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Okay, I'm going to do a thread of writing/author things I learned/relearned/noted/etc in 2020! Will add intermittently. (Not going to do 1 per like because I can never keep up, but will do more if there seems to be interest!)
1) No writing plan survives contact with 2020.
1) No writing plan survives contact with 2020.
2) Flexibility is so important. If I convince myself I can only write at a certain time of day, with no one in the house, etc, then I'm doomed if (for example) some unexpected major shift makes those conditions impossible.
3) I love love love blurbing books, but I absolutely can't handle more than 1 per month no matter how much I want to, and I need to say "I'll get to it if I can" instead of "sure, I'll do it!" to set expectations properly.
4) I tried doing a zero draft! (Sketchy skeleton draft where I skip anything I don't feel like writing or am not clear on yet.) I think this (valid, useful) method is ultimately not for me, BUT I can take away some great lessons from it!
4a) Zero drafts aren't for me because it accentuates my tendency to focus on big OH SHIT moments in drafting at the expense of agency & character. I lose the emotional through line. HOWEVER:
4b) Skipping smaller bits that don't have character impact (like transitions or planning scenes) in drafting is a great technique I should hold onto, because that's often stuff I should be skipping anyway and would just have to cut later!
5) If you find you're spending a whole bunch of page time explaining cool exciting things that happened offscreen, maybe bring those things onscreen instead. Seeing them happen will be much more fun than listening to somebody lecture about them.
6) If you're not getting writing done because something is stopping you from focusing (like, say, a puppy), switch to getting other tasks out of the way that you CAN do now which will free up writing time later.
7) I have to be wayyyyy more careful how I manage my author income over time when I'm not ALSO getting a monthly paycheck from a day job contract! Author income comes in big chunks VERY FAR APART so you have to take a super long view.
8) Audiobooks are amazing and a great way to keep up a bit better with my out of control TBR pile, since I can listen while I cook or do chores or take the puppy outside!
9) Having fellow writers/authors at the same stage (roughly) in their careers who you can talk to honestly about stuff makes SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE.
10) It's always good to be completely honest with your publisher from the beginning about time/schedule constraints or concerns you might have. It's just so much easier to talk about possible schedule issues if you've been up front since the beginning, and no one gets mad.
11) A good editor never lets you get away with your lazy writer bullshit, so you shouldn't even try. If you have a vague feeling something isn't working, go fix it now or they're just going to make you fix it later.
If you have a vague feeling something isn't working, go fix it now or they're just going to make you fix it later.
12) Skip the planning scene. Seriously, Melissa. SKIP THE PLANNING SCENE. And you know what else? Don't write TWO SCENES PLANNING THE SAME THING. You're just going to have to cut them in the next draft. OMG what is wrong with you.
13) Just because I don't have fixed work hours doesn't mean I don't need a real work day, or that my work can be completely sacrificed to support the more scheduled work/school of others in my household. My family is awesome & understanding, and will support me if I ask them. 
14) When I'm too tired to write, I should switch to reading or go to sleep, even if I haven't hit my goal for today yet. I'm just going to stare at stuff and not accomplish anything if I try to keep pushing onward.
