Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Organizational Paradise

For those of you who have been following this blog for a while, it'll come as no surprise that I have a small crush on organization. There's my love of outlines, first of all. I use them for every plot line, sub-plot line, mini-plot, and story device, ever. I also use them - or their simpler, but no less sexy cousin, the list - for groceries, packing for travel, task management, and everything else in my life.

With that in mind, I know no one will be the slightest bit shocked when I confess that I also love spreadsheets. Oh, the organizational options! The endless array of tables, charts, and graphs at my disposal! Is there a more satisfying way to track your life? I think not.

(Before you write me off as a total weirdo, let me just say that I run my own business as a massage therapist, and Microsoft Excel has saved my life. Seriously. I use it to manage my finances and keep my books and organize my tax info for my accountant, all of which you have to do when you are a sole practitioner and have no one to do it for you. So my love of Excel at least has a practical, real-world foundation.)

I started using Excel in my writing life last year, and believe it or not, it wasn't my own idea. I found this great guest post by Delilah S. Dawson on terribleminds (warning: utterly NSFW), which laid out in clear steps a great, easy way to organize and manage your querying process (scroll down to #10 on the list).

I know I'm biased, but if you're planning on querying, I highly recommend you take her advice to heart (all of it, but especially the spreadsheet stuff). Tracking who you've queried, what they said, or how long you've waited for a response, is a complicated and serious business - not to mention essential. Who wants to query their dream agent only to find that they already queried said agent two months ago and that this agent was reading a partial of their novel and now they've gone and humiliated thesmselves? Right. Nobody. So, take my word for it: use a spreadsheet. It'll help.

My recent forays into non-fiction have proved I also need to use spreadsheets there if I want to have any hope of getting published. As of today, when I created the second of these sheets, I now keep two running so that I can track what the hell I'm doing. The first one is a list of places to submit pieces to: journals, websites, blogs, etc. My column headers are: Publication, Tone/Style Sought, Topics Sought, Submission Guidelines, Deadline, Pieces Read?, Name of Piece To Submit, Date Submitted, and Response. Each row is a different publication.

Simple, really. If it seems too complicated, consider this: I've been researching places to submit to for a few days at most, and I already have over forty options - and that's only the tip of the iceberg. I can't remember which ones want flash non-fiction and which ones want subversive essays under 3000 words and which ones only accept poetry essays over 8000 words, so now I have a spreadsheet.

Today, as I was trying to figure out what I actually need to be writing, I also realized that I need a spreadsheet to track my pieces. Again, I know I'm anal and maybe a little bit crazy, but I'm used to dealing with one book. One. Now I have fourteen pieces at various stages, from brainstorming only all the way up to polished and ready to go. You try keeping track of all of those without a spreadsheet. I've been doing it for weeks, and it ain't pretty.

So I made a new one. The fact that I may have geeked out while making it is unimportant. What's important is that I know have a simple, easy way to track my pieces, too. This one is even easier. The column headers are: Title, Theme (so that I remember what the piece is actually about), Stage, Length, and Possible home.

And now I'm so organized. I love it. I'm in heaven.

What about you? How do you keep track of everything you're working on?




24 comments:

  1. I'm blown away by your organizational skills. Excel? Spreadsheets? Outlines? Just reading those words spooks the heck out of me. They also remind me how much I should be using them instead of just starting them down like we are ready to duke it out.
    I started using Excel for parenting blogs and other possible book reviewers for my children's book. It definitely helped but I became lazy with it. I'm thinking about ways to organize my school contacts and visits better so maybe I should open up my dreadful Excel program once again, lol.
    When it comes to outlines, I have tampered with them but my plots just looks like a pile of notes, spread around my computer when I'm working on my stories. I really need to get more organized!
    It was nice to learn you own your own business, Liz! And massage therapy, very cool!
    I have a new blog address. Its www.ginastoneheart.blogspot.com Felt like moving into a different, yet not so different direction=)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh no, don't fear Excel! it's your friend! LOL, I swear, it can be amazingly helpful. If you ever see a chance to take a quick beginner course in using it, I would recommend it - it makes it much easier to use!!
      I will definitely come visit your new spot! :)

      Delete
  2. Spreadsheets and Excel give me nightmares LOL. I admire your ability to use them so well. I do love lists but sadly I usually forget to do or buy half of what is on them even though I have the list. I think I am the total opposite of you when it comes to organization, I'm pitiful LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I actually use a journal with a pretty cover where I keep track of submission dates, rejections, contracts and release dates along with the names of publishers and editors I've contacted. Not as organized as a spreadsheet.
    I use a ledger to keep track of earnings and expenses. I use organizing that kind of stuff to procrastinate from actual writing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are far from crazy in my eyes. I love lists, spreadsheets, and all things organized. Surprisingly, I don't use an outline for my books. Maybe it's my way of escaping all that organizing I do. hehehe

    ReplyDelete
  5. so I'm the "I swear I'm going to be organized" person, and then I fail miserably, each and every time. When I queried I kept a little notebook and just listed each agent and crossed them off when they rejected. I actually have began outlining my new projects (a very loose, messy outline) but I'm getting there!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am glad you found a way to keep organized. I make lists on word and I still mark things down on the calendar. I create "books" and have dividers for each area of my crafting supplies. This way, I can just pick up the book instead of turning on the computer, looking it up and then seeing from there. Even my film list, I did this on word and then I have a book and all I have to do is look it up while still sitting on my brains on the couch:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I KNEW you'd appreciate my organizational paradise! I saw your craft room - it's HEAVEN :) Isn't just so peaceful?? :)

      Delete
  7. I don't outline when I write, but I absolutely use spreadsheets to track my queries and submissions!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I thought of you this weekend as I tried to organize my timeline for book 2. First, I started with colored note cards, which I taped to my wall. One color per POV. The tape didn't stick. So I taped them to the door instead. I ran out of space, and my 1 year old son had a blast tearing the ones within reach off. So I tried rewriting them with smaller print, reusing some of the cards for events that happened on the same day. I then made a long sheet of paper with lines to mark days as they passed. That quickly failed because there's a 20 day gap between certain scenes, and my paper (the length of my door) only went to 20. I gave up on my note cards and turned to my computer.

    I write in yWriter5, so I created a new project, added all of my characters from my existing project, and started creating blank scenes with oneliner descriptions (pretty much all of the note cards I had in my first attempt). Then I dragged them around until I could see them logically fitting in "chapters". Then I could visualize where I needed more scenes or if some of my scenes just didn't fit or if they needed to occur at a later time.

    That is the closest I've come to really outlining. :)

    I used the Google Docs version of Excel during the A to Z challenge to track who I visited and on what day. But as far as projects go, I only have three really--Niniers, Cera, and the Seven. I seem to be able to keep track of those in my head. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh good lord!!! this is like an epic attempt at plotting. I think you get full credit for trying - I'll call this an outline. Lord knows you put enough effort into it!!! I DID have to laugh at the image of your little guy diligently walking behind you and taking down the cards you'd just put up. LOL!

      Delete
  9. I outline extensively when I write, but I don't use a spreadsheet (just Word). When I was querying I used QueryTracker. It's pretty nifty.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think I spreadsheet would confuse me.
    I do keep an organized calender for my blogging. I have to!

    ReplyDelete
  11. It's so funny to read this. A new writing client not only wanted me to write about income statements, but to create a fake one. That wasn't mentioned in detail in the project description, so I only bid on the writing. I just had to explain to her that accounting/number crunching is not among my skills...but it's glad to know some writers DO like spreadsheets. I track my income and expenses for my writing business using one but it's the most simplistic spreadsheet you've ever seen!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hmm... I still go by the old-fashioned "write it all in one of two specific files depending on how far along it is" for my story stuff, but I'm starting to see why a spreadsheet might be better for query tracking. Granted, most anything would be better than the .txt file I'm currently using. O_0 I'll have to keep this in mind when it comes time to query again, whenever that might be.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Liz, I was smiling the whole time I was reading this. It reminded me so much of myself. Yes, I make outlines too and excel and spreadsheets and all that stuff. I do it for work, for my writing, my to do list, practically everything. People have said I'm such an obsessive-compulsive but it keeps me on track. At least, I keep my peace of mind. .

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love organization too. And I'm organized everywhere EXCEPT for my writing. Why is that?

    ReplyDelete
  15. The first thing I do when my mind starts to get clutter...I open a spreadsheet! Yep, good place to start. :)

    Biggest use came when I had to track three separate murders and find that one common clue.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hey Liz! Congratulations! You won a copy of Wendy S Marcus's The V-Spot! Please contact: Wendy (@) WendySMarcus (.) com

    You won it here!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Without organizing every aspect I don't really know where I would be!

    Congrats on winning!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I don't use a spreadsheet for querying. I'm not that organized. :P

    I keep it all on Querytracker, though. That keeps me as organized as I'm capable of being. I can also cross-reference with other projects I've queried before so I can really see who doesn't like me. Priceless. :D

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks for this organizational post. Great to read it through.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your accountant must have been very thankful! I bet you know those formulas in Excel to make things even more automated. You're even using it on non-numerical uses such as on your non-fiction forays. Hopefully, more people follow your example on this. Not only will it make things easier, but you could also spot slip-ups or missing entries faster. Thanks for sharing!

    Rebecca Cross @ Advanced Accounts

    ReplyDelete
  21. Some people may find spreadsheet as the most daunting office task. Maybe because it has to do with numbers and formulas, and not everyone are good at it. Haha! Lucky for you because it seems you have a natural love for them. Haha! Well that's really a good thing, and I guess your accountant is happy about that. Take care, Liz! :)


    Sheri Chambers @ Highwoods and Associates

    ReplyDelete