Do a Little Bit Every Day

Getting Things Done

This Blog post may not at first seem to have anything to do with writing but it has everything to do with writing and getting your book finished, edited, formatted, published, promoted and re-edited.

Someone asked me some time ago, "How do you get so much stuff done?"

The answer is you do a little bit every day.  It seems like that is too simplistic but that is the secret to anything you are trying to accomplish.  I remember when I was younger I wanted to conquer the world Today!  My vision of everything was for the immediate result!  Time mellows us and our views and slows things down.  Nobody conquers the world in one day!  Or even two for that matter. 

I eventually realized it is the little bit I do every day multiplied by 356 days in a year and years of work, all combine to have huge returns of my little daily investments.

It's the little bit you do cleaning and organizing your house daily.

It's the little bit you do every day to stay in shape and take better care of yourself.

It is the little bit you do writing your story every day that will eventually add up to a completed novel. 

It is the little bit you spend with your family laughing and playing and sharing meals, that adds up to a life of love and  memories with your family.

Do a little bit of whatever it is you do every day!  The important part of this is to religiously do it every day, and over time the results add up.  I don't write every day.  I would like to, but alas life doesn't always allow that.  But I do something every day to contribute to my career as an author.

It might be editing a story, formatting another story, I might get a page written or a chapter written, I may only get a new story idea jotted down in a notebook so I will not forget it later.  Keep coming back to your projects at hand, a little at a time until they are completed. 

The results come slowly.  Most people give up on this project or that project after a couple of weeks and then start something new.  I know; I did that for ten years.  I would write on a story idea or work on a story outline, or come up with characters for this story or that story, but I was constantly switching between projects and I wasn't getting anywhere.  When I figured out that I needed to keep coming back to the main project and do more, do more, and do a little bit every day I started seeing my book come together and eventually I finished it.  Then I took the next story I wanted to do and did it again, a little bit everyday and after weeks and months it would get to the next phase. 

Last Sunday I finished the formatting and published my first book and then I downloaded it and in spite of all the reading and work I have to do with editing my second book and continuing to write my third book, I started reading "Whisper" on my Kindle.  I soon started coming across mistakes.  Even after my editor, and my going through painstakingly fixing errors it still was not perfect.  I realize no story will ever be perfect, but at least with Smashwords they allow you to re download updated versions of your work.  I have re downloaded three times this last week with corrections and re-edited versions of my previously flawless story.  After I have completely read through it on my Kindle and made all the corrections I can then I have decided I will let it stand on its own, for good or bad.  I will return my daily attention to editing my second book and getting it ready for publishing, and writing my third book.  By the way the third book is the next 'Wiley Randolph Novel,' the sequel to 'Whisper.'