I watched a Lynda.com course on Productivity Hacks For Writers, created by Jessica Brody. It was very helpful in teaching me some of the things I should have been doing already.

Word count! I need to keep a daily word count, which includes having a word count goal. Who knew? Any writer, I am sure!! I also need an end date in mind as well. Oh, so many things to decide.

While there was a lot to learn in Jessica’s video, there were two main things I will use daily. The first is Evernote, which is a program to keep track of all the notes that seem to pile up everyday. If you pay for the yearly subscription, there is storage for as many notes with pictures as you want. This is helpful because I have reference photos for the places I write about and specific items/food my characters interact with/eat. They are simply internet photos of real places and items, but important for consistency and anytime I need to expand a description.

The second super important element I will use is a daily word count. Jessica included an Excel file with a word count tracker that has all the bells and whistles an author may need. Again, I have to decide on a word count goal and date I would like to finish with the book.