I realised recently that I must be a visual learner because I seem able to process information most easily if I can see it laid out pictorially. Depending on where you look, there are 4, 7, 8 or even 71 (!) different learning styles, which include: visual, aural, verbal and physical (or kinesthetic).
So, why am I even mentioning this?
Well, I thought it would give you an insight into how I organise my writing life. Having recently published my debut children’s novel, the pattern of my working week is about to change.
Christmas is well and truly over. We’ve entered a new decade. I made some pre-Christmas sales to get things started. Now, I must get down to business. And the business of being a writer isn’t just about writing. It’s also about all those other considerably less enjoyable things. Such as marketing and promotion; admin and finance; sales and events. (All right, I admit, the last two are quite enjoyable. I think.)
In essence, this means I have to have a plan. One which helps me ensure all those necessary tasks get done. I prepared a business plan before Christmas which involved some pretty scary words and concepts like: mission statement; brand personality (What?!); values, standards and best practices; career goals and, shudder, even expansion plans! If I have to name one single thing which puts me off my job, it’s buzzwords. They were popular when I worked for the NHS but I didn’t ever feel they helped me provide tender, meaningful care to a woman in labour. So, to help me feel better about it, and being a fairly creative soul, I decided to hand-write my business plan on bright yellow paper and I wrote the headings in coloured pen. Yes, it does all clash a bit but I felt it might mean more to me if it looked interesting. (There’s some evidence of my visual learning style.)
I’ve yet to put my business plan into action but I’m getting there. Slowly. Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the tasks ahead, I’ve made a chart to help me cover everything. (More evidence.) And here it is. I enjoyed making it. It allowed me to procrastinate for a little while. I do aim to use it. I’ll definitely enjoy Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays! But for now, perhaps I ought to get on with selling some books. . .
