One of the biggest difficulties that writers face is finding sufficient time to write. Even professional writers have to wrestle with this challenge, especially if they have child care commitments. However, a shortage of writing time is a particular bane in the lives of amateur writers who have to juggle their writing commitments with their need to hold down a full-time job.
So how do you overcome this thorny challenge if you’re a citizen journalist, poet, or would-be novelist? Well, if you are constantly cursing the fact that there simply aren’t enough hours in the day, then here are some options that you could consider.
1. Get up an hour earlier and get an hour's writing done before breakfast. After all, many people get up early to walk the dog, jog, or swim. Of course, this may not work so well for those who are not morning people!
2. Use your lunch hour to review or edit your writing, or to consider plot progressions. Often we spend our lunch times reading a newspaper or book or aimlessly browsing websites, so put that time to more productive use.
3. If you commute by train or bus, use this time to work on or think about your novel or article. Obviously, there's more scope for this on a train, where you can get a table, than whilst standing on a bus during rush-hour.
4. Buy an ipad or laptop. Modern technology, such as ipads and laptop computers, have been a godsend for writers and can help you to be productive even when you’re on the move. As well as utilizing them whilst commuting, they also enable you to continue writing when you’re away from home. For example, if you find yourself out of town with work, you have the option of writing from your hotel room. Similarly, if you feel inclined to do so, you can take it on holiday, although your other half may complain!
5. Make a commitment to set aside time when you are definitely going to write. We are often guilty of writing only when the mood and inspiration take us. If you want to be serious about your writing, you need to write regularly and for that writing time to be free from interruptions. For example, you might commit to write every night from 8pm to 9pm. That's the easy part. You then have to stick to that resolution but if you do it should be very rewarding. If your family know that is your writing time, then they are less likely to interrupt you.
6. Be more organized about your non-writing commitments. One of the biggest problems isn't so much the hours that we work during the day, but rather the amount of hours during our free-time that get taken up with non-writing activity. Sometimes we can be more effective about these tasks. For example, multi task so that you put on a load of washing whilst you're cooking the meal. Or iron your clothes whilst watching your favorite TV programme.
7. Set objectives and review them regularly. If your time is limited, you need to prioritize what you want to achieve and set yourself some time-bound objectives. Your objectives should ideally be stretching but also need to be achievable. If you make a point of regularly reviewing your performance against stated objectives, then this may be an invaluable asset. A writer who is focused on what he or she wants to achieve but can only write for one hour per day is quite likely to out-perform a writer who has all the time in the world but only a vague idea of what they want to do and writes sporadically.
8. Avoid distractions. How many times have you sat down to write, only to be interrupted by the phone, or your spouse, or kids, or the cat. Or maybe you’ve had the TV or radio on and have become engrossed in those instead of your writing. You can’t hope to produce your best work if you aren’t able to fully commit to your writing, so it’s essential that you eliminate distractions. Put a “Don’t disturb” sign on the door, feed the cat or kids before you go to do your writing, and turn that TV off. On this topic, I went to a talk that the Scottish writer Janice Galloway gave a few years ago. She explained that, when she became a mother, her writing schedule changed. Instead of writing during the day, she switched to writing at night when the kids were in bed and all the household chores had been done!
9. Burn both ends of the candle. Finally, there's the option of getting up early and going to bed late, so that you can cram in hours of writing alongside your regular work. Not an approach I would recommend over an extended period but it has been employed successfully by some who are desperate to make that first big break-through. It can also be an option, as a one-off occurrence, where you have a writing deadline that is fast approaching.
Summary:
Making time to write is one of the fundamental challenges that any writer faces. This challenge can become even more pronounced as we get married, have kids, win promotions at work, etc, so the key is to work smart and find ways to free up time and then make the most of it.
Writers sometimes have to make some sacrifices in order to achieve their goals and you may have to prioritize writing over leisure time activities such as watching TV or going to the pub. However, it’s equally important to make the most of the writing time that you do have. Avoiding distractions and fully committing to writing during those assigned hours will reap dividends and you may be surprised just how much writing you can achieve even with fairly limited writing time.