the craft. working ahead.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been questioned about how I get it all done. The reality is sometimes it’s haphazard, overwhelming, and a little crazy. But I’ve definitely gotten a rhythm that works for the most part when it comes to balancing a full-time job, managing a writing community, and building a writing career. For the next four weeks, I’ll be sharing what Getting it Done looks like for me. 


It’s no easy feat to balance all the things that we have going on in life. From our jobs, to our heart’s passions, to doing real life stuff as a human being. There is a lot coming at us at all times, which is why it’s extremely important for me to work ahead as much as possible. 

When I tell people that I’m revising two novels. Somehow they think I’ve written them concurrently. That’s not the case. The first novel I wrote in 2020 while waiting for my edit letter for Good Morning, Love. I drafted another novel in 2021. It just so happens that I’m getting around to revising them both this year. But I’m still only working on one story at a time. I work when I have the space in preparation for the times when I won’t. 

So here’s a little of what working ahead looks like for me: 

Lead time before launching new things. I am constantly screaming this into the void at my full-time job as well. They want to do a new project and they’re like can we start in two weeks? The reality is, yes, we can execute things quickly, but that doesn’t mean that it will be good. To execute at a high level, you need planning time. You need to be able to kick the tires. And for a tiny team like PTW, we definitely need a runway before getting things off the ground. 

Batching. This comes from my blogging days. When I was posting three times a week, I wasn’t writing the blog then posting it. I would take 3-4 hours and write all three posts for the week so that I could parse them out. It is a lot less stressful when you block out the time to knock out multiple things at once vs trying to keep up with the pace of a weekly or monthly schedule. Even if it’s just ideas! That often makes it easier for me as well. Maybe I haven’t written the whole piece, but I’ve brainstormed newsletter topics. Now, when I sit down to write, it’s ten times easier to knock it out quickly. 

Creating and sticking to deadlines. You never get anything done if you don’t set dates to do them by. We show up for everyone else’s deadlines but our own. If you want to finish that proposal by the end of the summer, commit to that. It’s disappointing enough when other people let us down. Don’t be another person that lets you down. 

Focusing on quarters. This is newer for me. I feel like we always look at the year, and recently, I wanted to hone in on what I needed to complete for the quarter. So launching new podcasts, starting a summer reader series. Those were all goals based on the quarter. I went from book revising, to script drafting, to the final two quarters being focused a bit more on business development for PTW. Taking things three months at a time helps it all not get too overwhelming. 

Outsource where you can. I’m not always great with delegating. It’s something I’ve really tried to get better at in the last few years because I simply cannot do it all. Whether that’s at work or getting some part-time help with PTW, I’ve had to slide some things from my plate. I’m the “I can do it faster” type and it doesn’t serve me. Whether it’s getting someone to clean your apartment so you don’t have to, or saving your coins so you can order food instead of cooking. I’m fine prioritizing my work and getting somebody else to do it. I cannot be all things and I will not kill myself to try to be. 

I want you to know this as it’s one of my mantras, “your value is not tied to what you can produce.” So this is not that at all. But there is certainly a balance here. As I age, I realize there are a lot of people who say they want to do things, but they are simply not willing to put in the work to get there. These notes are only meant to help you, but in no way promote grind culture or any of that foolishness. When you work more productively, I think you make more time for the things that are much more important to you. When I can set and forget things, I’m now open to all the great experiences that give me more things to write about. 

You got this! But you will need discipline, you will need to be consistent, and you will need to think ahead at times. Hope this helps! 

Next week, we’ll chat about some of the tools I use to keep my fifty-leven endeavors straight. 

Writing/Job Opportunities 

Jenny Zhang is open to pitches for Slate's culture section. looking for smart, funny, original criticism (and more) about TV in particular, film, books, fame, online, and whatever else is "culture" these days. rates start at $350, increase with reporting/scope. jenny.zhang@slate.com 

Great narrative features, weird ideas, right now, thinking about an "Out of Office" digital issue in August -- burnout, bed rot, OOO replies, travel nightmares, 24 hours in the world's busiest youth hostel... surprise us!

Yes Magazine is accepting submissions for their “Growth” issue. (June 20) 

Complex Networks is hiring a Pop Culture writer to join their team focused on Film & Television. (Hybrid, 6-month contract, $35/hr.)

Harvard Magazine is hiring a Digital Content Specialist.  

Del Rey Books is hiring a Senior Editor. ($72-$78k). 

Young Storytellers is hiring an Executive Director. ($130-$140k)

To Be Read 

Why is it So Hard for Writers to Talk About the Working Class

Tupac Shakur’s radical family’s Black Liberation legacy gets a ‘magnificent’ history

A Guide to Getting Into Bell Hooks

Poets Can’t Write Novels, and Other Baseless Fears