Find Space and Time to Write
I have a little group of writers I meet with every other week. Each meeting one of us comes up with the topic and “teaches” it to the group. Then we open it up for group discussion and writing exercises. The week it was my turn to present I decided to teach on finding space and time to write.
It’s one of the main things that holds me back from creating my own work and I know—from trolling around on writers’ sites—that I am not alone, not by a long shot. I wanted to share in today’s post what we all learned and how successful each technique was. But in truth you should probably try them all. Keep the practices you like and ditch the rest. Whatever gets you writing!
Use a Calendar to Block Out Time.
My first idea was to create a calendar and block out spaces of time that you can commit to writing. I have four young kids so my time is pretty limited but I’ve found that Saturday morning I can get in a few hours of writing if I get up early. I also like to set aside time in the afternoon to write often I only have fifteen minutes just before I go get the kids from school. When all my other to-do’s for the day are done I can sit down with a clear head and crank out a few lines and I feel I’ve accomplished something for the day, however small. Also, having this little bit done encourages me to sit down again when the kids are in bed and do a bit more especially because I’ve often had to leave off mid-sentence. While these little blocks of time may not be ideal, this is the reality of our over-booked lives. If all you have is fifteen minutes a day. Commit to it, be sure that you never miss those precious minutes and in time those little blocks of time add up.
Create Space for You.
Another—less talked about but just as real—barrier to writing is having the space to write. Find a dedicated place and set up a desk (even if it’s only a lap desk). Set up everything you will need to write and leave it in that space, if possible. It needs to be comfortable, inspiring and free from distraction. Post your writing calendar to encourage yourself to stick to your goal of writing daily, weekly or whatever schedule you’ve committed yourself to.
Decide what’s important.
We make time for the things that are important to us in life. I know I can see you rolling your eyes through the computer screen but hear me out. I know you have demands on your time, many demands. Some of which you really have to do, TODAY! I get it, I do. But the point of the calendar exercise above is to find those little pockets of time that are somehow overlooked or filled with social media scrolling. Put down phone pick up computer and fill that time with writing toward your current WIP. You’re here because you want to be a writer, no? So, somehow, someway, you’re going to have to find the time to write.
Did you already hurl your calendar across the room in defeat because you really, really can’t find the time? See the next two paragraphs. . .
Stop watching TV/Social Media
I know you’ve heard this one a thousand, hundred, million times. So why did I include it when I know you’ve already heard it? because you’re still wasting your time on TV, Insta, FB, etc. Personally, I stopped watching TV when I had kids (I’ve never been much into SM). And I’ve never missed it. Maybe once or twice in the last thirteen years I’ve been talking to a group of people who were talking about the TV shows they watched the night before and I couldn’t participate in the conversation but before long the conversation moved on. No biggie.
You might have to give something up
If having Graves disease has taught me nothing else it’s to slow down. All this overbooking ourselves isn’t doing anyone any favors. And the truth is, if you want to complete everything you set out to accomplish every day, you’re most likely going to have to prioritize. That means not every invitation can be accepted. Sometimes you won’t be the one baking the cookies for your son’s class party or host of this year’s St. Patrick’s day blowout. IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT! You will recover and St. Patty will forgive you. And with any luck they won’t even ask you to bake the cookies next year at all! Wouldn’t that be great!
Schedule your day the night before
This one takes a little self-discipline but pays off big time! Every night as part of your bedtime routine pull out your calendar and schedule all the things that need to get done in the next 24 hours—and schedule in WRITING TIME.
It’s important to you, or you wouldn’t be here.
Schedule it. Stick to the schedule.
Do something for you.
Best of Luck and Happy Writing.
P.S. In researching this idea I came across and used some ideas from this article from Chris Gillebeau’s website. It’s a great one, you might want to read the whole thing.