Abigail Fredrickson

Ever feel like there’s never enough time in the day to get around to writing?  Like there’s always something else you need to do, or things that keep coming up?  Excuses you make because you just don’t feel like it that day, even though you really want to continue your story and can never find the time?

Yeah, me too.  Sometimes one of the hardest obstacles in the world of writing is simply finding the time to sit down and write in the first place.  It’s something I have struggled with many a time before.

I’m going to let you all in on a little secret.  Somewhere in your day, there is always time for that writing, even if it’s only an hour.  Little things simply build up and we put them off or think we can’t get to something else because we got distracted by that other thing…and suddenly the time is gone.

The problem of finding time to write disappears much more easily when you start to look at it as the choice of making time to write.  Pick a time during your day that isn’t taken by something important.  Maybe there’s an hour or two in your afternoon you could use.  Maybe you’re most free in the evenings, after dinner and before bed.  Or perhaps early mornings before breakfast yield the most opportunity.

I, personally, am a pretty early riser by nature, and have found that the early, dark, quiet hours of the morning are a perfect time to write with no interruptions.  Not all will feel the same way, and not all will have the same schedule, but it’s an example.

Take a look at your schedule, and take note of the things that are really important.  Mealtimes, work or school hours, etc.  Then determine what time of day you feel most productive, or that you feel is best for your personal writing environment.  Take that part of your day, and reserve it for your writing.  Get off YouTube and social media for an hour or two, you’ll survive without it, and your writing will be better for it.

Maybe you really genuinely have a packed full day, and that’s okay.  No one has to write every single day of their lives.  Still, take some time out of your week and reserve it to focus on your writing, because some is better than none at all.  I doubt you’ll regret it!  Even if that time is spent world building, or determining your plot, or some other thing that’s not writing but still related, that’s okay, because you’ve still made some progress on it!  Don’t be too hard on yourself, because your writing time should be fun and enjoyable.  Writing shouldn’t be a chore, even if it’s your main source of income.

On that note, some people may ask, well, if I’m reserving time for it during my day, wouldn’t that be like I’m assigning it as a chore for myself?  By no means.  It merely serves as a way to ensure that you have the time to write in the first place, whereas before you may have been struggling to find it.  You can’t enjoy writing if you never sit down to do it in the first place.  Besides, the time you choose for it is entirely up to you.  Choose a time that works best for you and makes you most comfortable while doing so.  For some people that may be during the evening, unwinding after a long day of work or school, with a nice snack or drink, sitting down to do something you enjoy.  For some people (like me) it may be early in the morning, in that quiet, peaceful space before the world is beginning to wake, when it’s quiet enough to hear myself think.  Others may prefer the middle of the day, when they can draw inspiration from the hustle and bustle of other people’s lives moving around them, and the world is bright and alive.

Merely ensure that you find what time works for you, and assign it as your personal writing time.  Do whatever you want or need to make it enjoyable for you (For example, turn off notifications if they’re distractions, get yourself a treat to enjoy while you write, tell your friends or family that this is your writing time, etc.), but make that time to write.  I assure you, I have never once regretted doing so, and I doubt you will either.

Please share your own experiences with this in the comments! What have you found helpful? What tricks do you use? What kind of environment do you most enjoy for writing?