Keeping Track of My Progress...

My writing time has always been limited so I've set targets for many years, but circumstances take over and targets are missed- or just abandoned...

So I decided that I'd start a new system with my novella. I'd keep a writing log.

At the start of a writing session the first thing I do is open my log - a Word document- and put in the session number, the date and the intended writing, then the time I start writing. Then I just reduce it to the bottom tray so it can't be forgotten about at the end.

Obviously when I finish I make sure I have a printed copy of the work done as well as the copy on my computer and a memory stick (just in case anything happens to the computer).
The final bit is to fill in the finish time of that session, save it and close the files.

So far this has been the most successful method I've tried and I'll be doing it with my short stories and novels too.
(Previously I've tried this system with a notebook but I just kept forgetting to put the details in.)

Now not only will I be able to see how I'm progressing, but by the time I've finished I'll have an idea of how long particular types of writing take me. So in future I can plan out my time better and ensure that I've given myself long enough to meet competition deadlines...

Too often I've intended to do a particular project and found I don't have enough time for it. (I have to say I can't just manage 10-20 minutes here and there- it just doesn't work for me...)

For now the log is a useful tool...