Trying a different way of working

I’m trying something new this week. A different way of organising my working day. 

Today, I started a new project: the 160-page graphic novel I wrote about in February. I need to deliver the script in chunks of 20 pages, roughly the length of a standard issue.

So far, so standard. The thing is, I also have a lot of other things swirling around, including promotion for Gwenpool, follow-up work from my recent visit to LA and all the admin that goes with running your own business.

There are a lot of plates being spun, right now.

Usually, I'd dedicate entire days to scripting, turning around a 20-pager in three days: 10 pages on day one, the final 10 on day two, with an edit and polish on day three. Simple. But it means that I then have to do all that other stuff in the evening, or late in the afternoon when my energy levels aren't so great.

So, I'm trying something new. Another experiment to see if it makes a difference.

Instead of taking three days to produce the script, I'm pushing it to four, and limiting my time working on it to the mornings.

• Morning one: six pages.
• Morning two: seven pages.
• Morning three: seven pages.
• Morning four (or until it's finished): edit and polish.

This then frees up the afternoon to crack on with the other things. It's a tiny little change if you think about it, but worth a try, especially if I promise myself that I won't get distracted by email or what-have-you first thing the morning.

Get up. Have breakfast. Go for a walk. Get to my desk. Write.

That means by lunchtime, I will (hopefully) acheive my writing goal, so the day starts with a win before I get stuck into the nitty gritty of everything else (including this blog!)

There will be a couple of things I need to remember:

• I'll need a plan of the issue or section before I start on morning one. No getting up, blocking it out and then diving into the writing. My first task of the day should be the first page of the section, so I'll need to remember to make time beforehand to block out the story. No bad thing, as it'll mean I can sit with the plan longer, allowing it to percolate before I put finger to keyboard.
• I won't be able to produce as many pages per week. Some days, I write and edit an issue from Monday to Wednesday before cramming in another 10 pages of a different project on Thursday. That won't be able to happen, but again, that's not such a bad thing. Even after all these years, I'm sometimes guilty of taking on too much work, thinking I can just squeeze it in, forgetting about all the admin... not to mention edits, lettering passes, etc, which can now be handled in the afternoon slots.)

So, that's the plan. I'll keep you up to date with how it's going. Day one has, so far, been a success. I managed seven pages before lunch (a lovely chunky lamb soup) so I'm ahead of myself – which I've celebrated by writing this post!

Let's see how the rest of the week goes! I'll report back soon!

Fellow writer / creative types – how do you plan your days? Let me know in the comments below!