Ten weeks ago I decided to structure a writing schedule for myself. I work well with checklists and went that route. The reasoning behind this self-management effort was to balance my fiction and nonfiction writing. The bulk of my outlined content and imagination is devoted to fiction. The bulk of my actual keyboard time was going to nonfiction. This effort has fared me well as I have completed 143 articles and stories and one nonfiction book in that period. This worked well enough to up my serial output and write a full-size nonfiction book. It’s not enhancing my major fiction output. I can do better.

I failed to take into account my energy levels and inclinations. For instance, fiction takes more energy for me than nonfiction. I identified my high energy times and found them all to be morning. Also with six serials going, a dozen novelettes outlined, and as many novels waiting in my Sunset folder, I need to prioritize my fiction.

My writing week will begin after my day off, Thursday. What I have written on Thursdays has been weak, minor, or riddled with typos. Each day is different as my writing time is bracketed with sleep, reading, training, and toiling in this shit economy. A major effort is an essay or a chapter. A minor effort is an article, review, serial, a short story, or a bookmark or bookmarks.

Friday morning: major fiction

Friday afternoon: minor nonfiction

Saturday afternoon: minor nonfiction

Sunday morning: minor fiction

Monday morning: minor fiction

Monday afternoon: minor nonfiction

Tuesday: major nonfiction

Wednesday morning: minor fiction

Wednesday afternoon: editorial work

Thursday: read only

This has me writing fiction 4 days per week and nonfiction 5 days per week. Before I was doing 2 days of fiction and 7 days of nonfiction.