Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

Not long ago, I presented to you the concept of a writing pipeline. The stages are: Research Ideas Drafts Final Edits Shipped Archive (or Portfolio) A project enters the pipeline when it’s an idea, germinating and growing in the idea folder. It’s a more formal project when it hits the draft stage. Each stage of development takes time, and you’ll see your writing life take off when you identify and schedule each stage. Use an editorial calendar, and you'll line up your projects—and each stage of each project—churning out content more reliably, meeting deadlines and reaching goals. How Long Will It Take? When you first begin using an editorial calendar, however, it can be hard to know when to work on the various stages of a given project. It’s difficult to map it out when you don’t know how long things take and you’re not sure what you need to do in each stage. To figure it out, reverse engineer the process. Start with the end and work your way back. Case Study: Blog Post Let’s say I want to p