finding time to write

Quick Link: Schedule Your Time in 4 Simple Steps

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Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Trying to find more time in the day seems to be every adult’s desire. I don’t know if I could follow Janalyn Voigt schedule personally, but I thought it was very well written and that there are some of you out there that would like more structure in your day. So head on over to the newly redesigned  Live Write Breath website, and let us all know of any time scheduling tips you have. For me, as my kids are older, I have a pair of noise cancelling headphones. Everyone knows when they are on, I am not to be disturbed unless there is fire, flood, or blood.

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Schedule Your Time in 4 Simple Steps

And no, cat barf doesn’t count as fire, flood, or blood.

Have you ever pictured what living a perfect life would look like for you as a writer? Perhaps you would exercise regularly, eat right, take time for hobbies, engage in recreational activities, travel, complete your household duties, keep up with family responsibilities, and ace your job — all while having plenty of time to write.

The divide between what you want and your actual lifestyle is never more apparent than at the beginning of the year. There’s something about turning that calendar with a fresh new outlook that gives all of us a boost toward attaining our dream lives. That’s why we devise New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, exercise, and you name it. The writing version of that can look like a push to increase the number of novels you write this year or simply to finish the first one.

You start with the best of intentions every new day but time escapes you, distractions waltz by, or you rebel against your own schedule. Overcommitting your time is a common mistake. I know about this firsthand, let me tell you. It’s no fun to stay up past your bedtime when you want to sleep in order to meet a deadline.

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How To Write When You’re A Parent

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This post hits home in a big way. And my kids are not little, in fact they are quite big. But it is almost 11 pm and I have spent over 2 hours helping my son with AP Chem before coming here to post. On Writer’s Digest, Danielle Campoamor gives good advice to all of us on how to adapt and still find ways to keep writing, even when the demands on your time increase. I may have to read this one daily.

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How To Write When You’re A Parent

Parent and child parking signIt’s 10:30 in the morning and my son has finally succumbed to his morning nap. With his head on my chest and his ineffectual arms wrapped around my neck, I feel his body rise and fall with every seamless breath. I move ever-so-slightly, adjusting my body without moving him; a timeless skill every parent finds a way to master. I lift up my arms to lay my hands on my laptop keyboard, determined to finish an article and meet a deadline while my child dreams sweet one year old dreams.

Before I became a mother, I was borderline obsessive about the way I wrote. I had to listen to music and set up a clean area and definitely, under no circumstances, be bothered. I’d create a “writing space” that – I believed – fostered the best creativity and willpower and I was unwavering in its obsessive defense.

But then life happened and pregnancy happened and a child happened. And suddenly, the list I had created in order to obtain the perfect writing environment became impossible to adhere to. No one bothering me? Forget about it. A pristine environment? Try telling that to a child who has learned about toys and the ability to throw them mighty distances. Loud music? Not when the baby is sleeping. No way.

If I was to continue my career and my passion, I had to find a new way to write in an always-changing, consistently disruptive environment. Because unless you have someone paying your bills and a nanny to watch your children and a staff to clean and cook and fold your laundry, life will always get in the way of writing.

Read the full post on Writer’s Digest

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If you liked this article, please share. If you have suggestions for further articles, articles you would like to submit, or just general comments, please contact me at paula@publetariat.com or leave a message below.