Writers Digest Conference 2024: Productivity Guide for Authors by Paula Rizzo

Productivity Guide for Authors

As authors it seems there’s always one more thing to do. Writing, editing, marketing, media interviews, book events, the lists go on and on. Balancing these demands is crucial to protecting your time and avoiding burnout.

Learn effective strategies to manage your time and set boundaries, ensuring you remain productive without sacrificing your well-being. Join Emmy Award-winning TV producer and bestselling author of Listful Thinking and Listful Living, Paula Rizzo, for an interactive session tailored specifically for writers. Whether you're drafting your next novel, polishing a manuscript, or juggling multiple writing projects, this workshop will equip you with practical tools to stay productive, focused, and inspired.

During This Workshop You’ll Learn:

How to harness your unique productivity style to enhance your writing process anywhere T

echniques to streamline your to-do list for greater efficiency

Strategies to reduce stress and maintain focus throughout your writing day

Tips to create an optimal remote writing space that fosters creativity and productivity

Methods to combat distractions and achieve a better balance between writing and personal life

Tips on using AI to make the most of your time

1. Productivity Guide
WITH
PAULA RIZZO
Copyright © 2024 Paula Rizzo - All rights reserved.
FOR AUTHORS

2. Your Author Productivity
Style
Challenges & Solutions for
Authors
Q&A
What We’ll Cover
@LISTPRODUCER
[email protected]
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5. Emmy-Award Winning TV Producer | Media Consultant
Best-selling Productivity Author | Speaker | ContributorPaula Rizzo
Copyright © 2024 Paula Rizzo - All rights reserved.

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Columnist

9. Publishers
I’ve worked with…
Chef Todd Richards
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10. Tap Into
Your Author
Productivity Style

11. You know your book & yourself better than anyone
Tap into your writing preferences
Get more done with your personalized formula
What’s An Author Productivity Style?
Page 40 in Listful Living
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13. Ideal Time of Day
Ideal Location/Environment
Ideal Day
Let’s Take
A Look…
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14. Wrote standing up
Stopped right when he
knew what was coming
next…
Wrote at first light
Productivity Pop Quiz
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Ernest Hemingway

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Time Of Day?
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16. Copyright © 2024 Paula Rizzo - All rights reserved.
Rate From 1-5
5 = very productive
1 = not productive
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17. Morning
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18. Before Lunch
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19. After Lunch
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20. Night
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21. ????
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22. Woke up a 10 a.m.
Wrote a half-hour per day
Wrote outdoors with cows
Productivity Pop Quiz
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Gertrude Stein

23. Copyright © 2024 Paula Rizzo - All rights reserved.
Location/Environment
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24. Copyright © 2024 Paula Rizzo - All rights reserved.
Write The First Word
That Comes To Mind…

25. Open Area
With Others
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26. By Yourself
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27. Most Energized
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28. Lighting
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29. What’s
Around?
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30. Ideal
Environment?
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31. Works in the morning
Keeps a 2,000-word quota
Writes every single day
Productivity Pop Quiz
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Credit: Pinguino Kolb Stephen King

32. Copyright © 2024 Paula Rizzo - All rights reserved.
Ideal Day?
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33. Free Write
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34. Work Tasks
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35. Home Tasks
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36. Difficult Tasks
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37. Easy Tasks
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38. What Are Your
MOST EFFICIENT DAYS?

39. What Is Your
IDEAL SCHEDULE?

40. Productivity Challenges
For Authors

41. Challenge #1
Blank-Screen Perfectionism
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42. “If I waited for
perfection, I
would never
write a word.”
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— Margaret Atwood

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TK

44. Challenge #2
Time Management
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45. FIX
Make A “Just Enough” List
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46. FIX
Be Realistic
& Time Yourself
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FIX

47. FIX
Split Your Tasks Into
“Before Lunch”
& “After Lunch”
FIX
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FIX

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49. Challenge #3
Distractions
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50. RESET
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51. FIX
Make A Distraction
Placeholder
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FIX

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53. FIX
Home/Work Boundaries
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FIX

54. Had a 9-5 job
Writing hours varied
Preferred the morning
Preserved the evenings
Productivity Pop Quiz
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Toni Morrison

55. Focus @ Will
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56. Lofi Hip Hop Radio
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57. Challenge #4
Start-Over Syndrome
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“Where was I?"
“What was that idea?”

58. FIX
Change Your
Capture System
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59. Use Ann’s
Email Trick!

60. FIX
Use Audio Notes
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61. VOXER
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62. WHISPER MEMOS
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63. Challenge #5
Procrastination
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64. FIX
Use The
Pomodoro Technique
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65. What’s Your Pomodoro?
Page 58 in Listful Living
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66. Improved Focus
Enhanced Creativity
Stress Reduction
Increased Productivity
Benefits Of Breaks
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67. FIX
Accountability
Buddy
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68. More Writing
Less Frustration
Time to pitch media, book events, etc
Sense of accomplishment!
Sleep!
Why Author Productivity Style?
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69. BE INSPIRED
-Roxane Gay (Bad Feminist)
"Discipline allows
creative people to
actually create things
and make stuff,
rather than just think
about making stuff."Credit: Eva Blue

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