Become a time snatcher
Tips for finding time in your busy life to write.
Technology, they said, would make our lives easier — they forgot to add, and busier. So how do you steal time away from your busy life to make time for your writing? You know the saying — if you want something done, ask a busy person, i.e. yourself!
In case you’ve forgotten, here are some tips for snatching away time from your busy-ness for your writing.
Never say no to your writing, especially never say — I am too busy to jot down a simple idea or two. In the mornings when you wake, make a pact to be open, no matter how busy you are with other things, to all creative ideas that turn up. Use your phone or keep small notebooks about your person where ever you go, for recording jottings, observations, random ideas.
Map out a typical day and note where you can slot 10 mins of jotting in — coffee break, lunch break, pre meeeting, train or bus rides to work — add them to your diary.
Multi task — we do this all the time so don’t forget to add writing to the task list! While you are waiting for a meeting or even during — jot down ideas for character building. Notice the expressions on people’s faces, the sound of their voices, the gestures they use, their body language.
Observe your surroundings. Where ever you happen to be, make a habit of coming up with simple one line descriptions of the place you are in. Do this as a mental game or jot them down on your phone memo.
Bust your avoidance habits! If you have all the time in the world for your writing but are filling your days with other things, make a list of all the ways you are avoiding writing. Move so called other important things further down on your list and keep moving your writing to the top.There may be other things you are avoiding too that you have to get out of the way first.
My Avoidance Buster eBook has great exercises to help with this. Get one for free here.
Remind yourself how much you love writing, after all isn’t that why you do it? Remember the feeling when you are writing and everything else drops away — it’s just you and the page. Swap the dopamine bliss of getting in the zone with your writing and leave instagram, facebook and twitter in the drawer instead.
Make a committment to devote 10 mins, one hour or more per day to your writing. If it means arriving at work an hour early, going out to a cafe on the way to work or sitting on a park bench. If you are stuck at home, libraries are great places to find the kind of focused writing atmosphere you need.
Rise early or stay up later. Many authors who also have full time jobs, rise two hours earlier than usual and manage to complete a draft in 6 months. Night owls schedule time in at the end of the day when all the family are asleep. Brainstorm a way you can steal and extra hour or two. On a chart keep track of the daily/weekly progress you make and be impressed!
On a daily basis set your writing intention… to snatch any spare minute for writing, to reach a daily word count goal, to be open to all the creative moments the day has to offer, or whatever you need for your writing practice now.
Best of luck!!
Jan Cornall is a writer/performer/teacher who mentors writers and leads international writing workshops and retreats. She has written plays, screenplays and her books, Take Me To Paradise and Archipelagogo are available here. She is currently completing a short story project with Indonesian writer Triyanto Triwikromo and working on a literary travel memoir about following the footsteps of the French writer Marguerite Duras in Vietnam and Cambodia.
Heading out next
November 1–7, 2018. Bali Residency. Seven days just to write! At a beachside hacienda with inhouse mentors and feedback from fellow authors.
Jan 29-Feb 4, 2019. Haiku Snow Walk, Japan A snow shoe trek through Kawabata’s Snow Country near Nagano, Japan.
March 1–15, 2019 Moroccan Caravan A creative adventure into the heart of Moroccan culture. Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fes, Tissardmine.
