How to Write After a Day of Work

In an ideal world, writers would be able to earn a living via their figurative pen and not rely on a day job. The truth is that while many of us dream of giving up our day jobs (myself included), the main source of income is not our writing. I’ve been freelancing and blogging on the side for nearly a decade. I hope that what I have learned will help other writers in the same position.

1. Keep a schedule that works for you: Some people wake up an hour early and write before work. Others use their lunch break to add to their word count. During the workweek, I write in the evenings. After spending all day dealing with customers, I need to use another part of my brain.
2. Be Organized: Organization is the key to my post-day job writing. By maintaining a list of what needs to be done, I can just focus on the writing instead of trying to remember what I need to write about.
3. Keep your writing space separate from the rest of your home: By creating clear divisions (regardless of whether you live alone or with others), you allow yourself the mental space to just focus on the page in front of you. (Tip: this also works if you are working from home).
4. Cut out the distractions: There are so many reasons to not write: social media, Youtube, whatever is on TV, etc. The best environment for me to write is with either a podcast or music playing in the background. It is just enough to fill the silence but does not pull me away from the task at hand.
5. Know when to call it a day: Sometimes our bodies are in need of a rest. Whether that is napping for a couple of hours or just spending the evening watching TV, it is nearly impossible to write when all I can think of is lying on the couch.

That’s my experience. Fellow writers, do you have anything you would like to add to the list?

Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash