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A Writer's Time: Making the Time to Write by Kenneth Atchity
Making the Most of Limited Writing Time
Few writers have the luxury of sitting at their desk and doing nothing but writing. We have families, outside jobs, inside jobs, and volunteer work. We squeeze our writing into the rest of our lives and hope it fits. With a little practice, you can maximize your writing time even in the busiest lifestyle.
First, keep in mind that even if you write only a page a day, you will have a book in a year or less, and that lets you take Sundays off. If you’re prepared when you sit down, writing a page doesn’t take much more time than we now spend posting on our favorite message board, updating our blog, or emailing our friends.
My most successful secret for maximizing my writing time has been to learn to write in my head. This started when I was small. I had an overactive brain—I still do—and had trouble turning it off to fall asleep. My mother taught me to write a story in my head. Because what I was writing was make-believe, it didn’t keep me up the way my real problems did. Along the way, I learned to write in my head. I got more practice when we learned how to “talk out a story” while hanging laundry with a sibling.
As an adult, I put these skills to good use. As I do the housework or drive the car, I compose. I have plenty of time to plot or to test various structures. Sometimes in the car alone, I pretend I’m being interviewed on the topic and take note of my answers, which are sometimes unexpected. I jot a fast note if I’m afraid I’ll forget. By the time I sit down at my computer to write, the creative work is done. All that remains is to put my thoughts on paper.
If you have children, you may be in the habit of talking to them as you work or drive. Don’t stop. The time you spend with your children is far more important than anything you could possibly write. However, if there are times when the children are occupied while you’re working, take advantage of that time.
You can’t put something into your schedule until you take something out. In order to find free time in your already busy schedule, you will probably have to give something up in order to become a writer. Make sure what you give up is less important than what you’re putting in. Time with the children or your spouse should be preserved at all costs. When I started writing, I had small children, so I gave up television and woke up at 4:00 AM, when my husband left for work, which gave me two mostly uninterrupted hours before the children arose. This was a huge sacrifice for a night owl, but it was time that was entirely my own. I couldn’t write at night. My mind was too worn out and my emotions had been spent on my family.
The time you choose will be different, since you are different. You may find you’ll simply streamline the things you’re already doing—running errands only once a week, perhaps, or cooking ahead. And you may also decide, as I did for eight years just as my career was taking off, that this isn’t the right time for you to embark on a writing career. Other considerations may have to come first. Don’t be sad, though. Children grow up and no longer need you all day—and then it’s your turn.
Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids by Christina Katz