Articles
You DO Have Time to Write (& here's how to find it)
So, you've got that Great American novel inside of you,
just itching to get out ... or that how-to book that will
change the lives of millions ... or that screenplay that would
be perfect for Hollywood. Now all you need is the time to
commit your words to paper. But where, how do you find it?
Let me give you a hint: It's right in front of you!
Seriously. Time isn't some mysterious, elusive creature.
She's a heck of a lot more accessible than you think. &
here are 10 easy ways to find-& use-her:
1) Think small. You don't need huge chunks of time in which
to write. Few writers can sit or think for that long a stretch
anyway. Look instead for smaller units. You'll be much more
successful in your search ... & more productive.
2) Get off of autopilot. We waste lots of time each day doing
stuff by rote: reading the morning paper, watching TV, eating
lunch with co-workers, sleeping in on weekends. Break your
routine & you free up valuable writing time.
3) Hit the ground running. Why waste precious time at your
desk trying to decide what to write? Make that decision the
night before or in the morning shower. Develop a clear-cut
strategy, play with a lovely line or two ... get your creative
juices flowing ahead of time, & then follow where they lead.
4) Create a no-fly zone. A no-fly zone is territory over
which enemy aircraft are not allowed to fly. Writers need
to establish no-fly zones as well, if they are to keep negative
thoughts at bay. Negative thoughts sap energy & thereby
waste time. So st& up for yourself & your work. Block
out negative thoughts that encroach on your precious writing
time.
5) Work up, over, & around others. Rather than convert
the masses to your writing schedule, work around theirs. Watch
"traffic patterns" at home & the office to determine
when you'd be least likely to be interrupted. Is it early
in the morning? Late at night? During lunch? Claim this time
as your own.
6) Become a peak performer. Whether you know it or not, you
have certain times of day when you're sharpest, hungriest,
crankiest, etc. You also have times when you're most creative.
The key is to tap into these peak creative periods-even if
it means revamping your schedule or radically altering your
notion of time.
7) Become a matchmaker. Writing, ultimately, is a series
of tasks (e.g., thinking, reading, filing, typing, not to
mention writing itself). Some tasks can be dispensed with
in moments; others may take hours. The greater your ability
to match given tasks to your available time slots, the greater
your ability to move a project across the finish line.
8) Become a smart farmer. Smart farmers know there's a time
to plant & to reap-& so do smart writers. That's why many
work on more than one project simultaneously. It's a great
way to avoid writer's block & to ready several projects
for market. An here's an added benefit: You'll have little
or no downtime.
9) Say hello to good-byes. Not all projects are created equal.
Some are great in theory but awful in practice. Purge these
from your system. You'll not only regain your creative spark
but reclaim the precious time you've been wasting walking
in circles & bumping into walls.
10) Write, even when you're not writing. If you think writing
is about getting words on a page, think again. Writing only
partly involves taking a pen in your h& or making your fingers
dance across a keyboard. Good writing, ultimately, is about
good living. Living takes time & is worth every moment.
It's the stuff of life, the stuff of our books, stories, articles,
poems. So embrace it, use it. Make time for it.
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