Some writers take their sweet time to spin a tale (e.g., George R.R. Martin), while others are natural born speedsters (e.g., Stephen King). It doesn’t make any one writer better than another. It’s what you do with your writing time that counts. That said, how you divvy up your time says a lot about your style as a writer.

Getting Ready to Write

• Preparation: You can wait for a visit from your muse or you can start writing now. Regardless of your approach, you might need to take some time to brainstorm or do some research to make sure your idea makes sense. You might even take time to write an outline. James Patterson, for one, relies heavily on outlines. Authors like Steven James, on the other hand, thrive in pantser mode. What is your lead time?
• Procrastinating: Every writer procrastinates at some point or other. Their intentions are good, but the time they set time aside for writing goes to the wayside. They talk about writing, they tweet about writing, but they don’t actually do any writing! How distracted are you from the task at hand?

Actively Writing

• Real work: Yes, I said it. All the things you do before and after writing are important but your actual writing time is what counts. You’ll never have a manuscript to show if you don’t put in the work.

After You Write

• Editing: Every first draft has its issues so get the red pen out. You’ll need to start with copy edits, checking for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and the like. You’ll also need to do some basic fact checking, sensitivity reading, and scan your manuscript for consistency in style. Proofreading takes it a step further and checks for formatting and layout issues. Of course, you can do this work yourself but this can be a great time to delegate. Consider getting a beta reader or hiring a professional editor to look it over for you.
• Rewriting: Writing is rewriting. You may have to cut your darlings, close plot holes, or even rework a storyline. You may have to add some scenes or scrap others altogether. Each draft gets better than the last. Stick to it!

Track Your Numbers

Are you brave enough to look at your numbers?

Track your actual writing time for a week. Go to meta-chart.com/pie#/your-charts. You do not need to register for the site and it’s free to use. Super easy!

All you need to do is count the number of hours you spent on each writing task during the week. Move through the fields at the top of the screen (Design > Date > Labels > Display) to enter your info and then download the chart in the format of your choice.

You don’t have to make graphs to know how you’re doing as writer. Still, taking a closer look at your actual writing time can give insights into your productivity. Are you spending time where you need to? Are there things you could do better? Time is precious. Use it well.