Writer’s Wednesday – Making Every Second Count

 

“Don’t count every second – make every second count.” – Unknown

 

“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.” – Henry Ford

 

 

Unless you’re fortunate enough to be earning a full-time salary for your writing, you most likely squeeze your writing into an air-tight schedule.  If you fall into this category, then you know how valuable a few extra minutes can be!  While others use five extra minutes to play games or take a selfie, you can take that short break and get an entire article published!

 

 

Let’s face it, though – writing regularly is not for the faint of heart.  I’m always looking for ways to save time, even if it is just a minute or two.

 

 

Here are a few easy Time-saving Technology Tips that have really worked for me:

• Invest in a Smart Watch  –  You’ve probably seen the advertisements for these, and wondered why anyone in their right mind would pay for one.  Thanks to some generous Christmas gift cards and a 50% off sale, I was able to buy this for myself recently and I love it!  Now I no longer have to log into my e-mail account or calendar app to take care of things.  E-mails and reminders pop up on my watch, which I can read or delete with the touch of a finger.  I can also respond to text messages by talking into the watch, which really frees up your hands to keep working.  Just set the notifications to silent and they won’t interrupt your day at all… you can just give them a glance when you have a free second and never worry about them again.
• Take Advantage of Google Docs – I really started using this for school assignments, but have realized that it makes everything in life so much easier.  You can work on Word documents, spreadsheets, or slides from your Google account, where changes are automatically saved every few seconds.  The beauty is, you can access this from your phone, tablet, or any computer and instantly pull up the document you’ve been working on.  There is no more need for thumb drives, e-mailing documents to yourself, or taking up space in your Dropbox account, people!
• Don’t Be Afraid of Voice Command Technology – Like most writers, I would write everything on actual pen and paper if I could (preferably in an aromatic leather journal).  But sometimes there really just isn’t time – you need to get the writing done and you need to get it done pronto!  Apps and computer software that transcribe your voice commands have really progressed in the last couple of years, and many of them work extremely well.  Now you can “write” while jogging, driving, or giving your kids a bath.  All you have to do is go back later, quickly fine-tune a few things, and you’re ready to go.  But the days of straining your brain trying to remember that really good idea you had earlier are over!

 

 

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.  New innovations are coming out all the time.  You can shake your head at those “crazy young people” who bother with all that stuff, or you can take five minutes to learn how to use a tool which will save you time for the rest of your life.

 

 

Do you have technology tips of your own that could save us all a little time?  I’m always looking for new tips and tricks, and would love it if you would share what has worked well for you!

 

 

Happy Writing, everyone!

 

 

 

 

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