1.
First,
decide on all the tasks you will have to do on this project that you know of at
this time. Don’t forget revising, editing, and proofreading time, or even
binding time.
2.
Count
all the days you will really work on the project between now and when it is
due.
3.
Decide
on a title for your schedule chart and type it in across the top of a page (or
you can make it as a header)
4.
Change
Page LayoutàOrientation to Landscape and change Margins to Narrow (.5”
all way around) so you have plenty of room.
5.
Count
up the number of days you will work and add one more for the tasks column. This
number will be the # of columns you need for the table.
6.
Count
up the number of tasks you will have and add one more row for the row of dates.
This number will be the # of rows you need for the table.
7.
Create
a table by going to InsertàTablesà Insert Table. At this point, a dialog box appears and
wants you to put in the number of rows and columns (See Step 5 and 6). Do that.
Under AutoFit Behavior, choose Autofit to Contents. Immediately,
your table will appear.
8.
Type
in the Tasks (starting with that word as a header) down the first column, and
type in the dates you will work in the columns across the top. Print out a
copy. If it is too big for the page, make the table fit to one page.*
9.
Use
your printout to consider when to begin and end the tasks you have planned.
Color or pencil in these time-bound tasks on the printed copy.
10. Now you will fill in these work dates
with “shading,” using your choice of color or texture. Go to the first task and
put your cursor in the column/cell when the task would begin, and scroll across
cells until you come to the column containing the date you will end that task.
Right click to get a dialog box.
11. Choose Borders and Shading. Click on
the Shading tab. Under Fill, go to No Color and the down arrow. Pick a color,
any color. Make sure under “Apply To” it says “Cell” and not Table or something
else.
12.
Right
click to find Table Properties and under Alignment, choose Center.
*If you have trouble doing this, let me know so I can help.