You Do Have Time to Write
Time. It is one of a writer’s most precious commodities. The other day I was contemplating just how much time it takes to write a novel, build a website, connect with writers and readers, and many other tasks a writer undertakes.
Time is one of the most powerful tools we have.
But our activities are vying for our time. There are a limited amount of hours in each day, and having a job, taking care of a family, attending college, or taking the needed breaks to recharge your brainpower all take their share of time.
So how do you make the time you have work for your writing?
It Only Takes a Little Time
When you have a busy schedule, it can feel like you can’t fit in writing. Completing a writing project takes a lot of time, and all your time is accounted for. Yet how much time you invest in a day writing can be vastly different than how much it takes to complete a project.
A project isn’t started and finished in one sitting. Finishing most writing projects is a task that is completed over longer periods of time. To think you need to spend hours a day writing to make any progress will trap you into never starting.
Small amounts of time are just as effective. Small increments add up to big wins with consistency. To fit writing into your schedule, all you need to find is ten minutes a day.
The Magic Ten Minutes
I’ve found it is surprising how much you can get done in ten minutes. You can at least get one hundred words written if you set your mind to it.
Ten minutes over time adds up to big achievements, perhaps even more than waiting weeks between each five hour writing sessions. When you write consistently everyday, you get into a writing mindset. It’s much easier to pick up where you left off with only a day in between writing sessions than it is weeks.
Smaller, consistent amounts of time is all you need to make progress. Whether it’s getting up ten minutes earlier, taking ten minutes at lunch, or staying up a few minutes when everyone is asleep, ten minutes won’t make a big difference in your schedule, but it will make a big difference in your life.
Make Writing a Priority
Yet while finding those ten minutes can be easy, taking action on them could still be a challenge. The other parts of your life are still vying for that time. Your work, your sleep, your relaxation, every part of your day will want to swallow up those few measly minutes, and they will if you let them.
The time you set aside to write you must defend ruthlessly. Commit those ten minutes to writing. Make writing a priority, and don’t let anything dissuade you from doing it.
Once you make your ten minutes of writing a habit, it will change the way you live. You will start looking forward to those ten minutes everyday, and it will be the first step to reaching your writing dreams.
Start Today
Finding time to write with a busy schedule is hard, but it is possible. There is always ten minutes in a day you can use. Find the time, commit to using it solely for writing, and be on your way to exercising your creativity.
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S.J. Siedenburg is a thriller & fantasy novelist, an editor, and a bibliophile with a passion for stories and helping writers finish their novels. She’s the author of the guidebooks Character Presentation, Before the First Draft, and the How to Write a Novel online course. Six of her short stories have been published through writing contests. Sarah lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” —John 1:5