This post may contain affiliate links.
This might be a touchy topic for some people in regards to writing; but I have been thinking a lot about the balance of art and automation. Beauty and science. Streamlining verses freedom of expression.
To put it bluntly, I’ve been thinking about the question: “How can I be like Henry Ford in my writing business?”
He took a process and made it into a reproduceable assembly line with people clocking in and out of a factory; but the byproduct was the beauty and freedom of the open road. Ordinary people could explore the world because of time spent in a precise process.
I’m not talking about churning out the same type books again and again. I could probably count the Hallmark movies I’ve watched on one hand, because I don’t like how predictable they are. Louis L’Amour is considered a good writer; but his plots were pretty much the same. He knew what his consumers wanted, and that’s what he produced, which is great; but not the style I’m going for.
Of course I want to write content that people want to read; but my focus right now is asking myself, “How can I offer my product (words) in a more consistent manner?” I write a lot; but what I put out for people to read is rather sporadic.
Henry Ford didn’t have various workers contributing when they felt like coming onto the factory floor. Every employee needed the others to participate at a pre-determined speed. As a writer, I’m coming to understand that I need the business person, the facilities manager, the administrative assistant, the graphic designer, the webmaster, the marketing team, and especially the HR department (settling arguments in my head) in order to get myself in gear and working efficiently to make this happen.
Even if every one of those positions is filled by yours truly, there needs to be better orchestration – like an assembly line, sending out words, rewriting them, adding appropriate links and media, scheduling posts and publishing appointments, and sending them out onto the sales floor, or into the garbage heap, if that’s where they deserve to go.
*Editor’s Note: I just did a read through of this post before it publishes and had written “there needs to be more better orchestration”. It seems to me that I need “more better grammar”. 🙂
What Did I Accomplish Today to Be a Writer?
I did Day 34 of the 100 Words a Day Writing Challenge 2024 through LA Writer’s Lab.
What Am I Afraid of Doing Next in My Journey as a Writer?
I’m afraid to spend all this time making plans and seamless schedules and then having some crisis come up so that I’ll have to put everything back on hold. Maybe if I could take on fewer tasks at a time, it wouldn’t feel so overwhelming if something happens.
Stuff I find myself saying: I need to stick to my plan; but I also need to hold onto it with open hands.
– Jody Susan
(Somebody else has probably said this stuff – so don’t take it that I’m taking credit – I’m just telling you what I tell myself in my head). 🙂
How Am I Balancing the Different Aspects of Being a Writer?
I’m making Saturdays my margin day, so I can catch up on things I didn’t finish, or focus on bigger projects, or maybe someday I might just loaf around on a Saturday. We’ll see…
What I’m Doing About Building a Body of Work as a Writer
I made an appointment for Monday to go over my manuscript with someone who is experienced in editing.
What I’m Doing to Complete My Manuscripts as a Writer
I stuck my manuscript in a box today. I’ve got to sort through other stuff before I can sit down and sift through it again.
What I’m Doing to Grow My Website as a Writer
My mind is blank. Paying the bills to keep it online?
What I’m Doing to Build My Blog as a Writer
Keeping up with these posts, I suppose. I refined my schedule somewhat, starting next week, and hope to focus more on making batches of content that can inner-link with one another.
Not so Fun Fact About Me: I think I have a high chance of dying by choking to death on a vitamin pill.
Does anybody else have this problem? It seems ironic to take a pill to try to be healthy only to have it lodge itself in my airway.
That reminds me that my favorite part of health class in middle school (besides “bowling” my flour sack baby named Peter down the aisle between the desks) was seeing how high we could shoot raisins into the air while doing chest compressions, or the Heimlich Maneuver, on the half manikin we were supposed to be practicing CPR on.
What I’m Doing About Networking as a Writer
I checked my messages on Slack, where some of the members in my memoir group leave messages.
What I’m Doing About Monetization as a Writer
Let’s skip this one.
What I’m Doing About Social Media as a Writer
Nothing today – I don’t even know how to get on my personal Facebook page right now – it’s stuck on the business one.
I guess I’m trying not to waste time watching videos.
What I’m Doing About Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a Writer
I almost asked ChatGPT to answer this question for me, just as a test; but I would have to sign up or log in, and that’s not something I want to do right now.
I think it’s funny that the AI of spellchecker is saying I don’t have ChatGPT spelled correctly.
What I’m Doing to Stay Organized as a Writer
Today I faced the upstairs rooms where lots and lots of boxes have been awaiting my attention. My life has felt a lot like a Rubik’s Cube the last several years – I just keep shifting things around. Thankfully I’m at a stopping place now, where I can actually sort through things and begin to reduce them.
Looking Back at My Writing Journey
This week felt quite a bit more calm. I think it was because I blocked off time for different types of tasks, which helped me not be ruled by indecision and the tyranny of the urgent. I’ve got a rough draft of a schedule for next week. Hopefully that can help me gain some more traction.
Any Other Thoughts on Becoming a Writer, Random Rants, Tales, or Trials…
In my writing group yesterday we were talking about the topic of dilemma and how tension determines plot. I was thinking about the dilemma of trying to be a writer; but also a business owner, and someone who takes care of a home and helps other people. All these things seem to play into one another and intertwine; but there has to be balance, because they can also compete for time and attention.
I’m sitting here listening to cello music, while other instruments join in. I guess orchestration is the concept I’ve been striving to master – more than one instrument (or task) contributing to the beauty of the others, instead of overpowering them. I’m trying to conduct the different facets of trying to become a writer in a more harmonious fashion. We’ll see how it goes in the next few days…
Until then – I’m blowing the whistle on this writing factory, and taking some time off (well, after I write tomorrow’s pre-scheduled post).
Thanks for reading what I’m writing,
Jody Susan
If you want to read about music that was not well-orchestrated, please click below:
Recent Posts
What is Alt Text for Images and Why You Should Use it in 2024
When I started this website and began uploading images to my posts, I was told, "Don't worry about that box that says "Alt Text for Image", it doesn't matter; but I have since learned that it does...
I'm keeping today's account rather short; but I'm still going to check in for the sake of consistency. What Did I Accomplish Today to Be a Writer? I did Day 127 of the 100 Words a Day Writing...