Hi all! I'm still young and new at this, and so writing is ... less than profitable ... for me. Meaning, I have a full time job that isn't writing (unfortunately). Between that and my family and taking care of my home, I don't ever seem to have a large amount of time to sit down and pull my ideas together. I do use the little bits of time I have to write, I have journal upon journal of notes and thoughts and bits and pieces. But you can't make a novel - or even a good story- out of bits and pieces. So, what I would like to know is how you find time? No matter what your lifestyle - where do you fit it in? Thanks!
I think perhaps one of the most difficult barriers to the writer who has already created the dynamic of having a job, life, and family is time. When you discover the secret, I will pay you for the knowledge.
I'm self-employed and live a low-expense lifestyle. My only material treasure is my motorcycle. I only buy new clothes once every other year and don't mind living in a small flat. That way I can survive just fine by working one day a week, and spend the rest of my time on my own projects, which to me is the entire meaning of life. Why labour for someone else's dream if you can labour for your own.
I'm sure finding time is a different level of challenge for all involved. Personally, I can write at work and probably accomplish more there than I do at home. In a case like yours you might have to really work to set aside time, doing so in advance and keeping with a schedule. If your family knows and can prepare for your little bit of writing time, it might not be such an inconvenience. Personally I'm not nearly disciplined enough for such a method and it may not work. But I just thought I'd brainstorm a little bit with you.
I'm the typical college student busy and ready to graduate this spring. Almost every night it seems I am floundering in sighs about wanting to do this or that. I somehow established a habit of writing every day, even if for half an hour. First time in my life. One of the keys has been sacrificing other activities. Video games were dropped my sophomore year but now really are more like a special treat than a boy's addiction. I rarely watch TV, thankfully haven't become a Facebook addict... I just gave certain things up and time seemed to free itself, but the irony is, other activities rush to fill that space once it's free and writing fights for that time yet again. However, your family is certainly something not to give up.
Your quandary is not at all unusual (and you needn't be either young or new to writing to experience it)--both the underprofitability and what feels like an inability to carve out anything more than tidbits of time, which takes the blame for an incapacity to deliver the goods. The hard truth is that no one ever "finds" time to write to completion. They either "make" the time or it doesn't happen. I'm one of those who hasn't been able to "make" the time to accomplish what I think I could if I did--that is, to get more of my work published in paying venues. And I'd really like to do that. My best (published) writer friend tells me that's because I'm afraid I will fail if I try it. I think he's wrong of course, because lord knows I've failed at many things I set out to do in my lifetime, and I frankly don't feel any worse for the wear. I suppose that's because I've succeeded at some. Still, his comment is something I think about every now and again, because I'd love to prove him wrong. I don't really mean that I want to prove to anyone I can get published, but that I won't curl up and die (as a writer) if I don't. I also don't really mean that I want to prove that (or anything else) to him, but that I'd like to prove it to me. I think it's a multi-step process (and I can only suggest the beginning ones): Read a lot, both what you enjoy and (if they're not the same thing) read stories that challenge you, too. 1. Try writing to completion something that's short. A poem or a short story. Give yourself your own time-defined deadline to finalize it. Something that's really reflective and (something you believe is exceptionally good). Don't be afraid to believe in yourself. If you run into writing problems, ask questions (here or elsewhere) and see what you can learn. (Learning is an ever-unfolding, invaluable asset to being a writer--as is the courage to ask questions you think others will find stupid, as someone undoubtedly will.) Read a lot, both what you enjoy and (if they're not the same thing) read stories that challenge you, too. 2. Ship it out to a venue--either a feedback venue like this workshop or to a non-paying e-zine or hardcopy pub. I'd start either place (or both) and expect both criticism and rejection as well as publication and praise (you're likely to get all-the-above, no matter the quality--which is, itself, a good writing lesson to have under your belt). Read a lot, both what you enjoy and (if they're not the same thing) read stories that challenge you, too. 3. Step three is important (I think it's vital): The minute you turn loose of your work to someone else's scrutiny, begin your next writing project, and don't turn one loose till you're prepared to begin another. Don't think for a minute you'll get anywhere at all by simply waiting for the reaction to a given submission or posted story. And that's true, no matter the outcome. Read a lot, both what you enjoy and (if they're not the same thing) read stories that challenge you, too. 4. Understand that anything you write is an opportunity to learn something, to hone your own skills, to test your own strengths, and to remind yourself of your weaknesses. So, if your job requires you to write anything at all, write it as if your writing eduction depends upon how well you write it. If not, remember that even an incident report (even one you stash in a drawer) can be either poorly written or an opportunity to write something exceptionally well. Oh, and Read a lot, both what you enjoy and (if they're not the same thing) read stories that challenge you, too. Well, that's it for today from my writing niche to yours!
This is a huge question for me as well. My writing only first sparked last year at precisely this time, so the first fire kept it going for a few months. Then, with a transition from one real job to another it slowly got quenched. The cycles of life are interesting though as I now have rekindled the passion and have a new book idea I am passionately pursuing, but time is the big problem. For me I find a nice corner in Starbucks every Saturday morning from about 5 or six until my laptop battery dies, then I return home to a family wide awake and ready for Daddy to be involved and not stuck in front of a computer. My problem is that I sacrifice important things for research - which all too often isn't near fruitful enough to justify the time I give it. Find a balance, would be my suggestion. Take the little moments life gives you (bathroom breaks, lunch, etc) and take a couple of small dedicated portions a week. I am finding, and found before, that my creativity is sparked as I go about my day, not when I force it as I sit in front of a laptop. My Starbucks time serves as my time to release the ideas pent up from a week of not enough time. Alright, now I have to get back to my real job. I hope I shared something worth reading.
I'm going to more-or-less echo Coldwriter. You can never really find time. It's darned elusive. You need to make it. And that always involves sacrifice. (Usually, the first sacrifice is sleep.) You'll need to get up 45 minutes earlier every morning to get a half-hour of writing in. But if you do that every day, you'll be surprised at what you can accomplish in a month - a season - a year. Another thing worth trying is swapping time with your spouse. Suggest that s/he go bowling with the guys/girls one night a week and leave the kids to you. In exchange, s/he can take the kids somewhere for a couple-three hours once a week, to gift you some uninterrupted writing time. If you're creative, and willing to sacrifice in other aspects of your life, you can make the time to get some writing done.
*shrugs* I usually write before I go to bed. Or in school, when I'm finished with a test or something. I don't write that much, I just started picking it up again
in my old 'had a life' life, while being a wife and a mom of 7 kids, i fit it in whenever and wherever i could... when i got down to the last 2 and we were living on our own, i made writing a business and took on private clients, as a writing consultant, at up to $150/hr [a lot, in the early 80's!], while working on my own stuff, and running an upscale rooming house in all the parts of the huge house i'd bought as part of a divorce settlement, that we didn't need for ourselves... now, i can write all day, every day, if i want...
MM: To mine as well. I appreciated that post, even though it wasn't to me. Good suggestions there! Thanks!
I agree with what everyone else has said. If you don't make the time, then you probably won't have the time...unless of course you're unemployed with no children and nothing else to do. I have a full time job and manage to write at work, which is ok. But it's a struggle once I'm home to actually sit down and be productive when there is so much else that needs to be taken care of. I suppose that if you don't make it a priority, it isn't one...at least in my case.
Wow, that was an overwhelming response! Thank you everyone for your input, I'm going to put your advice to the test. I'll let you know how it goes!
Personally, I don't find the time. My writing has been pretty stunted for at least a month now, everything else in my life seems to have cluster f***ed around me.
I've been getting less and less time lately. But I try to make time here and there, even if it means going to bed ten or twenty minutes later than usual.
Help! Mother of one very messy little girl here, crammed into a small apartment with her, my husband and his best friend who sleeps on our couch. (Husband is also messy) My house looks like one of those hoarder shows, sink always full of dishes, stuff packed all around, just little pathways to walk through, and I clean houses for a living 5 days a week. (For shame!) I may need professional help, but I am hoping perhaps some suggestions from my peers could steer me in the right direction to help myself. I am horrible at budgeting my time! I'm one of those writers that seldom finishes a story, I just keep getting idea after idea, so I have about 30 stories started. I sometimes finish them in my mind though, as far as character development and pivotal plot points, I just can't find the time to get them out of my head to share them with others. Can you guys tell me your methods for budgeting typing time in to your busy schedules? I feel like I am squandering a God given gift by not devoting more time to my talent, I just don't know where to start! Open to suggestions- Sprinkle
Hi Sprinkle I'd need to know your domestic situation in more detail to meaningfully answer this, but there is usually a way to work things out. For example, when I wrote my first novel, which was several years ago now (it was self-published 4 years ago), I was working full-time Monday to Friday and had a wife and young son living with me. I tended to write for a couple of hours in the afternoon at weekends, and quite often had an empty quiet house to do it in. I'm now writing my second novel, but live in very different circumstances, with a new partner and three small children, and the only time I can write is late in the evening, although I sometimes feel too mentally tired to do myself justice, but I persevere. You certainly seem to have an unfortunate domestic set-up (with regard to writing I mean) but you have to identify a regular time when you can achieve a little peace and quietness. Is your girl still at home, or does she go to school yet? Does your husband (and his friend) go out to work? In other words, do you have any "alone" time during the day in which you could write? Failing that, is it possible to kick all of your co-residents out of the apartment for a couple of hours at weekends to give you the time that you seek? And if that doesn't work, are you able to write late in the evening, or are your husband and his friend still creating a disturbance? As a last resort, maybe you could leave them all to it and head out to a library or someplace quiet and peaceful on a weekend and get some writing done there? I wish you luck with whichever way you decide, and don't give up!
I think a lot of people have the same problem. I work a 70 hour week so it is also hard to fit in writing around work. I started getting up about an hour earlier and using that time to write...or going to bed an hour later. If you are determined to write then it has to take priority over minor things like housework. Your husband can surely clear up his own mess for a start! If it is too noisy to write in your house then make time every day - go for a walk, take yourself to somewhere quiet at weekends. Make sure your family and friends know that they cannot interrupt you, they should be understanding if it is what you really want to do. Sometimes just carrying around a note pad is all it takes. I use my time on trains, planes, waiting for coffee, waiting for a bus, I gave up watching TV about 4 years ago, Sunday is usually a good writing day for me; my friends and family understand that I can't be interrupted during this time. I shut the door, switch the phone off and spend as much of the day writing as I can. My partner is a musician - he is very understanding about needing time for creative stuff and also needs time to write music, etc. himself so it works well. Having a supportive partner is a necessity I think. The only answer really is to sit down and figure out when and where you waste time each week and use this time to write. I found the only time I had spare was time I spent sleeping so I cut into that! All writers have the same problem but like you say, if you have a talent you owe it to yourself to dedicate time to it. I've never met anyone who had any major regrets over leaving washing up in the sink. However, I have met a lot of people who wish they had dedicated more time to pursuing what they love. Good luck and I hope you find some time!
My methods simple, I became unemployed. Unfortuantly I was made unemployed due to budget cuts at the place that I used to work. When I was working full time I found it difficult to get a lot of writing done and as a result my big idea was put on hold. I did used to get a couple of hours of writing done everyweek, but this was done by cutting down on the time that I spent on my Xbox. If you've got an idea that you think could be great or brilliant then you may have to cut down on other areas to get it finished. You could also get either your husband or your friend on the couch to take care of the child for an hour a night while you focus on writing.
I make time. I always try to stay up another hour or so just so I can write something short; at least it's something. Most of the time I like to put at least 2 hours into my writing in a day, with another few for reading - it's not like writing is my only hobby either; I make time to play my guitar, or bass, or piano too. If you really love doing it, you'll do it - that's something of a motto.
How do you find time to sleep? To do laundry? To make meals? You have to find time for those things. They aren't optional, which is another way of saying they have the highest priority. So you list what activities you need to fit into each day, and prioritize them, and allocate time for all te priotitized tasks you decide to retain. Some priority tasks still must be done, but maybe not every day. Other tasks you may be able to squeeze into a tighter time slot than they currently occupy. If you have Microsoft Outlook, you can use the Calendar and Task features to help you schedule. And yes, that even works when you have kids, even though you don't know exactly when they will demand your time. Because you already have those skills, to complete the tasks that are already on your "no choice" task list.
A crazy life can often make it impossible to write. I used to baby sit eight children all between the ages of five and ten from 4am to 7pm. I squeezed in house chores, luandry and every other chore that needed to be done. When I wasn't baby sitting I was at my house doing chores and helping with the yard work. Before I got to bed it would be past midnight. During this time I wanted to write in the worst way possible, but I was also suffering from writer's block. Finally in the midst of all the chaos my friend dragged me from the house and we took a eight hour walk. During this time she got me talking about my stories and where I had plans on going with them. It wasn't writing them down, but it got me back to focusing on them. The next day when she came over she had three notebooks full of everything I said about my stories and where I wanted to go with them. After that I started dedicating an hour to two hours a day to writing. Anyways, my point being is, get out of the house for a little while. Leave everything behind and just go someplace where you can organize your thoughts and get things written down. Your husband can manage your daughter and make some effort towards cleaning the house. Do this once a week, or maybe every few days. Before you know it you'll be taking hours a night to write away.
I am a mother of two young boys, and the only time I have to write is when they go to bed at night. Even if I only do half an hour a night, at least I make time for it. I think it's valuing writing enough to consider it part of your daily routine -- it's just what you do. What helped for me was buying a laptop. There's some super cheap ones out there, like netbooks, and then you can write anywhere. You could bring it with you at work, and schedule in the time to write in your car. You'll be completely undisturbed, and you can park somewhere that inspires you. As for finishing your stories, pick your favourite and finish it. Don't worry about how every little line sounds, just get the words down and get to the point where you can write THE END. You can go back and revise later, but at least you have something to work with. It is SO satisfying to finish a manuscript, and I promise you, it will motivate you to keep going! Good luck - and make the time!
Whenever I have a break from my university studies, or when I am on holiday, I can be found writing stories; I even write stories during breaks in my class time.
