Month: January 2020

With tons of writers fresh off National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and others inspired by the promise of the new year, it’s a great time to tackle a new project—or continue working on your current one. But there are still a few folks putting their breaks on.

How many of us want to dive into something like NaNoWriMo but never manage to get into it? And what about the other eleven months of the year?

Chances are, there’s a good reason you’re not writing the book you want to write—or at least you’re telling yourself it’s a good reason. Time for some straight talk: Enough procrastination, friends. Here’s how to get to work.

“I’m too busy.”

Of all the complaints writers have, time is often their biggest challenge. For those authors fortunate enough to make books their career, it’s less of a problem (and they’re usually the first to admit how fortunate they are). However, the rest of us are not so lucky. Families, full-time jobs, freelancing, personal disasters, commitments, volunteer work, and even illness all conspire to eat up most of our days. Then you add in necessary details like food, sleep, hygiene, occasional visits with friends and family, laundry, chores, traffic—well, you get the point.

So how do you find time to write your book? Well, the answer is deceptively easy-sounding: you make the time. We know, we know. Easier said than done. But truly, you can. They key is prioritizing it. Here are a few ways to make room in your life for your book:

1. Take a vacation or even a weekend, and make it a solo writing retreat—either at home, at a cottage, or somewhere inspirational.
2. Schedule some writing time during the quietest part of your day, such as the early, early morning, or late at night.
3. “Steal” minutes from other activities—like waiting in doctors’ offices, standing in endless checkout lines, sitting on the sidelines during your children’s extracurriculars, or lunchtime at the office—by carrying a notepad or tablet computer with you.
4. Make a weekly writing date with yourself. If you can’t trust your family to give you the peace and quiet you need, run for the blissful quiet of a library or small coffee shop.
5. Ask your family for help. Delegate household tasks and duties to other members, and ask them for suggestions on where they can help you make time. Writers who work from home full-time often use “signals” to indicate that they are writing and are not to be disturbed unless it’s an emergency. Headphones, “working pants,” or even a simple “Leave Me Alone, I’m Writing” sign can let your spouse, children, and/or parents know you are working.
6. Choose an accountability partner. Find someone who is facing the same struggle, and hold each other accountable with weekly word count goals, added incentives, and little rewards.