Dear writer: Advice on prioritizing your to-do list

Make sure your 2023 is full of checkmarks

We asked the cartoonist, comedian, and author

Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell

for her advice on prioritizing growing to-do lists. 

Hilary is the author of Murder Book, and her forthcoming book What Did I Do Today? is a guided journal for daily accomplishments. On her Substack,

Cartoons by Hilary

, she publishes illustrated advice columns, sketchbook dumps, and a podcast with Derek Boeckelmann to ask friends What did you do this weekend? Hilary is also a contributor to

ToonStack

and the New Yorker. Read on for her illustrated response, and listen to hear her read her words aloud.

Dear writer, how do you prioritize all the things you want to do?

What did you do today?

On Friday, January 6 at 7 am PST / 10 am EST we’re hosting a chat

On Substack

with

Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell

. Hilary provided a prompt from her new book, What Did I Do Today?, for the writer community to respond to. Download the prompt, write your response, snap a photo, and tune into the chat via the Substack app on Friday!

Download the prompt

1.23MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Photo by Bryon Summers

This is the eleventh in a recurring series of longform writer advice, following  Lauren Wolfe’s advice on tackling difficult stories, Holly Whitaker’s advice on writing like it matters, Lucy Webster’s advice on writing from lived experience, Scott Hines’s advice on cultivating connection in the internet age, Robert Reich’s advice on sharing your personality, Helena Fitzgerald’s advice on isolation, Alicia Kennedy’s advice on learning to listen, Kate Lindsay’s advice on creating trust with your readers, Anna Codrea-Rado’s advice on learning to celebrate how far you’ve come, and Mason Currey’s advice on creative growth.

Could you use some advice or inspiration from a fellow writer about creativity, motivation, and the writing life? Submit your question for consideration for a future advice column by leaving it in the comments below.