Tag Archives: Pomodoro Technique

Writing Performance Review for 2023

Few people look forward to performance reviews, and I’m not one of them. As an upside, I’m my own boss. Downside—I’m my own harshest critic.

Time to assess my writing for 2023. As in past years, I’m using The Writer’s Performance Review scorecard by book coach, Jennie Nash.

This year, I examined the rating descriptions in greater detail and it resulted in a lower score than in previous years. For each attribute, you rank from one to five. One = below expectations. Two = partially meets expectations. Three = meets expectations. Four = exceeds expectations. Five = far exceeds expectations.

It’s a comparison of actual performance during the year to expected performance. Based on that, a score of three isn’t bad. It means you’re doing what you expected to do. If you scored three in all twenty attributes, you’d get 60.

As my assessment turned out, I did get a 60. Mostly 3s, but also one 5, four 4s, four 2s, and one 1.

That 1 rating applies to “strategic thinking,” and I’ll do more in 2024 to discover the influencers of my genre by checking out podcasts and Youtube videos by reviewers and authors.

I’ve also committed to some corrective actions in the areas rated as 2:

  • Organization and Planning – I’ll use the Pomodoro method to manage my time.
  • Goal Orientation – I’ll follow the Stephen Covey method of setting large goals, then breaking them down into smaller goals, and weekly tasks.
  • Genre Knowledge – I’ll read more books in my genre.
  • Target Audience Knowledge – I’ll spend some time listing characteristics of my ‘ideal reader.’ That’s how I get to know my fictional characters better, so it might work for readers.

As for writing accomplishments this year:

  • My story “Turned Off” got published in The Science Fiction Tarot. 
  • I finished the second draft of one novel, and
  • I made good progress on the first draft of another novel
  • I completed another round of edits on my upcoming short story collection, The Seastead Chronicles, and am hoping for its publication in 2024.

    Most employers and employees keep annual performance assessments private. As both employer and employee, I display mine to the world as a service to other writers.

    May all of us who scribble words have a successful 2024. That’s the New Year’s wish of—

    Poseidon’s Scribe

    December 17, 2023Permalink

    Can a Tomato Help You Write?

    What’s keeping you from writing better? Do you have so much to do that you feel overwhelmed? Do you start to write but get distracted? Is it self-discipline you need, or are you simply unable to focus?

    If so, perhaps a tomato can help.

    No, I don’t mean the fruit itself. I’m talking about the Italian word for tomato—pomodoro. More specifically, I mean the Pomodoro Technique.

    Created by Francesco Cirillo, it’s one of the simplest time management methods I’ve ever heard of. You will need nothing more than a kitchen timer, or any timer will do. His kitchen timer was shaped like a tomato, hence the name of the technique.

    Pomodoro Kitchen Timer

    Here’s how it works:

    1. Set the timer for 25 minutes.
    2. Work on your writing task without interruption, without allowing distractions.
    3. When the timer rings, stop and take a 5-minute break.
    4. Repeat steps 1-3, but after the 4th session, take a longer break—say 20 or 30 minutes.

    Those are the basics. Each 25-minute work session is called a ‘pomodoro.’ Writing most works of fiction will take you many pomodoros, but the 5-minute breaks will allow you to stretch and clear your mind. You’ll return to your writing feeling refreshed, and possibly with new insights from your muse.

    It’s possible that you’ll finish a single writing task, like a chapter or a short story, while in the middle of a pomodoro session. Mr. Cirillo suggests you use the remainder of the session to review your work, not start your break early. The idea is to ingrain a mental association between work and consistent chunks of time.  

    You may find it preferable to use a mechanical timer rather than a digital one. At first, you’ll connect its ticking sound with the relentless passing of time. Later, you’ll associate that sound with your own mental focus. It may actually aid in your ability to concentrate.

    Here’s how I’ve used the Pomodoro Technique. Often I have several different writing tasks to do—a first draft of a short story, a second edit of a novel’s chapter, some research for a future work, and an upcoming blog post. Viewed from beforehand, with all these tasks undone, the pile of work can seem daunting.

    I’ve found tasks don’t get done if I sit and fret about them. But if I view them as manageable chunks of time, then I can devote pomodoros to each task in turn. If they are unequal in importance, then I start with the most important one and devote more pomodoros to it.

    You can use the Pomodoro Technique for many types of tasks, not just writing-related ones. It works for tasks where you can control the timing of your breaks, and where stopping after 25 minutes is possible.

    Don’t use it while playing soccer, performing surgery, or defusing a bomb.

    But if writing is your thing, consider letting a tomato help you out. It works for—

    Poseidon’s Scribe

    September 20, 2020Permalink

    Defeating Distraction, Finding Focus

    You’re writing at a good pace, but then get distracted, torn away from your story. You hate when that happens, but sometimes the diversion is irresistible. What causes that, and how can you prevent it?

    We live in a distraction-rich environment. Even before the Internet, there were rooms to clean, library books to return, lawns to mow, desk items to straighten, and windows to gaze through. Today, there are Facebook posts to like, tweets to retweet, texts to answer, online stores to shop in, blog posts to read, and new sites to explore.

    Still, this tendency to get distracted doesn’t make sense, does it? You sat down fully intending to write your story. Then things went awry; that best-laid plan went askew, you diverted to a tangent. Why does that happen?

    Let’s separate two types of distraction—external and internal—and tackle each separately.

    External Distractions

    These attack you from outside and appeal to one or more senses. A funny show comes on TV, a favorite song blares from the radio, the cat snuggles against you, a pleasant aroma wafts from the kitchen.

    The cure for these might seem simple; just eliminate external sources of distraction. Write in a bare, soundproof room with the door shut, on a computer disconnected from the net.

    That might work for some, but for many of us it’s not practical. It’s better to start by eliminating your most common, most alluring distractions if you can. As for the others, learn to become aware when a distractor is pulling you away. At the onset of each distraction, make a conscious decision to allow it or not.

    Consider setting up a “focus object,” an inspirational something to redirect you toward your story, akin to the busts of Beethoven atop pianos. I made a framed picture of Jules Verne with the caption “Keep writing, Steve,” and mounted it above my desk. Pick a focus object specific to you and glance at it when you feel the tug of some external interruption.

    Internal Distractions

    The internal ones are worse, since your own mind assails you and there’s no one else to blame. Your mind wanders away from your story and suddenly there’s something else needing your attention. You have a bill due today; this story idea needs additional research; you’re wondering what that old high school friend is up to.

    These generally occur when you’re stuck and need to solve an unexpected story problem. You feel you have to pause and think before writing further. That’s the moment when your brain takes a meandering walk.

    As with external distractions, part of the cure is learning to recognize the distraction at the moment it occurs. If you were truly stuck just before that instant, maybe a short break is just the thing you need. Your subconscious can work on the problem while you’re engaged in the distracting activity.

    If you were making progress right before that moment, ask yourself this question: “Is this the best use of my time right now?” On occasion, the distraction will be the best answer. Most times, you’ll realize you should return to your story.

    Final Thoughts

    Visualization is another technique for dealing with distractions. Keep a vision of you finishing your story, admiring it, and submitting it for publication. Think of how good that will feel. Use that vision to get you focused back on writing.

    Recognize, too, that you can’t stay focused forever. You need to give your brain a rest. The Pomodoro Technique can be a way to promote both proper focusing and reasonable breaks.

    You’ll find more great advice on dealing with distractions at this post by Leo Babauta and this one by Margarita Tartakovsky.

    I hope you enjoyed… Sorry, I’ve got to go. Something else has attracted the attention of—

    Poseidon’s Scribe

    December 24, 2017Permalink