Making Time To Write

Very often, when people find out I write, the conversation goes along these lines.

'Oh, so you write? What sort of thing?'

'Fantasy, mostly.'

'Like Harry Potter?'

'Nooo, not quite....'

'I'd write a book, but I don't have the time.'

Which is just silly. I have the same amount of time as anyone else. 24 hours in the day. Two jobs. One Esteemed Other Half who likes to talk to me occasionally rather than be met with a grunted 'I'm writing!' Two kids who I like to spend time with, so they at least recognise me. Friends, other family, obligations. Yet I still write books.

If you want to write, you can (almost always)find the time.

So, how do you make time to write? If you really, really want to write, you MAKE time. I work weird shifts, so I have to work around that. When the kids were smaller, it was done after they went to bed. Now it's more when they're at school. I don't watch much telly any more. Don't miss it either! If there is something I really want to watch, I record it and watch it AFTER I've finished my words for the day. I've carved a bit of time here, a bit there, and it all adds up. I know writers who get up an hour early to get writing in before work, when it's quiet, who write on their daily commute, who hire babysitters for a long Saturday afternoon.

Writing doesn't have to take acres of time. Yes, when you start there'll be a steep learning curve, but if you can write 1000 words a day, you've got an average sized novel (well, the first draft at least) in 100 days. You don't have to write every day (on days I've worked a 13 hour shift, all that's going to come out is gibberish, so I take that day off!). You do, I think, have to write regularly. A bit at a time, and those bits really add up.

1000 words a day. Not much. Takes me about an hour. Maybe you can only squeeze in 500. You can find half an hour most days, can't you? If you want to write, you will.