YouTube video version here; written blog piece with even more tips below.
“You must write every single day of your life… You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads…”
Yeah, Ray Bradbury, it’s great that you have the time to lurk in libraries all day, but I have to get to the dry cleaners.
We’ve all heard it a million times: to be a writer, you must write every day.
But in a world of jobs and kids and cooking and sleeping and shoveling snow, how are any of us supposed to find the time to sit down and write? Every day? Impossible…
I wrote my debut novel, Oil and Marble, while producing five nights a week of television. For those of you who have never produced five nights a week of television, it’s a 60 hour a week job and you never leave your work at the office; it follows you home to bed.
But still, I wrote a novel. Day by day, sentence by sentence, moment by moment.
I’ve written every day since I was seven years old. I write when I have 102 degrees of fever. When it’s a perfect beach day. On my wedding day. Even when my husband was in the hospital, and I didn’t know if he would walk out alive (this one may make me seem insane, but writing keeps me sane during difficult days).
It’s not always easy to write every day. And it’s not always terribly productive. It’s sometimes ugly and often unusable… but it’s there. Every day. Day by day. Word by word. Moment by moment. That’s how you write novels.
So, here are my top practical tips for how to write… when you don’t have time to write.
1: Use Notes App on Your Smart Phone
I’m embarrassed to admit it, but my phone has become a useful part of my daily writing life. While standing in line at the grocery store, instead of checking Facebook, I open up my notes app and scribble down a line or two. It may only be an idea or a fragment of dialogue, but it’s there. Plus, my phone is always in my pocket, so I have no excuse.
2: Arrive Early? Use that Time
The next time you arrive at a meeting a few minutes early, instead of scrolling on social media, pull out your notebook or iPhone and scribble down a sentence or two. Other people are late anyway, you have the time, even if it’s just a minute or two. And likely, if you’re on your phone, no one will disturb you when they first walk in anyway; you could be writing an important email or checking in with your spouse, so they’ll let you finish your thought! It’s amazing how much work I’ve done while waiting for other people to show up.
3: While Working Out
Look at the bike, treadmill, or elliptical trainer you regularly use. My laptop almost always fits onto that console (sometimes it takes some creative propping)… It’s like a standing desk, only no one bothers me because I’m “at the gym.” I’m sure fitness gurus will tell you not to do this because your workouts won’t be as effective, but for me, writing a novel trumps burning a few extra calories.
4: TV Time
While my husband watches TV, I have my laptop open. He feels like we’re spending time together; I get uninterrupted writing time. (I’ll admit this one takes a special level of focus. I can tune out the TV and tune into my world. If you don’t have this kind of focus, this might not work for you. But if it does, beware. You’ll suddenly be encouraging the family to settle down in front of the TV every night).
5: Cooking Dinner
Think about your story while you chop vegetables, then while waiting for pots to simmer, write down those thoughts. If you’re lucky, your family will leave you alone for a few moments because they want you to get dinner on the table. Besides, all that cooking will get some good creative juices flowing.
6: Take an Extra Long Shower
When you’re in the shower, do you think about your work, fume at your spouse, worry about the kids? Stop. Use those moments to think about your story. Keep a notebook in your magazine drawer and, when you hop out of the shower, scribble down your thoughts. Everyone will think you are just drying off. Besides, showering relaxes you; the ideas formed in there tend to be really good.
7: Take Your 10,000 Steps
I equate walking time with thinking time. Every time I go for a walk — down the hall, stairs, street — I think about my story. After I’ve walked somewhere, I take a second or two to scribble down the thoughts or sentences that came up. Start connecting walking to “thinking about my project” and you’ll suddenly be writing — and walking — more.
8: Set Your Alarm 15 Minutes Early
Pre-kids, pre-phone, pre-sunrise… Pre-everything. Early is my favorite time because no one else is up yet. Plus, my head is still half-foggy with dreams, so I feel more connected to my subconscious muse. Even 15 minutes is enough to scribble down half-a-page of dream-induced prose. (Or if you’re like me, set your alarm clock for 2-3 hours early and have a full writing session finished before the rest of the world wakes.)
9: Never ignore a solid stretch of time
When you have a spare two hours on the weekend it’s easy to sit in front of the TV or scroll through Facebook, but you can’t squander these times. No excuses. Write something, ANYTHING, even if you feel stuck. If you sit there and work, it will come. If you don’t write in these moments, you never will.
10: Stop Worrying About Writing Something Beautiful or Even Usable
I’m not saying what you write in these stolen moments will be brilliant. I’m saying if you do it every day, it will eventually add up to something. Writing is re-writing, anyway; it won’t be perfect the first time no matter how much time you spend. So just get something down. Every. Single. Day.
I have a thousand little tips like this — of ways to collect a few words during random bits of time and how to carve out longer stretches for myself, but these are just MY tips. You’re going to have to find your own way. But as long as you prioritize your writing, you’ll get a little bit done, every single day, and be well on your road to writing that novel.
