Productivity
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Blog Posts
Books
See the index for this section for books I recommend about other author-related topics.
Dear Writer, You Need to Quit
by Becca Syme
I have coached thousands of writers. Six- and seven-figure authors, major award winners, midlisters, and new authors alike. And there are patterns to what writers need to quit, what we need to keep, and what we need to question. Those patterns are why I'm here, writing to you.
Anyone can tell you what worked for them, and of course they can say, "it might not work for you," but they can't tell you why.
Come and join me, and I'll tell you why.
2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love
by Rachael Aaron
Expanding on her highly successful process for doubling daily word counts, this book—a combination of reworked blog posts and new material—offers practical writing advice for anyone who’s ever longed to increase their daily writing output. In addition to updated information for Rachel’s popular 2k to 10k writing efficiency process, 5 step plotting method, and easy editing tips, this new book includes chapters on creating characters that write their own stories, story structure, and learning to love your daily writing.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
by Greg McKeown
Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin? Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized? Are you often busy but not productive? Do you feel like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people’s agendas? If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.
Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life
by Nir Eyal
Empowering and optimistic, Indistractable provides practical, novel techniques to control your time and attention—helping you live the life you really want.
On Being a Dictator: Using Dictation to be a Better Writer
by Kevin J. Anderson and Martin L. Shoemaker
Multiple New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson has written 160 books—nearly fifteen million words!—most of them by dictating into a hand-held recorder while hiking. Award-winning novelist and short story writer Martin L. Shoemaker dictates chapters and stories while driving, turning his daily commute into a productive work session.
These two die-hard “dictators,” share their techniques and insights.
Courses
Podcasts
See podcasts on General Resources page.
Tools
Timely
A fantastic tool for freelancers to automatically track their time on given activities. (Paid service.)
Asana
A robust to-do list and project planner capable of handling a huge spectrum of projects. Can be used for teams, or for a freelancer with a lot of different income streams. I use the free version and it does everything I need it to do.
Dragon Naturally Speaking by Nuance
https://www.nuance.com/dragon.html
The dictation software used by me and many other professionals.
Scrivener
https://www.talenawinters.com/scrivener*
The word processor preferred by me and many other professional writers.
How things went with my first week embracing Slow Productivity.