Juggling multiple pen names, a production pipeline, and the occasional bout of procrastination takes more than just caffeine and stubbornness—though those help. In this post, I break down exactly how I manage my writing and publishing schedule, from rotating pen names to keeping six+ books in postproduction at once. I also explain why I never write more than one book at a time and how I use a 300-step checklist to keep my head (mostly) attached.
I thought I was stuck at 1,200 to 1,300 words per hour because I had been for years. But I wasn’t. I was just telling myself I was. This month, I’ve finished one book, written another in nine days, and started plotting a third—all while juggling a demanding side gig. If you think you can’t write faster, maybe it’s time to stop believing that.
“At its heart, this book offers a liberating proposal: don’t play the game as it’s currently defined. Walk away from algorithm worship, punishing release schedules, and the grind of selling at 99 cents to churn-hungry subscription readers. Instead, write what you want to write, at the pace that suits you, and charge a fair price for your work.”
Creative inertia is real. Whether you’ve stepped away from your novel for five minutes or five months, restarting always feels harder than continuing. It’s not a personal failing—it’s physics. Here’s how to beat the resistance and get back into flow, one “Just Start” at a time.
Most writers think they’re breaking down their tasks—but if you’re still staring at “Revise novel” on your to-do list and feeling stuck, you’ve got a project, not a task. Here’s how to break your work down into do-able chunks that actually get done.
What if, instead of waiting for those rare marathon writing sessions, you fit your writing into the cracks of your day—one or two hours at a time? Puzzle-Piece Scheduling is about breaking your writing into smaller chunks that still add up to real progress. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being consistent. Even short sprints can keep your story warm and moving forward.
I haven’t posted here in a couple of weeks, and there’s a good reason for that. Actually, there are several.
Ever feel like a fraud? Like you’re just pretending to be a writer until someone finds out you’re not legit? Or maybe you keep calling yourself lazy, undisciplined, or “just not that good.”
Yeah. You’re not alone.
From The Productive Indie Fiction Writer: Let’s talk about a topic that’s been making the rounds lately: the idea that
Ah, the dreaded 3 a.m. wake-up. You know the drill. You’re drifting in and out of sleep, and suddenly, your brain decides now’s the perfect time to replay that awkward email you sent at work. Or it spins a delightful doomsday scenario about how your project will implode, your reputation will be ruined, and your cat will somehow suffer terrible consequences.
