So busy with work, family, and everything else that you can’t find time to write? Here are some helpful tips to give your writing schedule the jump-start it needs.
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This post is a throwback from the blog series, Tick-Tock, Writer’s Block, where we examined time management and that little annoyance that seems to plague all writers from time to time – writer’s block.
5 Ways to Jump-start your Writing Schedule
1. Identify your creative time.
We all have a time of day when we feel the most creative. For me, it’s always first thing in the morning. In the early hours, before the rest of my family is awake and moving around, I find the peaceful quiet to offer inspiration and few distractions. Identify your time. Perhaps it’s in the morning, before dinner, or in the late hours of night when all has quieted for the day. Whenever that time is, recognize it and claim it as your own.
2. Set a schedule.
After having identified your creative time, set a schedule that is realistic for your lifestyle. We all have responsibilities outside the world of writing and it’s necessary to balance work with life. Maybe you’re most creative in the evening, but you have nights when you are running your children to and from activities and can’t use that time to write. That’s ok. Find the days you are available and pen them in your calendar. Even if it’s only 2 days a week, you’ll find having set yourself a schedule to be enormously helpful in getting the work done.
3. Make a commitment.
Once you’ve set your schedule, stick to it. Unless it is absolutely imperative to skip your writing time – don’t do it! When you’ve completed your manuscript, you’ll be happy you made the decision to discipline yourself.
4. Understand your time is valuable.
Your time is important and so is your writing schedule. Even if you don’t receive an income from writing just yet, the time you spend honing your craft can not only lead to a future income, but allows you the freedom to express your creativity.
5. Stress less.
Stop worrying. Seriously, just stop. Nothing stifles creativity more than useless tension. If you put a realistic schedule in place, you are then able to remove the anxiety that can accompany a busy life. Most authors have day jobs as well as families to care for, you are not alone. Keep your head up and move forward. Even if all you accomplish is a few hundred words a day, don’t worry about it. Good stories take time.
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