Being a writer is no milk and cookies. The hardest obstacle to overcome is to find time to write, and in this crazy world filled with jobs, commutes, families, and a multitude of timetables to contend with, it’s a miracle your pen ever meets the page. Try to live by the following mantra:
To be a writer, I must write.
In order to write, I must find time to write.
To find time to write, I must have a plan.
Sure, I know exactly what you are thinking; easier said than done, right? Well, with a game plan, you too can be a productive member of the writing community. Here’s how.
Try getting up a half hour earlier each morning. Use this time to write, and not to get more brush strokes in on the dental care. If you can get up a half hour early each weekday, you gain two and a half hours of writing time a week.
Block out one afternoon a week. Unplug the phone, leave chores unfinished, and find a private space where you won’t be interrupted. Try a local library, coffee shop, or park. Do not fear being anti-social, for writing is a solo craft. Explaining to love ones your desire to have this time for your writing will allow them to appreciate your creative muse.
Carry a notebook at all times. You will be surprised how often the muse will call while you are buying groceries, or how the ride home on the bus unfolds a splendor of urban fauna outside your window. Take full advantage of waiting time. So next time you have to wait an extra fifteen minutes in the doctors waiting room, you should be writing.
Be creative when your body tells you differently. Can’t sleep at night? Then get out of bed and write. It’s more productive than laying there counting dots on the ceiling. Feel like taking a day off from working out due to sore muscles? Not a problem, exercise your imagination instead.
Finally, when all else fails, befriend other writers and join a writers’ group. You will be surprised how deadlines and weekly requirements of sharing your writing develop a necessity to not only write, but also polish your writing for the sake of sharing.
All in all, enjoy the process of writing, and you’ll find what works best for you.
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