What if you could find writing time everyday? How much writing could you get done in a week, a month, six months, or a year? There would be time to finish your novel, build your author platform, and start making money with your writing.
Like gold and silver, time is a precious commodity. Every one has a limited amount of time in the day and in their life. How we decide to use that time shows what we value most and prioritize. What we do in the time we have is an unforgiving view of what our lives are really like.
Finding time for writing and reaching our dreams is difficult, though. Time seems to fly out of our grasp somedays and disappear into family life, responsibilities, and needed rest. Even if our desires to write are strong, making time to write isn’t usually something that happens on its own.
However, with some thought, intention, and commitment, you can find writing time.
The Struggle is Real
Even when I wanted to make writing my life, I still couldn’t find enough time in my schedule. I had major activities vying for my attention, and when I didn’t have a responsibility I wanted to relax with a show or movie.
Deciding when to write, where to write, and how much I should try to write a day seemed overwhelming and discouraging. I thought a lot about writing, but couldn’t even write for half the amount of time I thought about it.
However, I did start figuring it out. It was a process of trial and error, but I have gotten to the place where I write nearly everyday.
To do this, I sacrificed two major daily activities in my life to make room for writing. I learned how to find and protect my writing time, and how to say no to occasions with people even if I knew they wouldn’t understand.
Side Note: If you continue to show people how important writing is to you, and if they are really a friend, they will learn to respect and even understand your decision.
Finding writing time is a struggle, but there is a solution.
Finding the Solution
There are three areas you need to think about when finding time to write. You need to 1) know how much time you need, 2) know what your priorities are now and what they need to be, and 3) know how to control your environment and the time you have.
This will take a little work, but thinking through these steps is essential to your writing future.
How much time do you need to find?
How much writing time you need depends on what you’re writing, your goals for writing, and your timeline/deadlines.
1. If you’re writing as a hobby, or giving it a try, I’d recomend trying to find between twenty minutes to an hour a day.
2. If you are trying to get a project done by a certain time, do the math. How many words would you need to get done a day to finish your project in X amount of days? How long does it take you to write that many words? That will be how much time you need to carve out.
Tip: Time a few writing sessions to get an idea of how much you can write in ten, thirty, and sixty minutes.
3. Are you thinking of making writing a full-time gig? Then you need to find as much time as you can. Start with at least an hour a day, but eventually find a way you can focus the majority of your time and energy on writing, because that is what’s meaningful to you.
Of course, sometimes life gets the better of our planning. Emergencies, illness, and other events happen. In those times, don’t get buried in guilt for not getting a lot of writing done.
When those times come, ten minutes is all you need to keep your writing skills up so when life evens out you can smoothly go back into your previous schedule.
What Are Your Priorities?
The next step is knowing where to find writing time. This requires you to rethink the priorities of your life.
Get a pen and some paper and write down the three major activities that claim the most of your time. Now, write all the other smaller activities that fill in the cracks.
Go through your list, and with each item ask these questions:
Q1. Is this a necessary activity?
Q2. How is this contributing to my life? Is it a positive or negative contribution?
Q3. Is this something I want to keep doing, or should I use this energy to pursue something I love more?
What are the verdicts?
This is a difficult task, but necessary if you want to start living a life aligned to your goals and dreams. Ask yourself, “What do I want my life to look like?” and “What kind of person do I want to be?”
You have the opportunity to make your life centered around writing. Start making choices that will support the life you would like.
Are you struggling to write every day, or need a little help sitting down to write? This free workbook will guide you through creating a simple writing routine that works for your life. You’ll thank yourself later!
Send it!
How to Use the Time You’ve Found
Now that you have the time, you need to use the time you’ve found for writing. Sitting down and writing can be a challenge in itself. While you can write anywhere, finding an environment that supports your creative style and encourages you to write is helpful.
Try writing at a desk, table, couch or coffee shop. In the morning, afternoon, or evening. Write with music or silence, coffee or tea, or reward yourself with chocolate. Find a couple little things that you can look forward to and get you in your writing mood.
Figure out what will help you, and write. Write, write, write. Your future readers will thank you.
Related Reading:
Find Your Time
To recap, here is what you need to do:
1. Decide how much time you need.
2. Figure out where that time will come from.
3. Plan your time.
Once writing becomes a habit, the results will amaze you. You will make progress toward your goals and dreams, and you’ll feel better because you have given yourself time to do what you love.
And remember, ten minutes of writing a day is better than nothing at all. If that’s all the writing time you can find, give yourself a round of applause. You made time to pursue what you love.
Featured photo by Igor Son on Unsplash
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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