7 Practical Ways to Make Time for Your Writing This Week

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Do you wish you had more time for your writing?

That’s probably a stupid question: of course you do. The biggest problem that writers face is not having enough time ... and sometimes, it can be very tough to carve out even a few minutes to put words onto the page.

When you’re short of time, it’s easy to put off writing week after week, telling yourself that life will be less busy soon. Instead, find some time this week (even if it’s just 5 minutes) to write.

#1: Plan Ahead – Now

Get out your diary or look at your calendar. Where can you find an hour or two this week? Maybe it’s one evening when there’s nothing good on TV, or it’s on Saturday morning when you’d normally have a lie-in.

#2: Break Down Writing Tasks

If your (mental or actual) writing to-do list consists of “write Chapter Five”, you might think that it’s no good sitting down to write unless you have a whole day. Instead, break it down into little chunks, like:

• Write a list of scenes and viewpoint characters for Chapter Five.


• Create a rough plan for each scene.


• Work on the first scene for 20 minutes.

... and so on.

#3: Use Gaps of Time

Even if your life is pretty hectic, there’s a good chance that you have a few little gaps of time during the day that you could spend writing. For instance:

• Your lunch break. Can you get away from your desk for 15 minutes and write in a notebook (or write on your work computer)?


• Your commute. Obviously, this won’t work for everyone – but if you travel by public transport, you might be able to write something.


• Waiting time. Whenever you’re heading to a meeting or appointment, make sure you have a pen and paper with you. Then, if there’s a delay and you have to wait around, you can get some writing done.

#4: Use Chores and Routines

Although you can’t physically write while taking a shower or doing the dishes, these daily routines are great opportunities to think about your writing.

That could mean daydreaming about the next scene of your novel, thinking through an idea for a blog post, or simply clearing your mind and making space for inspiration.

#5: Get Support

Your writing matters: it’s important to you, and it’s part of who you are. Don’t be afraid to ask for support from other people in your life. (Think of it this way – if they asked you, you’d be glad to help.)

Could your mom watch the kids for an hour while you write? Could your partner take on an extra chore or two this week?

#6: Be Accountable

It’s all too easy to make time and fail to use it: writing requires a certain energy, and sometimes a dose of self-discipline.

An easy trick to get yourself moving is to be accountable to someone – tell them “I’m going to write on Thursday evening” and you’ll be much more likely to stick to it. (Your social networks might be great for this.)

#7: Find a Writing Space

As well as setting aside time to write, make sure you have a suitable space so that other demands and distractions don’t creep in.

For many writers, that means escaping the house and writing in a coffee shop, library, park or other public location (you might want to pick somewhere without wifi...) If you write at home, find a quiet room and close the door.

 

How do you make time for your writing (or how will you be making time this week)? Leave a comment below to tell us.