If you’re like me, being a published writer is something you are actively trying to achieve. You may also be struggling to meet your various writer needs (to learn, absorb, grow, explore, experiment, network) in light of other demands (hello full time corporate job, social life, pets, chores, errands, Game of Thrones, etc).
So I went looking for tips on how writers can maximize what precious little free time we do have.
According to a Writer’s Digest article by Victoria Lynn Schmidt, you may have a bigger free time balance than you previously realized. The trick is identifying those moments and seizing them. I, for one, make it a point to use my lunch break for writing. Call it antisocial, but this usually means leaving the office so I don’t get pulled into conversations with colleagues. I also try to do a little writing in the evening, however Schmidt recommends setting your writing appointment in the AM, before the day’s distractions are running full-steam.
For those of you who sometimes enjoy a dose of adult humor with your rather forceful encouragement, visit this “pep talk” from Daniel Dalton in Writers on Writing. If blue language isn’t your thing, I’ll clean up one of Dalton’s excellent suggestions: Establish a specific writing goal (ex: type 100-500 words every day), prioritize that goal, and then resist the urge to go beyond that goal. Why? If you stop writing when you still have more to say, you’ll invest in tomorrow’s momentum.
What are some of your personal tips and tricks for staying on track and prioritizing your writing time?
An Awfully Big Adventure 
The only writing I do is on my blogs. I try to write everyday but post only once or twice a week. I try to keep my posts short so I’m not spending hours writing and can actually read and comment on blogs.
Dropping by from A to Z
Time management is a tough one. I have the day job and all that, but I now do most of my plotting on my phone on the way to and from work. I have that hour of transit a day, so I might as well use it!
Also, two monitors at home, so I can watch Game of Thrones and work at the same time.
Nice post, Sarah! Oh how I wish I could stay home and write all day.
Great tips. Basically, I write when I can. Even if I don’t actually sit in front of a computer or with a pen and paper, I try to think up a scene and hopefully remember it when the time calls for it. Perfect choice for T.
Silvia @
SilviaWrites