Time Management Tuesday: Back-up Planning

Yes, you're right. It's not Tuesday. Nor is this a post about making the most of reading time, which I planned to do last week. You've probably heard, though, that here in southern New England we're expecting storm-related power outages starting later today. It's already started raining and blowing.

We've had lots of prep time for this storm, and I've been able to plan what I can do if I'm not able to do what I originally planned to do. One of the benefits of all the planning I've been doing this past year for Situational Time Management is that I now need to plan. And while I'm quite capable of adapting to a storm and putting my feet up while I spend some time reading, I really don't want to have big chunks of time during which I can't work at all.

Fall-back plans aren't difficult to create for mid-list writers. Prepublished writers can and should concentrate on process--studying it and writing. They don't have to worry about marketing at that point and shouldn't (IMHO) being wasting a lot of time on creating an Internet presence. (An Internet presence for what?) Your J. K. Rowlings and Stephen Kings can hire help for marketing and promotion. It's those writers in the middle who are overwhelmed with maintaining the on-line presence, updating marketing materials, looking for and making contacts, writing workshop proposals, etc. Most of the time, if you can't do one thing there are two or three other things waiting to be done. No worries.

But, Gail, you're probably thinking. Don't all those things require access to the Internet or at least a computer. Don't they require electricity?

Indeed they do. However, filing doesn't. As I mentioned earlier this year, my files need a significant overhaul.( If I lose electricity (It's probably when, since it flickered off while I've been working on this post. That's why you're not getting a link to the filing post. I am in a hurry.), I'll turn all my attention to my filing cabinets. Until it gets too dark in here to see, anyway. 

I have a back-up plan. The back-up plan to that plan is to put up my feet and read. Until it gets too dark in here to see, anyway.