Making the Most of Your Writing Time

You're a student, you have a full-time career, you have your own business. If any of this is true, you probably have limited writing time. So how do you use that time to its fullest potential?

First of all, you need to secure at least an hour of writing time. You've got to hold onto that hour like it's the most important thing in your day, because it is. It's your hour to be creative, to be free. So when friends ask you for favors or to go out to lunch with them, you have to say no. Doesn't matter how close the friend is, if they eat into your writing time, you have to tell them no. 

Once you've explained away their hurt expression, you'll need to devote yourself solely to writing. Put on your headphones and play your music or white noise. Turn off your phone, then tuck it in a drawer. Then lock the drawer. Don't throw away the key, though 😁. Put your attention on your writing, even if you have to superglue your pants to the chair. (Don't actually do that. When it's time to get back to your "real" job, you're going to need your pants.)

Try racing yourself. See if you could write more in five minutes than you did the last five minutes. This will make the time fly, and you'll get a lot done if you always push to be better.

If these tactics don't work, figure out what does. Talk to other writers with limited writing time to find out what works for them. And then tell me, so I can dispense that advice in a follow-up post😉.