Make Your Time

For new writers, the challenge of finding a dedicated time to write amid the demands of everyday life can feel like navigating a maze.

We all know the exhilaration of having a story to tell or an idea to convey, yet the modern world piles on commitments that seem to devour every free minute.

But fear not. Here are some practical strategies for working with life’s rhythm to make your writing time.

Win at the Margins
Those pockets of time scattered throughout the day can be your writing havens. Commutes, lunch breaks, waiting rooms – these moments may seem brief, but they add up. Carry a notebook or use a note-taking app on your phone to capture thoughts and snippets. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish in these sporadic interludes.

Prioritize and Delegate
Your writing deserves a place on your priority list – especially if you are or want to go pro. Assess your daily tasks and responsibilities, identifying what can be delegated or streamlined.

Are you handling every stage of book production yourself? Remember that as a writer, your most valuable activity is writing. So ask yourself if you can outsource some of the less fun parts to specialists. Whether it’s eBook formatting, cover design, or editing, you can find experienced professionals who’ll be glad to lighten your load for a competitive price.

Put me on editing duty to free up days of your time and bring out your best book.

Most new authors feel like they have to do it all alone. I know, I’ve been there. But even if you’re not ready to hire a full-time assistant (yet), chances are you can reclaim significant chunks of time for a few bucks spent on Fiverr. It’s worth it because delegating responsibilities can free up time for your writing without compromising other obligations.

Create Rituals
Applying the lessons of shared wisdom is what rituals are all about. And there’s no reason this lesson from theology can’t benefit authors.

Create writing rituals to act as anchors, helping you transition to a focused mindset. A cup of tea, a brief walk, a moment of meditation—all can serve as prewriting rituals to signal your brain it’s time to shift gears.

Be sure to conclude your writing session with a closing ritual to provide a sense of closure and accomplishment. Doing so will help make your prewriting rituals into habits.

Respect Your Internal Cycles
Pay attention to your body’s natural rhythms. Some writers are most productive in the early morning. Others – like me – find their creative flow during the quiet of night. Identify your peak times and allocate them for writing, ensuring that your words flow effortlessly.

I’d be remiss not to spare a few words here on duration and pacing. Some writers run marathons. Others sprint. Experience will tell you if you’re the type who can churn out 10K words in one sitting no sweat, or if you’re more effective working in bursts punctuated by short breaks. Either way, make an effort to track where you are on the pace scale, and play to your strengths.

Boundaries, Not Barriers
Setting clear boundaries can be a game-changer. Communicate with family, friends, and colleagues about your writing aspirations. Let them know your designated writing times and ask for their support in respecting these periods of focus.

In this regard, I have a simple rule: If my office door is closed, the only allowable set of circumstances for interrupting me are all of the following:

• Your phone is dead
• No one else is available
• You are on fire.

You don’t have to get that dramatic. But you should bear in mind – again, especially if you’re a professional author – that writing is a job. It is neither unfair nor unreasonable to apply the same standards for interrupting you at work to interrupting your home writing time. Embrace that standard, and make sure everyone in the house understands it.

Trim Digital Distractions
The internet is a double-edged sword. While it offers tools for research and inspiration, it can be a rabbit hole leading deeper into distraction.

During your writing time silence notifications, close unnecessary tabs, and commit to staying offline unless it’s essential for your work.

Now, one point that a lot of writing advice posts overlook is the prevalence of outright online addiction. If you feel compelled to keep checking social media for fear of missing out to the point of distraction, you might consider looking into the sort of accountability software some men use battle porn addiction. Having a friend or family member get automatic updates listing which sites you browse and for how long can add accountability to boost your writing output.

Chunk Your Time
The Pomodoro Technique, a time management method, divides your work into intervals – usually 25 minutes – followed by a short break. Apply this technique to your writing sessions. It not only keeps you focused but also prevents burnout by incorporating regular breaks. Trying it for a couple of weeks helped me work through a bout of writer’s block. So it’s worth a try.

Flexibility and Forgiveness
Life is unpredictable. Like it or not, you’ll have days when writing isn’t feasible.

That’s where the writing-as-job mindset comes in handy again. Nobody has perfect attendance at work. Well, antisocial misfits with nothing going on might. But you’re not them. So embrace flexibility without self-judgment.

The key is consistency over the long haul. Don’t let one missed day discourage you from picking up your pen the next. Absolve yourself as you would for taking a sick day or emergency time off from work. Then get back in the saddle.

Clean Your Desk, Bucko
Not only is a clean workplace a happy workplace, cleanliness and organization can boost your productivity. Ensure your writing area is organized, comfortable, and free from distractions. A dedicated writing area, no matter how small, can have a significant impact on your creative output.

Another tragically overlooked aid in this area is having the right tools. A carpenter won’t get far with nothing but a rubber mallet. A plumber needs more than a Fisher-Price crescent wrench. Neither should you be using an old CRT monitor or the cheap keyboard that came with your PC. I just followed the lead of my friend, author David Stewart, and invested in a mechanical keyboard. Even I’m surprised how much ease and motivation it’s brought to my work.

Don’t be stingy with your craft. Get the tools you need to succeed.

Celebrate Progress
Your characters should celebrate each step forward. So should you. Whether you’ve written a paragraph or several pages, acknowledge your achievement. Small victories add up and fuel your motivation to keep writing. Set word count or chapter goals, and give yourself a little reward for meeting them. The conditioning works!

Amid life’s demands, finding time to write may take a bit of strategic planning. So win at the margins, set boundaries, respect your body’s rhythms. Strike a harmonious balance between your writing work and your day-to-day responsibilities.

Remember, a book is written one word at a time, and each word you write is a step toward reaching your literary goal.

My literary goal since 2018 has been completing an epic six-book mech saga. I invite you all to celebrate my achievement.

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