3 Tips for Staying Organized as a Writer

 Hey, y'all! Any perfectionists in the crowd today? (You know who you are.) If so, this post is for you, and even if you're not quite as uptight about organization, I bet you can still benefit from these quick tips for organizing your writing life.

Organization and productivity go hand in hand. The better organized you are, the easier it is for you to accomplish your goals. Here are three ways you can organize your writing process to increase your productivity.

1. Set Goals and Deadlines. I get it. We're a bunch of tired, stressed-out students, and more deadlines sound like the last thing we need, especially over summer break. But think about NaNoWriMo. Thousands of writers can complete a novel in a month because they set a goal and stick to it. Deadlines motivate us to achieve our goals in a timely manner. So, if you want to write more this summer, set yourself a goal for the week or month and ask a friend or family member to hold you accountable. Your goal can be a specific word count, a certain amount of progress in your story, or the completion of a task, such as finishing an outline. Whatever goal you set, make sure it's achievable for you in your unique situation.
   
   
2. Use Organizational Tools. A wide variety of online tools are available for free to help you organize your life, including your writing life. Use organizational tools to schedule your goals, outline your projects, and make checklists for different projects. Your weapon of choice could be as simple as Google Calendar, but sites like Notion, Trello, and Milanote offer lots of free features and visual elements to help you put your writing in order.
   
   
3. Find People to Hold You Accountable. As I mentioned above, asking another person to hold you accountable helps you stick to your deadlines. Writing doesn't have to be lonely--it's easier and more fun when you have a community. If you're part of a writing group or online writing community, ask your fellow writers if anyone would like to be accountability partners. You can discuss your goals together and root for each other, sharing your achievements.

I hope these tips help you organize your writing life and increase your productivity this summer!