Scheduling Time for Your Articles

How long does it take to write an article? Honestly, a good one takes as long as it needs to take. So how do schedule time for your articles?

It’s not enough to plug a due date into your editorial calendar, you need to carefully map out enough time to complete all the elements required. An article’s schedule is not just the time it takes to write an article, it also includes the time it takes to thoroughly research the material, interview sources, pre-plan your layout and edit the piece.

• Schedule time for research. This first step is key because it will not only give you background information for the article, it will likely point you to great sources for interviews. Don’t forget this research time includes researching the background and work of your sources.
• Schedule time for interviews. Whether in person or over the phone, giving yourself an allotted time to complete interviews not only keeps you on track, it keeps the interview itself on track. Knowing you only have 15 to 20 minutes to get the information you need, you will be less likely to let your interview subject roam the field before they give you the answers you need. Time is a great motivator for steering an interview.
• Schedule time to compile your notes and create your basic framework. Some people transcribe all their own interviews, others send them out to a third party, either way, you are going to need time for the information to be processed. I like to create an outline for most articles I write. After I go through the information I’ve gathered, I can begin to see the flow, what the headings will be and if there is still more information needed. Doing some sort of initial brainstorming or outlining is key because when you sit down to write the article, your words will flow easier if you know where you’re going. Stopping and starting to look for information is a sure way to waste time and get off track.

Tomorrow we will look at scheduling the rest of the elements of an article. Do you have any scheduling tips? Share them below!

Are you finished with that article or just finished?

Deb had a great post this week: Freelance Writing: You’re Only Competing Against Yourself. It got me thinking about how often we can sabotage our success. One area writers can set themselves up for failure is ‘just finishing’ an article.

Just finishing is getting an article in just under deadline, under duress and under your standards. Procrastination is usually the right hand man to just finishing. The root causes of procrastination are as varied as the writer – poor time management, fear of tackling the piece, cockiness that you will get it in on time and it’ll be fab because you’re just that good, etc.

The consequences of just finishing show up in a variety of ways. When you have set the standard that you will likely be the last writer to get their piece in, an editor knows you are the worst person to call with a rush piece. This cuts down not only on your ability to get more of the juicy last minute gigs and the rush fees that may accompany them, it will make your services less valuable to the editor. There’s no competition between a writer that will work hard, get things in before deadline and deliver tight work, versus one that will squeak in under the deadline with an obviously rushed piece and a sheepish emoticon grin.

Another possible scenario – if you have set yourself up as a stellar writer who turns in great work before deadline and you start down the path of last minute, your editor is going to notice. Editors and teachers can tell when something has been written last minute. It, at times, reeks of desperation. The article will likely need more tightening/editing than any of your previous pieces and if seen repeatedly the editor/publication will begin to wonder if you are still passionate about working for them. That’s never a great conversation – trust me.

Now let’s be real, everyone has off days and even months. There are times when things don’t click, won’t click and can’t be persuaded to click. Editors understand, they are people too and are more likely to give their favorite writers the benefit of the doubt.  Don’t take advantage of their humanity and avoid being in that position if you have just started establishing a reputation and a career. Getting comfortable with ‘just finishing’ is like cozying up to mediocre – it will just hold you back.

Pull your next article ideas from today’s inauguration

By Terreece M. Clarke

The world’s eyes are on the United States today as we swear in our first African-American President. As I watched history and prayed morning sickness wouldn’t strike in the middle of it, I found myself thinking several things. One of which was: “That would make a good article.” What can I say, I’m a writer and I find inspiration where I can!

Let’s look at some of the themes and occurrences of today and shape them into article ideas using popular categories that you can further break down to fit your niche:

Responsibility

This was a big theme in President’s Obama address and responsibility can fall into many categories:

• Kids and Family – Responsibility and kids, Teaching responsibility, Role modeling responsibility
• Green – Using your home/office/school energy sources wisely
• Financial – Steps toward financial responsibility, What’s standing between you and financial responsibility?
• Work – Get your boss to give you more responsibility at work

Service

• Kids and Family – Ways to get your kids involved in volunteering, Finding volunteer opportunities in your area, Balancing volunteerism and career interests
• Green – Green volunteering opportunities
• Work – How to start a volunteer program at your company

Other themes:

• Health – Know what to do when someone has a seizure
• Fashion

Did today inspire any article ideas for you?