5 Tips on How to Make Time for Writing

One of the first problems you have no doubt encountered as a writer is making time for writing. With responsibilities taking priority, such as work or family, you are left scrounging for a half-an-hour to work on the book you have in mind. Sometimes, half-an-hour is the best you can get on a good day alone. I am going to give you some advice and solutions to your dilemma, helping you make more time for writing.

1. Speech-to-Text

​One of the great services the internet provides is many speech-to-text services. Some are truly effective in understanding the speaker, this makes it easier to make time for writing even when the writers hands are occupied.

Having done some experimentation with a speech-to-text service, such as dictating while I do chores or exercise (which gave some amusing, although not completely accurate results). However, the idea was still there, I could make time for writing anytime. I could write while cooking, eating and household chores (vacuuming excluded).

As useful as this is, you can of course use this service with any task that requires your hands and not your mouth. As long as your co-workers don’t mind you speaking fantasy or thriller, you can work on dictating your novel even at work. Of course, that is in a more unprofessional environment.
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2. Write Here and Now

​Writers often make the terrible mistake of asking for time to write. Trying to clear a schedule of unnecessary meetings and such are one way to make time, but that only really applies for unnecessary uses of time. As long as it doesn’t affect your relationships or work if you only write part-time, you should be fine.

That being said, that still leaves you asking for your time from others. In these situations, it might be perfectly apt to simply say you have schedules time for writing. You can easily make time for writing by putting it higher on the list of priorities, Be mindful of how this will affect your life.

Going further, you can write here and now. As you read this article you are no doubt searching for answers, but frankly, this time could be best spent writing. The same would apply with other responsibilities. You can postpone or multitask, but there are no doubt many instances of your day that you can fit writing into.
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3. Form a Routine

​Another great method is the far more professional method of turning writing into a routine occurrence in your day or week if you are strapped for time. Forming a habit is by no means an easy task, but it is a necessary one if you are truly serious about becoming a writer.

Earlier I mentioned that you should schedule time for writing. Perhaps an hour the next day or several over the weekend. Raising writing on the list of priorities will certainly help with creating the habit, but consistency is what is important.

You don’t need to write for hours on end on some days to turn it into a habit, but writing consistently is what will make it easier. You write thousands of words over the weekend, but if you give writing a skip over the next few days as a reward for productivity, you are losing the battle.

Writing every day is a fantastic piece of advice, however, not many people seem to realize the important rule that comes with this advice. That rules is the point below.
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4. Writing Something is Better than Nothing

Stop stressing yourself to fill a writing quota if you truly don’t have the time. I started as a writer with other responsibilities, my first book being written in the middle of my final exams. There are higher priorities, thus there is less time for writing. However, there is still time to progress in your work, even if it is a little.

Writing a hundred words today is saving you a hundred words tomorrow. Yes, even a writing two simple paragraphs is enough if you find yourself hitting those late hours at night and having not written anything. You have made time for writing, even if it is a little it is enough to maintain that habit you are instilling.

Adding to that point, while you can write as little as you wish, you must avoid writing nothing. Writing block is a state of mind, obvious enough to understand, but much harder to escape. However, there is no writers block that will keep you from writing something as little as a few paragraphs. That is simply the lack of passion and involvement in your work, but you can still take ten minutes to add some thoughts to your novel.

Going further than that, you are also welcome to write as much as you desire. Some days allow you more time than others. Perhaps you have enough to work towards writing a thousand words, perhaps even an entire chapter. Such opportunities should be jumped at and such productivity should be rewards with self-pride. Writing so much in a day is an accomplishment that is deserving of a smug smile before you go to sleep.

5. Write Whenever Inspiration Hits

There will be moments in your routine where your ideas seem to be blooming in your mind like daffodils in early spring. When the creative juices are flowing, your fingers are tapping the nearest surface as the desire to write grows. In situations like this, it is perfectly just to break out a notepad and start writing what’s in your mind.

If you are in dashing distance of your chosen writing device, excuse yourself from the important family meeting and strike when the iron is hot. Purest inspiration isn’t going to last you the whole marathon of the writing process, however, it gives you the energy to perform a quick sprint.

Don’t worry about the current engagements so much. If you can get away with leaving the responsibility for such a short instant, it will be at worst a funny situation that your friends and family remark on later after your publish that novel!

Thank You!

​Dear Writer,
Thank you for finishing this article. I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you truly enjoyed it. There are many things you will learn from the writing experience and the 150 above are only a few.

As a big thank you I would like to offer you something for FREE!
A writing course on how to improve your main character!

Click here to check it out your course.

In addition, if would like to receive more content, bonuses and some big discounts on future courses,
join the writers group here. 

Thank you very much for reading!
Kind regards

Matthew Dewey, Writer & Writing Instructor

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