So, you've made the decision to migrate from Pantser to Plotter. Now what?
As a Pantser (not under contract), you have flexibility in your schedule. You may have a daily word count goal, but with no deadline, it doesn't really matter if you reach your goal. You can make up for it the next day or just extend the length of time it takes to write the book.
But what happens when you become a Plotter and submit a proposal for three books that aren't yet written? A component of the proposal requires a completion date. How do you come up with a time frame to complete the books?
Hmmm...
A calendar?
Not the ideal solution. Especially when you're working on multiple books. There's just no easy way to adjust.
A timeline would work. One with the capability to insert tasks by book and keep a running word count total.
You can google timeline and and find hundreds of timelines. Please be sure to pop back over here and let me know if you find something that works for you. I didn't.
Instead, I chose to create a fairly basic Excel document with the month, date, book, task, words added, and a running total. I mapped out each book with the targeted word count, taking into consideration vacations and holidays. I used "fill color" to highlight different books, so that I can easily decipher the transition from one book to the next. I add my word count for each day, and adjust if necessary. According to my timeline, I should finish Book #5 by early 2014. And now, I have completion dates for my proposal.
It's not ideal, either, but it works for now.
It's your turn.
If you're a Plotter, which organizational software works well for you?
Labels: #bookproposal, Dora Hiers, Organization, Pantser, Plotter, timeline
