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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Tools for Writing Effectiveness *snicker*: Part One

by Chautona Havig · 8 Comments

This could be subtitled “Or tools I use to trick myself into being productive.”

People often ask how I “get so much done.”  Now, a lot of times they’re also asking about housework (hint: I subscribe to the “lived in” school of housekeeping),  homeschooling (toss the books at ’em and tell them if they need help to holler) and a few other things like you know… cooking, shopping, sleeping (I do a LOT of that, despite rumors to the contrary.  I just sleep at odd hours compared to most).  But I do use several tools to help me with all of it.

tools for writing effectiveness

Note:  Links may be affiliate links and I may receive compensation from the company at no additional cost to you. 🙂

However,  in regards to writing, they usually  mean, “How do you write and publish 50 books a month?”  Well, first, I don’t.  Second, I never have, and third, I published so many in the beginning because I’d been writing them for ten to twelve years.  So  I had a LOT done (still have some done and not yet in print!)

But I clearly have ADD.  I’ve taken every test I can find and always score crazy high on it.  Let’s just say my parents were geniuses at teaching me to cope, because I never realized that everyone didn’t have some of the issues I had as a kid.  I definitely had ADD and serious sensory issues.

Did you know not EVERYONE cannot think or function if the seam on their sock isn’t perfectly across the toenails or the heel is slightly twisted–even just slightly?  The hours of torture my mother put me through, making me finish the page of math problems before I could fix my sock…  I thank  her for it now. I wanted to bawl like a baby then (totally not allowed, and I’m glad).

I digress–probably further proof of that ADD thing, right?

0So I change and shift as needs arise and go, but this is what I used in 2015 and it was very effective for me.  Because of that, I’m updating the post and sharing it again.

The first tool I used to keep me focused and productive is my planner. Regardless of what kind of planner I need in any given year, I always need a planner of some kind.

This is a Plum Paper Designs Family Planner BTW.  I linked to the cover I purchased for my 2016 personal planner. Alas, it has disappeared and I am sad.  So right now, I’m using a different system for both of my planner needs (I HAVE to keep mine separate).  The old Plum Paper Planners had cardstock covers with a plastic overlay.  I didn’t like them, so I covered it with a custom cover I purchased from Erin Condren (in 2016, they changed their covers and now I can’t destroy this thing to save my life!).

Note:  If you click the Erin Condren link and register an account, they’ll send you 10 dollars off your first purchase.  They’ll also send me a 10.00 credit after your purchase has shipped.  I often use those credits to give away planners or journals.

How I modify to make it work for me:

Here’s the original cover that I cut off, trimmed down, laminated, punched, and made removable so I can have whatever cover floats my boat that week on my planner.  😀

15

This planner has the option of having pre-printed custom sections all along the left sides of the rows.  I opted to leave mine blank so I could write it in as I needed.  SO glad I did.

How I use it for monthly planning:

7

Okay.  The first thing I do is I have these little sticky flags on my month at a glance.  I don’t usually write in these boxes.  Sometimes I’ll deck out a day for a release, but as you can see, I didn’t do last Tuesday’s release of A Forgotten Truth.  Why?  I was too busy writing.  So… there you have it!

This is this week’s sticky results.  I can see, at a glance, what I’ve done.  As I do each thing, I move the sticky down into place.  For example, if I write 652 words today, I’ll move the 500 stickies onto today’s square.  If I write 3400 words, I’ll move the 3500 onto it.  I do the same for planning newsletters, blog posts, everything.

And at the end of the week, I put the total in my Saturday box.

This is always a bit odd because the weekly view is Monday-Sunday and the monthly view is Sunday-Saturday.  But I wouldn’t want a full CALENDAR to start on Monday.  That’d annoy me since nearly every other calendar out there starts on Sunday.  And, I like my workweek starting on Monday and ending on Sunday because Saturday and Sunday are light days for me. The confusion works for me. Probably that whole big family thing.

1

So, this is the end of last week.

As you can see, I wrote about 12,400 words.  The reason it doesn’t add up to an even 12,500 is that I counted ACTUAL Saturday words and rounded to the nearest hundred.  I also put a summary of social media stuff.  Believe it or not, Social Media is important to authors, which is kind of cool, because I love getting to know my readers better.  It makes them friends rather than just numbers of downloads.  I hate turning people into numbers.  Blech.

2
Just a close-up… nothing thrilling.

3

Okay, so that’s what that looks like.  Just one of my tools to keep track of what I’m doing each day. If I see not much changing, then I know I need to stop dilly-dallying, and get movin’!

Note:  If the sticky flags get de-stickified, I use my Tombow repositionable tape runner to re-sticky it.  Works like a dream.

8

How I use for weekly planning:

Here’s my daily planned work.  Sometimes I get ahead.  Others I get behind.  But USUALLY, I end up done by the end of the week.  Note that usually.  Sometimes, this gets repeated twice… or more.  Because life happens, you know?

4

Okay, this is what the planner looks like on any given week.  This week had two big days on it.  AFT release and my ACFW meeting in Orange County.  That was a lot of fun, and while I got much done in planning a new book, I didn’t get any writing done at all.  Did meet a new friend.  Had a blast.  And I had lunch with my daughter–always fun!

If you’ll note, I added a note there for myself.  Get my son Chipotle.  He loves that stuff, and it’s 90 miles one way to the nearest restaurant.  Ahem.

Sometimes, these rows are JAM PACKED.  Other times, not so much.

5

tools for writing

Last week was pretty mild.  Almost a breeze.  This week… whoa.  Not so much.  I have to be working on two full manuscripts at once while still keeping up with blogs and social media.  Oh… and my  Monday is a bit fractured by having guests over for half the day–belated birthday party with friends.

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Planning starts with these little beauties.  I LOVE these highlighters from Frixion.  They ERASE.  Seriously!  They’re AWESOME.  Look!

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GONE! WOOT!  

I take those highlighters and section off my planner by book/blog/thing.  I also label those sections on the left.  Those are what come pre-custom printed if you want them.  But then you’re stuck with your genius ideas from six months ago when you get a new one. So you have to make stickers, which is okay, but it does bulk up that side.  Just a thought there.

11Then I start filling in information.  I put barely anything in this picture because I don’t want to give too much plot stuff away *SPOILERS* 😉 , but all that empty space will have notes about what I’m going to write.

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Note: I planned to do this on Thursday but changed it to Sunday because that’s my planning day. Makes more sense to post it then rather than the middle of the week. Duh!

And that’s the daily use of the planner.

But I have other pages in it that I use.

I used to use the notes at the beginning of each month to plan out that month’s blog posts.  I do it SOMETIMES now, but not as much.  It looked like this when I got going (sorry, this is an old picture. by the end of that month, those were mostly filled).

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Then I got smarter and started doing this!

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Look, I know it’s a bit juvenile or something, but I LOVE color.  LOVE it.  So, I make these pages pretty to make ME want to look at them. Others would see it and run screaming from the visual clutter.  And that’s okay!  That’s what this stuff is all about!  Making your tools work for YOU!

Okay, so I have a lot of tricks er, tips I use to maximize my effectiveness.  This is just one.  LOVE this planner and when I use it consistently, I’m much more productive.  I tried doing this on digital things like Google Calendar, desktop apps, the works.  Never stuck to it.  This, I  have.  And I will.

And, as we can see, I also adapted my life to new ideas when the time came.  And that works, too.  My writing planning now takes on more of a bullet journal style, but that’s for another post.

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Comments

  1. Deb J says

    August 17, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    I am not a writer but I love the look of your planner. I to prefer one that I can put in my hand and can change. I have had all sorts of planners that were provided by my work places but I really like this one because I can customize it. I plan to buy one as soon as I have all my decisions made about what I want done in mine. I also like the Frixion highlighters. I am going to use the planner to plan my Bible reading, praying and other daily to do’s. Thanks for sharing your way of planning.

    Reply
    • Chautona says

      August 17, 2015 at 3:35 pm

      Thse are the first ones I’ve ever done. LOVE them. 😀

      Reply
  2. Lucinda Culp says

    August 16, 2015 at 8:59 pm

    umm…I added a heart, not two question marks, but alrighty, then!

    Reply
  3. Lucinda Culp says

    August 16, 2015 at 8:58 pm

    Wow, she did a great job! You are so blessed??

    Reply
  4. Terresa M says

    August 16, 2015 at 8:20 pm

    wow! just wow! talk about being uber organized! though I did learn two new tips! Erasable highlighters??????????? and the tape runner?????? I love this brand’s white out! never knew they had tape runners too! where would I purchase the said items???? oh, and music, SOOTHING TO THE SOUL! But the “Surely Goodness” song reminds me of a joke I heard years ago! This little boy was walking to school with his friends and two ladies were following them. When asked who they were, the little boy told them his mom always said “Surely Goodness, And Mercy will follow you all of your days.” so that who they are I guess. heehee! Have an awesome week & don’t forget to pick up that Chipotle!

    Reply
    • Chautona says

      August 16, 2015 at 8:35 pm

      You can get both on Amazon. Just click the link and it’ll take you right to ’em! Arent’ they amazing? And Nolan has already eaten his Chipotle and is mourning the loss. Btw… do I have your address to send your letters to yourself packet?

      Reply
  5. Lucinda says

    August 16, 2015 at 7:58 pm

    Love it! And seriously love your hymn backdrop….now I have “Footprints of Jesus” stuck in my head….at bedtime….oy! lol

    Reply
    • Chautona says

      August 16, 2015 at 8:35 pm

      I LOVE my desk. Andra did that for me! 😀

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
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Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
byChautona Havig

Nothing says fairy tale like a sweet western romance by an author like Karen Witemeyer… unless it’s a fairytale retelling set in Texas in the late 19th century, right?  Fairest of Heart takes the familiar “Snow White” and turns it on its head with retired cowboys, a self-absorbed actress, a Texas Ranger, and a sweet girl who knows the true Source of her beauty.  Listen in to see all the genius Easter eggs Witemeyer planted in this book.

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Sometimes All a Girl Needs Is a True Change of Heart

I fell in love with the cover of Karen Witemeyer’s Head Over Heels a few years back (only to learn it’s much older than that, even), and meant to read that book.  I didn’t.  #BecauseIdiot. Well, that’ll be rectified just as soon as I’m done listening to her first book in a trilogy of fairytale retellings. I loaded it up on my Audible app tonight and wheeeeeeee. Here I go! So much for no new books until October. HA! 

Karen talks about her heart for young women today and how they’re taught by every bit of media blasting at them that they need to use their bodies to get what they need or want when the Lord has a better plan. And I can’t guarantee it, but I strongly suspect she does it without preaching. SQUEE!

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Once upon a time in Texas . . .

Beauty has been nothing but a curse to Penelope Snow. When she becomes a personal maid for a famous actress whose troupe is leaving Chicago to tour the West, she hides her figure beneath shapeless dresses and keeps her head down. But she still manages to attract the wrong attention, leaving her prospects in tatters–and her jealous mistress plotting her demise.

After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas Ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young lady found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather’s ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.

With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus is assigned to investigate a robbery case tied to Penelope’s acting troupe, and all evidence points to Penelope’s guilt. But Titus might just be convinced that the fairest woman of all has a heart as pure as her last name . . . if only he can prove it.

You can learn more about Karen Witemeyer and her books on her WEBSITE. Don’t forget the book is 30% off on BakerBookHouse.com.  

Follow Karen on BookBub and GoodReads.

And don’t forget her Posse Group on Facebook.

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Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
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