Making Time to Write

In reference to, not only, my last blog entry but also my "sub" profession as a writer, I would like to address one of the most common questions I am asked: when do you get time to write?

The short answer is I don't GET time... I MAKE time.

Most writers, with the exception of bestsellers and those married to rich spouses, have to work at a job other than writing on a full-time basis to pay bills.

As full-time generally refers to a 7.5-hour shift somewhere within a 24-hour cycle, five days a week, on top of other responsibilities and necessities including travel time, eating, housecleaning, familial commitments and sleeping, to name a few, 'time for writing' is routinely shuffled onto the back burner or off the stove altogether.

That having been said, I am of the mind that setting aside even a modicum of time on a regular basis is important. While I DETEST routine strictly on principle, I have to admit I am generally more productive if I write daily at a set time.

But when is the best time?

That's a very individual question. If you're a morning person, hop up even 40 minutes earlier, grab a java and squeeze in a half hour every day before you go in. By the end of the week, you will have written three and a half hours more than if you rely on the old "I'll do it when I have time" plan of attack.

I know some writers who jot down notes throughout the day, on their coffee breaks and even during their lunch hour employing a kind of accumulative strategy... by the time they get home, they have written for an hour every day. This one would never work for me personally as I hate the stop-and-start manic feel of it, but hey, to each their own.

Post-supper pennings are common amongst many authors who view the time after dinner when the kids are either in bed or firmly anchored in front of the tube for a few hours their sacred scribbling time. While this is not too bad from an energy standpoint, I find the act of writing hypes me up too much and therefore doing so that late in the day interferes with my sleep. But if it works for you, more power to ya!

If I had my druthers, I would go with the early afternoon. By then, I would have gotten all the morning mental and physical cobwebs out of my system. After a light lunch, a brisk walk and a strong cup of tea, I'd be ready to give 'er pretty solid for a good three to four hours.

That's if I wasn't working full-time. :)

Given that consideration, I have pretty much settled into jumping onto the computer as soon as I get home - PRE supper. While the dog is running around outside and supper is simmering on the stove, I furiously try to get down as much as I possibly can within my standard 1.5 hour span. Going this route, I work until 7:00, before tossing in the towel for the night. From there I can have supper, play with my furry kids and thoroughly unwind before bed.

In the end, and I'm sure you've all heard it before, choose a time that makes the most sense with your existing schedule and true personality but write EVERY DAY.

And while it's not a bad idea to set a goal, be it a certain word or page count for the day, don't get too focused on that... on those "bad" days when your creative wordsmithing is limited to the likes of "See Spot run", you'll just end up filling the page with crap to meet your quota, only to delete it all the next day.

Oh and one last thing... write down your REALISTIC writing goals i.e. I'm going to write 1,000 words today (NOT I'm going to write 25,000 words today!)

Why?

'Cause there really is power in the written word.

Happy writing,

Susan