Advice from a Scientist

In this article in Science, Peter Fiske talks about how he manages his time so that he can do creative scientific work and avoid being "kicked to death by grasshoppers" -- the grasshoppers of email, meetings, and watercooler conversation.

Sounds verrrry similar to being a freelance screenwriter:

One senior professional I met had a rule that she lived by: the 80:10:10 rule. She spent 80% of her workweek doing the best work she could possibly do, 10% of her workweek focused on her personal and intellectual development, and the remaining 10% telling as many people as possible what a good job she was doing

. Showbiz ratios may vary. Probably a good idea to spend more than 10% schmoozing, and most of us will spend more than 10% of our time on "creative and intellectual development." (I guess that's what they're calling "goofing off on the Web.")