It happened again. I was talking to a person I’d recently met. My books came up, and he said, “I’d like to write a novel, if I could find the time.”
I get that comment a lot. It always makes me wonder if the speaker thinks I live like a hermit in a cave with only a typewriter and a ream of paper for company. Or maybe he thinks I’ve discovered a rip in the space-time continuum that allows me to slip away to Writing Land where time doesn’t exist and I can put words on the page without any other responsibilities. (How awesome would that be?)
The truth is writing a novel takes time. If you’re waiting until you can find the time to write one, it’s probably not going to happen. If you want to be a writer, you have to make time for it.
Here’s my story: As much as I’d like it to, writing doesn’t pay the bills, so I have a full-time job. I have a family. I have a large dog. There’s grass to mow and dishes to wash. I’m active in my community. And, if I’m being really honest, I watch way too many sports on television. I also write two novels a year.
The way I’ve made time to be a writer is surprisingly simple: Consistency.
At a writing conference last summer, I saw the great mystery writer Walter Mosley on a panel. The moderator asked about writing habits, and Walter answered that he writes for three hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Walter knows what’s up.
My day does not allow for three hours of writing time; I’ve set my standard at 1,000 words each day, Monday through Friday, and twice a day on weekends. By keeping that schedule, I write 9,000 words over around 9 hours each week.
That particular schedule might not work for everyone, but the key part I recommend all writers implement is to write daily.
Consistency works for several reasons. One is that when I regularly enter my characters’ world and spend time with them, my brain keeps writing, even when I’m not at the keyboard. When I’m walking the dog or folding the laundry, I’m also working out sections of plot and planning what I’ll write next.
Another benefit to writing each day is that I remember what’s happening in the story, and I produce cleaner drafts with fewer plot holes. Back when I would write for a few minutes when I had free time, sometimes going weeks between writing sessions, my drafts were riddled with contradictions. Timelines got jumbled, and my characters’ names and physical traits would change. Those problems come up a lot less when I stay immersed in the story.
Finally, when I write every day, the people around me know what to expect and respect my writing time. Some of you have private writing rooms with antique desks and Mozart playing softly in the background. I’m jealous. I have a seat at the end of the kitchen counter. I write immediately after work, which means there’s usually someone in the kitchen getting a snack and someone else watching television in the living room behind me. (The Simpsons provided the soundtrack for much of one of my novels.) It’s taken a while, but everyone now knows that when I’m on my stool, it’s my time to write, and I don’t get interrupted anymore. Even Lola Dog has figured out that her evening walk happens when I stop writing.
I’ve said all this as if writing daily is easy to implement. It’s not. It takes discipline and willpower. If you’re a sporadic writer and want to get into a consistent habit, here are a few tips to help you:
Start small: Challenge yourself to write each day for a week. Then, challenge yourself to add another week. Before you know it, it’s part of your daily schedule.
Set a goal: Walter Mosley’s goal is three hours a day. Mine is 1,000 words. Yours can be anything, but set something achievable, and write until you hit it.
Same time, same place: To get the full benefits of writing consistently, I recommend carving out a particular time and place, if you’re able. It helps train your brain to enter “the writing zone” and prepares you to be productive.
Avoid time wasters: When I sit down to write, I don’t open my email or social media until I’ve completed my writing for the day. Whatever it is that will intrude on your time, set it aside until you’ve met your daily goal.
I’m still looking for that wormhole that will allow me to defy time and write as much as I’d like. Until I find it, I’ll settle for consistency as a productivity hack.
Photo by Gerd Altmann at Pixabay.com
