“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
Benjamin Franklin
Many thanks, Spidey for this particular quote.
Yes, I am a teacher, but I am not thinking specifically about my career when I read this quote.
We are, no matter what age, capable of learning new things. I don’t believe that old ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ baloney at all.
And in that vein, I love to educate myself more on topics that are of personal interest to me.
Right know it is all about my writing, and the craft of writing.
I have build an arsenal of craft books to refer to when at the editing stage of my writing. But do I have the time to actually write them?
Sure, I dip into them once in a while, but I haven’t fully devoured them.
Then today, I was made aware of one that I thought might be a perfect read for me… and I started reading it, and have only a little bit left to read now.
It is called Time Management for Writers by Katie Forrest, and I am going to to all out there and say, if you need some help with managing time, whether you are a writer or not, you SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!
Sprinkled with personal anecdotes, Katie has really broken down the whys and wherefores of how we spend our time each day, and some extremely easy ways to identify our goals, our ‘Whys’, (as she calls them), and then implement strategies to maxinmise our efficiency.
I, for one, am definitelty excited to start a routine where I am more conscious of when I am productive, and how I can create a world that works for me, in my personal life, professional life and with my passion for writing.
Part of my new routine, to be established, will be a set amount of time, 3-4 days a week, where I read a craft book, and actually digest what I am reading and take notes.
This will enable me to hopefully create better words from the off, when I get back to my creative writing.
See. Educating myself!
And if you are interested, here are my ‘Whys’ for writing.
So… tell me, is there anything new you are learning right now?
But I Smile Anyway... 
Dec 07, 2019 @ 23:14:39
as one who is planning to write a book on mental health (based on personal experiences), i find this interesting…also, i write because it is therapeutic and i am hoping to shed a light to those who are also suffering from mental health issues similar to mine
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Dec 08, 2019 @ 09:15:03
Sounds like a book that will interest many!
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Dec 08, 2019 @ 10:08:13
i do hope so!
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Dec 03, 2019 @ 15:02:10
Excellent quote. Excellent book. Excellent post!!
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Dec 03, 2019 @ 15:34:23
Thanks Jennie!
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Dec 03, 2019 @ 17:51:56
You’re welcome, Ritu! 😍
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Dec 03, 2019 @ 02:47:27
Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
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Dec 02, 2019 @ 00:38:33
Speaking of studying new things, I have read several novels that revolved around autistic characters and have read several student papers on some area of autism. I am going to do an in-depth study of all things autistic soon. I may wait until April which I am told is Autism Awareness month. Do you know if this is being observed on the other side of the pond? Have you had autistic students? The only autistic people I know have been high functioning students at the university where I teach.
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Dec 02, 2019 @ 06:48:06
I’m not sure, but I’m constantly aware of Autism, as we have many children on the spectrum in school, and I have a 4 year old who is quite severely autistic in my class.
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 18:31:15
Very interesting Ritu. Yes, I am learning something new – How to take care of a dog! Lol!
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 18:32:36
Now that is a huge learning curve!!
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 17:55:06
One of the wonderful things about creative writing is all we learn while getting our stories out. Right now, I’m reading “comps” for my finished novel, which means I learn more about WWII, and war’s effect on home fronts and on women in particular. And I’m always reading for my blog, which means I learn more about where I come from. As for craft books, one that always serves me well: The Craft of Revision by Donald M. Murray–it’s a classic for very good reason. I love your writing “whys” and am pulling for you to be able to make your dreams come true!
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 17:59:35
Thank you so much Rebecca!
You know, I read the craft books, then I think, the old classics that we laud nowadays, well, their writers didn’t abide by any rules… why do we grind ourselves down trying to write the ‘Perfect book’? As long as what we write has a good, strong storyline, good spelling and grammar, and characters that touch the heart, we should be happy, don’t you think?
And experience plays a big part in it too.
A lot of advice from the books can be conflicting, but I have learned to go with my gut with many things, and follow the feedback of my beta readers. After all, they are a sample of the people I hope will read my book once it’s out there. ❤
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 23:33:51
Yes, it’s all so subjective–there’s a book for everyone! And good beta readers are a godsend!
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Dec 02, 2019 @ 06:46:45
Definitely! 💜
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 17:24:46
I agree to Erika’s comment Time planning very often is horrible to me.I love to buy ttime planners, use time management software. At least its all for nothing. 😉
By the way: For the next weeks i thought Spidey will use his elf costume. Lol Best wishes, Michael.
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 17:35:31
You never know!
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 18:46:47
So true, Sis! But time management gives a good feeling.
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 18:46:59
Youre right there 💜
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 18:48:12
💜💜
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 16:15:00
Terrific post and a great question: I am learning priorities, which change over time in the best way….
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 16:15:47
We have to deal with those priorities, John!!
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 13:39:40
Good tip, sis. Time management has become an art of its own. I think I learned my lesson and as I write in my post tomorrow, people like you and I have so many visions and ideas and want to learn more but we overlook that we need to make changes and not simply try to push it in. There is so much I want to do. So many things, waiting to be brought to life but the time is not there OR we don’t find the necessary time-space to dedicate it to those things.
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 13:45:25
Slowly, we’ll find the time we need 😇
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 13:49:10
We are in the process and determined to succeed, aren’t we 😄
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 14:09:21
😍
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 19:28:48
😘
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 12:43:34
This is very impressive Sis, good luck with it all 💜💜💜💜
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 13:06:34
Thank you 💜💜
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 08:02:39
This is an interesting post, Ritu. I write because I get stories in my head which won’t go away until I write them down.
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Dec 01, 2019 @ 09:42:58
I get that… But for me, I can not seem to find the time (or energy) to devote fully!
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