A Juggler's Guide to Making Time for Writing
Four simple strategies to create and protect writing time
Are you a juggler, like me, with several balls in the air at all times?
Despite all our time-saving devices, our daily lives seem to be fuller than ever. Juggling all those balls can leave us feeling like we don’t have time for writing. This is actually my own #1 creative obstacle.
If you’re feeling like writing time is one more ball to juggle when your life is already very full, hoping to one day “find the time” is not going to work. We have to create the time.
Once you make a conscious decision to create time for your memoir writing, it may surprise you how easy it is.
Try some of these approaches:
1. Eliminate time clutter.
Time clutter is anything we don’t really need to do.
Here are a few questions to help you test whether one of the balls you’re juggling is actually clutter:
Could or should someone else do this?
Do I love doing this?
Do I feel good about doing this, rather than resentful or bored?
If I don’t do this, will it make any difference tomorrow, next week or a year from now?
Is there a shortcut method for doing this that would be good enough?
Could I do this half as often without any significant damage done?
Classic examples of time clutter include excessive TV watching and/or internet surfing, keeping a spotless home or doing more than your share of the housework, sticking to a brutal blogging schedule, and driving to a gym instead of walking or jogging in your own neighborhood (or my favorite, dancing in your living room).
The more you look for time clutter, the more you’ll find. Make it an ongoing quest.
And no, reading this blog post isn’t time clutter. This is a great use of your time. Read on!
2. Optimize small blocks of time.
Spend a few minutes, right now, making a list of writing activities you can do in short blocks of time.
Keep your list handy for when you do have a small amount of time, so you can get right to work and make the most of these “stolen moments.”
Your list will vary depending on what stage of the writing process you’re in, but here are some items from my list of quick writing tasks:
Brainstorm a scene or chapter with a mind map or list
Write a quick journal entry
Daydream about a time that I want to write about
Add to a Memory List
Write a short snippet of dialogue
Review a piece of writing and make a few revisions
Read, with awareness of craft, a short passage by a writer whose work I admire
(I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the free Memoir Writing Warm-Ups I offer are great for those short snatches of time.)
I do short writing tasks any time I find myself waiting around. Even for busy people, this happens more than you may realize.
You can also purposely plan on 10- to 20-minute writing blocks, if that’s all the time you feel you can afford. I went through a phase where I stayed 15 minutes late at work so I could do a short writing task before heading home, where I knew I wouldn’t feel like it after a long day.
3. Carve out a regular writing time.
If you really have a lot of balls in the air, “regular” doesn’t have to mean daily or even weekly. It might mean once every other week or even once a month, if that’s all you feel you can swing right now. But don’t let your sense that you can’t do it more frequently lead you to not do it at all.
Create that time by eliminating time clutter and then protect your writing time fiercely. If you’ll be taking this time when family members are around, let them know your plans and enlist their support. Personally, I like to reserve a study room at the public library so I have a definite appointment with myself, as well as the privacy to do focused work.
Conjure up an image of your own personal bodyguard who stands by you as you assert your decision to take this time for your writing. If anyone tries to mess with that time, relish the feeling of standing strong and defending it. Protect it the same way you would if someone were trying to kidnap your baby — in a way, they are! No violence, though, and no calling 911.
4. Protect your energy.
Sometimes when we say we don’t have time, really what we mean is that we don’t have energy. We’re so busy juggling all our responsibilities that when we do get a chunk of time for writing, we don’t feel like doing it.
Take steps to protect your energy so that this is less likely to happen. That means getting enough sleep, eating well, avoiding sweets, drinking lots of water, getting outside, moving your body, and taking quiet time to recharge. You know the drill.
Protect your energy with the same bodyguard persona you use to protect your writing time, and you’ll soon find yourself showing up for that writing time more often!
Your Turn
How do you create time for memoir writing? How do you protect that time?
Please share your thoughts in the comments.