Making Time to Write
No time to write? Here are a few ideas on finding the time to do the thing you want to do.
Kite flying on the South Downs. Photo: Tanya Clarke 2014
Time, time, time.
Wasting time.
Making time.
Having time.
Finding time.
Filling time.
A long time.
A short time.
Spare time.
No time.
Out of time.
Time out.
When my kids first started school, many people said to me, "What will you do with all that time?"
When our doodle dog Kiki barks for too long at intruders (i.e. people walking past our house), I put her in the downstairs loo for a time out.
When I write from my prompts in the early morning I often set a timer for ten minutes.
There's a lot of noise out there about using your time well; make time for deep work, get the most out of the time you have. Don't waste time! Life's too short! Keep busy. Be productive. It's enough to have you reaching for the tv remote/your phone/a large glass of wine saying, "I'll get on with that tomorrow - when I have more time."
Things I've Tried
For my part, I've looked into scheduling. I've tried setting up a google sheet, planning out the hours in my day from the moment I wake up to when I go to sleep. I've read about habits - how to make them, how to break them. I've set up writing tasks in Asana for my team...of just one.
I get up early. I always get up early. And yet, even then, time seems to slip through my fingers. I crawl into bed in the evening, tired, wondering why I didn't get anything done today?
But now after some months of this, I'm realising that if you want to write your novel or collection of short stories or your unique volume of poetry, you do need a schedule, a timetable of sorts. I know what you're thinking. You're looking at your calendar for a gap. There are no gaps. And now you're saying, "There are no gaps, Tanya! I have NO TIME!"
I’m sorry to have to break this to you. You will have to make the time. Find the time. The same time every day if you can. Block it out. If you want this, REALLY want it, finding time is a must.
What Can You Do to Find Time?
Can you get up a little earlier? Go to bed a little later? Is the weekend better? Or your day off in the week? I'm not talking hours here. I'm asking, "Where can you find half an hour or twenty minutes in your day to do the thing you really want to do?"
If you wrote for ten minutes a day, that's over an hour of writing time in a week. I believe in taking those tiny bits of time and making something happen. In a few months, you might have the first draft of a short story. Imagine! All with ten minutes a day. Better to try ten minutes a day than think, "I don't have time," and write nothing.
How much time to you spend scrolling through Instagram/Facebook/Twitter/Google etc.? A tip here. None of us really know how much time we spend on our phones but you can find out very easily. Check your screentime in the settings on your phone. Here you’ll find the actual, measured time you’re spending on social media apps or websites you visit. My husband discovered the other day he had spent 2 hours 45 minutes on Safari reading news sites. He was horrified. I urge you to check your screentime. I bet you’ll find time there. I’m not saying get rid of your apps but it might be worth your while to be mindful of them. They’re designed, after all, to be sticky, to keep you scrolling and clicking.
My husband? He’s set a time limit on his phone for Safari - 30 minutes per day.
Begin at the Beginning
So you've set up a time, the same time every day, you're sitting in your chair (or standing at a desk).
Now what?
Just start. Write from a photograph or write about a character you've made notes about. Write a conversation you had with your parent/aunt/sibling last week. Anything. Write the alphabet if you're completely stuck. The important thing is you're here, ready to write. Get going. Get into the habit.
Limit ALL distractions. Protect your time as best you can. Lock the door. Put on headphones. Turn off your phone. No email. No internet. Yikes. I know! I hear you. It's hard. If there's something you need to google, do it later. Make a note. Thriller author Dan Brown does this. It works for him. The man gets up at 4 am every day and writes until 11 am. Every. Single. Day.
I know. No one said this would be easy but it will be worth it. See you on the other side.
