As 2024 ends, I'm reflecting on my yearlong experiment with different productivity tracking methods. Like many creators juggling multiple projects—in my case, writing and programming—finding the right system to maintain motivation and track progress has been a journey of trial and error. [My Wall Calendar for 2024 (filled) and 2025 (blank)] Three Tracking Systems, Three Different Approaches My experiment revolves around three distinct tracking methods: a Basecamp weekly Check-In, a wall calendar using a variant of the "Seinfeld Method," and a Field Notes journal. Each system serves a different purpose and comes with its own strengths. I didn't really commit to experimenting between all three until late February. The backbone of my accountability system has been Basecamp's automated weekly check-ins. Every week since November 2021, I receive an email prompt asking about my accomplishments. These reports go to Cathy Wilson, providing external accountability that has proven remarkably effective—I've only missed two or three check-ins out of 161 weeks. It helps that we use Basecamp for family activities. I started using a wall calendar inspired by Jerry Seinfeld's "don't break the chain" method. In February, I shifted from a simple mark of what I was working on to a short snippet of detail. In October, I opted to continue with the calendar since NeuYear offered a two-year (front & back) calendar. I have a variant of this at work based on the Fiscal Year. The visual impact of marking progress has been compelling, with only about 12 missed weeks since I started (I didn't count). The calendar didn't come into play until February 3rd, when I began comparing its effectiveness with the notebook method. The Field Notes experiment—a 6x9-inch notebook next...

Two years ago, I started on an Alternative History series set in the American Colonial era. After completing two of the books and running into a roadblock on hiring a cover creation, I took a hiatus. I explored creating a cross-platform alternative to Scrivener, and I created a web application for my writing. Here we are, 23 months from when I started with the series. I have picked it up again. “Disclaimer. I do not use AI to write my novels. That's the part of writing I enjoy most. I use Claude to help me reverse-summarize my novels and with research.” How hard is it to re-start after a few years? Whelming, but not overwhelming. I wrote it in Scrivener and kept decent notes as I went. I used the Snowflake method to create the plot. Writers use Ingermanson's Snowflake Method to grow a simple idea into a structured novel. The process starts with a one-sentence summary that becomes a brief paragraph defining the story's major points. Writers then flesh out characters and shape scenes. Step by step, this method adds detail until the writer holds a coherent plan for the entire book. I've used it for years. But my characters have taken stories in different directions. You will see this with Sean Gunn in the second book. I had no idea he would do what he did in the second half of his story. I thought he was far too mercenary. GPT was new. I used it to create scene summaries after the fact, and of each part as I completed them. The original idea for this series dates back to 22 June 2018, when we were on vacation....