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5 Ways To Find Time To Write 

Over the last few days, my best friend Patty and I have been talking about writing and having or finding time to write. Seems that she has many distractions and people invading her writing space. It got me thinking that maybe she needed some encouragement to get the job done. 

So the great question here is - do you ever feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day for everything that you want to accomplish? You’d love to blog more, but you just don’t have the time? Or you’d love to write a novel, but right now you’re just too busy with other things?

In my opinion, these words - “I’m too busy” is one of the most common excuses used for not pursuing one’s dreams - and the cause of the so-called writer's block that you've heard tell of.  It's not enough to be a busy bee - you have to actually be busy accomplishing something. And if writing is what you mean to be busy at - then you probably should be and stop worrying about your audience at the table behind you.

In today’s post, I decided to start looking at five different ways we can use to carve out time for writing even when it seems there are no more hours left in our day.

1. Eliminate Things That Suck Up Your Time

When we complain that we don’t have enough time to write, it may actually be that we are wasting our time on other activities instead.

Apparently, Stephen King said - If you’re just starting out as a writer, you could do worse than strip your television’s electric plug-wire, wrap a spike around it, and then stick it back into the wall. See what blows, and how far. Just an idea.

Movies and television shows are undoubtedly one of the biggest time sucks. This isn’t to say that writers can never watch TV (I actually find a lot of inspiration from movies and TV series). Hell - I do. However, if you’re finding it difficult to find time to write, then giving up the TV, at least partially might be exactly what you need to do.

Maybe you don’t watch TV. In that case, look for other things that are sucking up your time that you might not even be aware of.

Whatever these time sucks are (spending too much time on social media, surfing the Internet for hours, not organizing time efficiently to run errands), they are being prioritized overwriting time. It's time to rethink how you can reorganize your schedule.

Think about it - what can you eliminate completely? What can you scale back on? Maybe you need to get a ladybug timer and set it for checking social media? What errands or chores, can you figure out how to complete in less time or at a different time? Or better yet - take your writing with you.

2. Transform Dead Time Into Planning Time

In order to complete all of our writing projects, we writers need to figure out clever ways to transform every minute of our time into writing time. But writing time doesn’t always involve actually hammering away at the keys of our computer.

When a writer is sitting down, looking at a wall with a blank expression on his face, it is easy for a companion to assume that he isn’t doing anything…Getting ready to write is a complex mental process and a very delicate one; what it feels like to me is that I have laboriously climbed a ladder, carrying my brushes and a can of paint.

Having time to think about our writing projects is absolutely essential before we can dive into the actual writing. Unfortunately, if we only have a precious hour or two to devote to writing each day, we may not want to waste it in brainstorming sessions. If we already had a clear idea in our head of what we wanted to write about, those writing sessions would end up being much more productive.

So instead of staring at the wall during your writing sessions, find those minutes for brainstorming in the dead time scattered throughout your day: when the car is stuck in traffic -  when you're waiting in line at the bank or post office or grocery store - when folding laundry or vacuuming or doing yard work.

It’s remarkable when an idea for a story can come to you, how a new plot twist or a new topic for a blog post can just pop into your head. Use that down time in a productive way. Make sure that you have a pen and paper or notebook with you to record it all.

3. Write When Others Are Sleeping

I can write anywhere. I write in airports. I write on airplanes. I’ve written in the back seats of taxis. I write in hotel rooms. I love hotel rooms. I just write wherever I am whenever I need to write. I treasure the time right after I wake up. But, if you're, like most writers, you probably find it very difficult to write when surrounded by distractions and constant interruptions.

You sit down to start working on a sure-to-go-viral blog post, and the phone rings. Then someone wants to ask you a question. Someone else clatters plates in the kitchen. The neighbor starts mowing his lawn.

These interruptions can completely corrupt your mind and your writing process. 

When I was writing my first book - this was the case for me. You may find that the best time to write will be when no one else is up and about. That usually means staying up later at night or waking up earlier in the morning. For me, it was the early morning. Of course, it’s important to still make sure you’re getting enough sleep at night so you’re well-rested for your writing sessions and the rest of the day. For me - writing before dawn began as a necessity–I had small children when I first began to write and I needed to use the time before they got up or I had to go to work, and that was always around five in the morning.

Ernest Hemingway also loved devoting the early morning hours to writing. So if it worked for him, why can't it work for me?

When I am working on a book or story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write.

Unfortunately, depending on your own personal schedule, mornings may not work for you. In that case, you might have to write in the evening instead or find a time in the afternoon when everyone else is away with their own activities. Find what works for you and stick with it.

4. Designate A Workspace & A Writing Time

If you can’t manage to find a time to write when others are out of the house, the next best thing is to set up a place in your home and designate it as your workspace.

Let others know when you plan to be writing. Hopefully, when they see that you have planted yourself there, they will know that you are at work and not to disturb you. I know - not always that easy to get others to respect your space or writing time.

No matter how much time you have to write, you should make sure you are making the most it.  If I can only write for about two hours every day because that’s all the time I have can carve out, I do my best not to let anything interfere with that time., at the same time and the same place.

5. Carry A Notebook Or Laptop With You Everywhere

When all else fails, you might just have to carry your writing workspace with you. When I was living in New York City I would take my pen and notebook with me everywhere. My leather messager bag certainly got a workout. 

By bringing my notebook with me wherever I went, suddenly, time and ideas would magically appear. I found myself with time to spare at the doctor's office or on the sidelines of my child’s soccer practice or even during my lunch break.

I am a total longhand writer and love to use a pen and paper. But if you are one of those writers that write much faster on a keyboard, you could invest in a laptop or a tablet computer small enough to fit into a backpack or a purse. When I traveled by subway train or the Staten Island Ferry into the city, I would bring in a lightweight laptop so I could do all my editing. It is wasn't always easy or comfortable - but I made it work.

The Takeaway

In an ideal situation, we would have endless hours to devote to writing where we could shut ourselves away from the distractions of the world. But in many cases that just isn’t realistic.

However, if we are serious about pursuing our passion for writing, then it is possible to come up with creative solutions and find more hours in the day. You may not know this but E.B. White said -  “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”

In any case, you should do all that you can to make sure that you write when you need to and it's the most productive.