Five Tips for Making Time to Write

I will do anything to get out of writing, which is ironic (or idiotic, depending on how you look at it) because it is literally all I think about. The act of starting has always been tough for me.

If you think about it, creating new work makes you incredibly vulnerable. Your thoughts, feelings, and motivations are memorialized on the page for anyone to read — and potentially pick apart. (We live in the age of the glorious Comments Section, after all).

Telling a story is, in some ways, taking a risk, and it’s all too easy to erect obstacles (or excuses) between you and the next page. Personally, it has taken some trial and error to give myself the appropriate mental kick in the pants to write regularly. I thought I might take the opportunity to share my best tips with you!

Every Sunday, take a look at the week ahead. Open your planner, Google Calendar, or other device, and set aside blocks of time to write. Treat these like any other meetings or appointments you might have in order to keep yourself accountable. If possible, set specific goals for the week, such as “I’ll finish writing Chapter 5” or “I need to line edit the epilogue section.” This allows you to most effectively focus your limited time and eliminates the likelihood you’ll zone out in front of the computer screen — or skip the session entirely.
Time yourself. Set a timer on your phone for a specific period — even ten minutes will do — and write until the buzzer goes off. If you’re pressed for time, you’ll often be surprised by how much you are able to complete without distractions. If you are able to keep writing beyond the bell, the positive momentum you’ve started will often carry through the remainder of your writing session. I use a hexagon timer I purchased on Amazon, which allows for five different durations and keeps me away from the temptation of my phone.
Find a “buddy” who will help to keep you on track. Plan scheduled check-in times with your buddy to report on your progress. Be cautious in selecting this person — ensure that whomever you pick motivates you to reach your goals instead of allowing you to entertain excuses. Conversely, prioritize these meetings or conversations once you’ve set them and be prepared to listen actively to your buddy’s struggles and achievements.
Tell others about your progress — surprisingly, it keeps you motivated. When first drafting Ariavide, Ever Onward, I updated my followers on Instagram during #WordcountWednesday. It was important to me that the number continue to rise, thus ensuring I would show up and crank out the pages. Frankly, this is public accountability, which can be even more effective than sharing your progress with just one buddy.
Get “unstuck” by taking a different approach. If none of the scheduling or accountability tips above helped you, there’s likely another problem that’s preventing you from sitting in front of your manuscript. It can be incredibly uncomfortable to acknowledge that something’s gone wrong with your project — it’s your story, after all — but I’ve found that it’s best to work backward until you figure out where the issue lies. How best to do that? Take a different approach. Write the ending, and determine how you’ll get there based on what you’ve written thus far (or what will need to change).

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