and in a printable checklist. You can adapt it to your type of writing (this one aims freelancers toward sending out a query each week) and get on track to reaching your goal.