I started back to school yesterday, after a summer mostly dedicated to writing. If you asked me that question, “Are You Ready?” I’d probably have said “No” two weeks ago. I wanted to clear the decks, get one last full week of writing under my belt before going back to having to fit my writing around my day job.
But that last week didn’t turn out the way I’d planned. I was called away by kids, husband, family, a hurricane! All kinds of things intervened until I had one of the least productive weeks of the summer. Which made me think about when I work best. I really think I work best under pressure.
When I think “I have all the time in the world to write,” I let other things encroach on my writing time. Because I’ve got time to waste.
But when time to write becomes a precious commodity, something that has to be sandwiched between classes, or snatched as I’m eating lunch before a meeting, or stolen after everyone else has gone to bed, I value it more and make sure I take the time to do it. Therefore, strange as it may seem, the less time I have to write, the more productive I become.
About.com’s article “Make Time to Write,” gives you six tips on how to do just that. The first one says to pinpoint the underlying issues behind failure to write and cites a tendency to procrastinate as one such issue. The article also encourages you to “just say no,” schedule time to write, and find other resources to help you. Check out this article to help with these and other things we can do to help us find the time to write.
It takes organization and the drive to want to write as much as you want to do anything else. Suite 101’s suggestions on carving time out of a busy schedule in Scheduling Time to Write, range from telling you how to take advantage of spare moments to changing habits to make extra time.
But for me, it is a need that I have to find time to do. If not, I end up thinking about what I want to write instead of doing what I’m supposed to be doing. I suspect this is true of many writers.
So, am I ready for school? Oh, yes! Ready to get back into the routine where stolen moments for writing are very, very sweet.
How do you get your writing time in when a routine changes? Or even when you’re just experiencing your normal life? Share those tips with us please! They could make the difference to any number of writers! Thanks. 🙂
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
I had more interruptions with my boys during summer, but that didn’t stop me from sticking to my schedule of writing. LIFE gets in my way more often than not. Thank God for laptops! I can drag mine with me most places and always get some writing time in.
I’ve put aside five hours a day for writing, and that seems to work fine for me. But keeping everything in balance (writing, personal life, work, etc.) is the key, I think. When you spend time with your family – BE THERE. Quality, not quantity. It was hard to do that at first and not think of plots and dialogue, but now I can lay on the floor and play Monopoly with the kids and not think much of it.
Good luck back in school, Jenna. Ace those classes!
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Great blog post! It’s true when school starts up it can be hard to get back in the swing of things. There really has to be perseverance and dedication. Goals are very important. I set daily and weekly goals and to see them on paper helps.
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In a weird way, I have more writing time now than I did when my daughter was a kiddo. But I didn’t have a job then, and I do now. PT, but it’s extremely stressful. I seem to always be doing something any more that gets in the way of writing. I work better under pressure. I need a deadline!
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For me, this summer was, well I can’t say easier, perhaps a bit less hectic is the right phrase. You see I’m a full time college student and I take classes year round in an accelerated setting. (Which basically means that they cram 12 weeks of learning into 5) So with the kids out of school, I didn’t have as many obligations for school functions..but now with school back in session and a kid in HS band and another starting 5th grade band…I’m running myself ragged again.
So I schedule my writing time while they are at school – spending Wednesdays and Saturdays as major homework days, and the other week days as my writing time. But honestly if I’m consume with the need to write I just do it – even if it’s not while they are at school. I’ve become a natural at writing while they are under foot, stopping to answer questions, break up fights and cook meals. I guess it’s if there is a will there’s a way. Like you I seem to do best under pressure – as long as I have my writing tunes…lol.
Dakota
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I try to stick to a writing schedule, but I’m not hard on myself when that schedule doesn’t always stay the same. Life happens as we all know, and we have to work at fitting writing into our lives.
I find I accomplish more writing in the winter when I don’t have the yard and gardens occupying my time and thoughts.
Also, my job is slower in the winter–I work with my husband as a painter—so I can dedicate more time to my writing. Both my sons are older–one is in university, the other is in grade 11.
But we all try to fit our writing in no matter how, when , and where.
Great post, Jenna!
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I try to get some writing done while I’m at work. Some days I can get a lot written while others a little but recently I’ve been trying to get at least an hours worth done when I get get home at night.
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I am a very lucky person because I am in a position where I can write full-time. I didn’t always have that luxury. The key to writing steadily is, in my opinion, self-discipline. You have to make yourself write when you can, even if what you write is a paragraph (or page, or chapter) that you know you’ll later cut out. Keep writing! Set aside the time and don’t let yourself say but I should be…. Also remember that writing full-time is not a panacea. You still have to plan, organize, schedule, and hit those lettered keys regularly. No matter what your time limitations are, there is always the pressure to produce.
A wonderful post, Jenna. Have a great time at school and enjoy those stolen moments!
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Wish I had a magic formula to find time to write and that every time I sat down to do it my muse was ready and willing, lol! Unfortunately, I write when I can in between life. I’ve learned to be creative at the drop of a hat in a sense. I can write a scene in between baking cookies, laundry and running kids to sports. And I’m a pantser! Great post, Jenna. I would love to hear how others do it 🙂
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I have to set deadlines for myself, or I’ll drag my feet. Great post!
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If you listed all the things you did this summer pertaining to your writing, I doubt you could find many in the same time period who did as much. When I think of all you accomplished, I am amazed and feel like a slacker. Have a great week back at school.
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