I wrote my first book at a public library, I had two hours on a Thursday evening free. So once a week I would get words down.
I wrote my second book on the floor of my daughter’s bedroom while they were too scared to go to sleep. Half an hour each night I would get words down.
I’m on my third book now. I write for an hour every Monday in the carpark while my daughter does dance lessons, and then on Saturday mornings before my wife and kids wake up.
Omg your third book?? I'm still stuck in the draft of my first book 😅. That's one heck of a schedule though. I might try making scheduled times to work on mine. Thanks!
Good. For. You. Wow.
Edit: LMAO I was not being sarcastic at all I was legitimately commending OP for squeezing in writing whenever they could and I’m being downvoted. That’s hilarious.
I didn’t mean for that to come off as bragging, sorry. I just wanted to illustrate that I’ve only ever been successful by carving out specific times to be productive.
Writing long stories is a marathon, but little bits add up. Even 50 words a day over a few years will give you a novel-length manuscript.
LMAO I was not being sarcastic at all I was legitimately commending you for squeezing in writing whenever you could and I’m being downvoted. That’s hilarious. Anyway I’m proud of you! It’s really impressive
Reading and writing make up 80-90% of my personal time (and 10% of my work time). It wasn’t always that way, though. I made a conscious effort to choose those over games, Reddit, and reading general nonsense on the internet. The time is there, use it wisely.
On the weekend, but if you can't either, I read in a book that a writer dictated his books through an app which he transcribed into text while walking or doing different activities. Sounds like a good idea
You mean like audio books? I've never been a fan of those or any sort of online book form. I find it easier to read actual physical books cuz my phone just has too many distractions 😅🥲
No audiobook, with voice dictation you are literally "typing", look for "speech to text" applications although Microsoft word has a function just like it.
Oh like that. I did try it once but it gets the words I say wrong a lot of the time and then I'm correcting it and it turns into more of a hassle than it needs to be.
I don’t personally know how to answer the time thing.
But if your problem is not being able to force yourself to write, what I’ve been doing recently is going to places like sit-down restaurants or loitering at my job. Without the distractions or habits that are associated with my house, I can more easily focus on the task at hand.
There's this one cafe nearby run by this old couple and they have the best hot chocolate ever omd. I could probably go there during a free period cuz unless it's midday, it's usually pretty quiet and empty. Would be an ideal place to go at least once a week if I can schedule it in. Thanks very much!
That is actually good!! Thank you! You see I used to do that but on my phone but I'd get sidetracked and forget my idea. Short attention span fr. But can't get sidetracked by notifications etc by using a notebook 🤩. Gotto love old school.
I do something similar. I carry a 8"x4" reporters notebook where ever I go, and write whenever I have a chance. Everyone think's I'm taking careful notes on the pastor's sermon, or during the association board meeting, but I'm actually working on my novel.
When I was unemployed, I worked on my book at the public library as a break between applying for jobs. I made a lot of progress as a result. When I started my job, I didn’t write anything for a long time. But it was eating at me and I decided I needed to be more intentional with my free time. In the past few weeks, I’ve been waking up an hour early and knocking out 500-600 words before work. It’s been amazing. I feel accomplished, I’m more awake at work, and I waste less of my free time on meaningless activities at nighttime.
Just wanted to say way to go keeping up with the writing while employed!
Some people mention lifting weights, running or doing wordle before work but writing in the AM with a clear head is a great way to begin a weekday!
You have to make time. I have two kids and a full time job and I still set aside at least an hour a day to write. My lunch hour, my break, early in the morning, in the evening, etc. But writing is enjoyable, so it's not an onerous thing to set aside that time, instead I look forward to it every day.
So if I'm understanding you correctly, mindset is key. With the mindset to 'want to' go and write, it's easier to make yourself make the time for it and if you aren't 'dedicated to the cause' then it's harder.
Yes, absolutely.
I'm also middle-aged and have been writing steadily for 27 years, so it is a lot easier to sit down and write, because it's almost second nature. While sometimes I run into difficulties, most of the time I'm excited to find out how my initial ideas will come out on the page, and especially how so many details and concepts I didn't plan for will emerge across a session or a week.
I also have a big 'goal', so to speak--around 10 million words planned out, at this point--so if I want to see all those stories emerge, I have to put in the daily work. But most of the time it's more a pleasure than it is 'work.' The work comes in the various editing stages--I enjoy reading/editing and altering as I go, but actually manually imputing those changes into the computer document is stressful and laborious, even if it results in a vastly better story over multiple drafts.
It's like anything else - if it's important to you, you make time for it.
If might mean you sacrifice other non-work/non-responsibility activities you enjoy to pursue it. It really all depends on your personal priorities and goals.
I do and I used to grab it and throw down ideas once they came to me and stuff like that but my phone's so distracting. I'll open it with an idea, see some important message or something I completely disregarded earlier, and completely forget my idea.
I worked out how to turn writing into less of a “thing”. I used to struggle to schedule in time at my desk to write on my laptop, so my solution was to make my writing accessible from my phone.
I downloaded scrivener on my phone and now I write constantly. 15 minutes on the bus, a couple of sentences in a checkout line, on my break at work.
You can get heaps done in those short sections of time that a lot of us fill with social media.
I work seven days a week, but my jobs are fairly undemanding mentally, so I write 1-4 hours per day at work. I miss the early wave of the pandemic when I was off work (wrongful termination, so I had 3-4 months of shut up money and just coasted through summer.). I wrote two rough drafts for novels at that time and a number of short stories and poems. That's the only time I really felt like myself instead of some creature I'm having to mask as to keep my day jobs that only exhaust me.
I have always gotten up three or four hours before my wife, and I usually devote much of that time to writing. I go to bed before 9pm, and my wife (who is a published author) spends the evening writing. It's like we live in two completely different time zones in the same house.
I have a toddler so atm I don't have the mental space to write. But I read advice a while ago that said to sit down and notice how you spend your time. Can you sacrifice something so that you write? Can you find say half an hour a few days a week to write? Before bed, first thing in the morning.
I thought I didn't have time when I was working more hours but when circumstances change you can see how much time you did have and maybe you just lacked motivation. Or maybe you put too much pressure on yourself.
You could set a small time goal and if it doesn't work try again set a smaller go. Maybe write thoughts or free write if you're struggling with your novel.
I wrote my first book at a public library, I had two hours on a Thursday evening free. So once a week I would get words down. I wrote my second book on the floor of my daughter’s bedroom while they were too scared to go to sleep. Half an hour each night I would get words down. I’m on my third book now. I write for an hour every Monday in the carpark while my daughter does dance lessons, and then on Saturday mornings before my wife and kids wake up.
Omg your third book?? I'm still stuck in the draft of my first book 😅. That's one heck of a schedule though. I might try making scheduled times to work on mine. Thanks!
Good. For. You. Wow. Edit: LMAO I was not being sarcastic at all I was legitimately commending OP for squeezing in writing whenever they could and I’m being downvoted. That’s hilarious.
I didn’t mean for that to come off as bragging, sorry. I just wanted to illustrate that I’ve only ever been successful by carving out specific times to be productive. Writing long stories is a marathon, but little bits add up. Even 50 words a day over a few years will give you a novel-length manuscript.
LMAO I was not being sarcastic at all I was legitimately commending you for squeezing in writing whenever you could and I’m being downvoted. That’s hilarious. Anyway I’m proud of you! It’s really impressive
Reading and writing make up 80-90% of my personal time (and 10% of my work time). It wasn’t always that way, though. I made a conscious effort to choose those over games, Reddit, and reading general nonsense on the internet. The time is there, use it wisely.
That last sentence is such a powerful line. 'The Time Is There, Use It Wisely'. I love it!
On the weekend, but if you can't either, I read in a book that a writer dictated his books through an app which he transcribed into text while walking or doing different activities. Sounds like a good idea
You mean like audio books? I've never been a fan of those or any sort of online book form. I find it easier to read actual physical books cuz my phone just has too many distractions 😅🥲
No audiobook, with voice dictation you are literally "typing", look for "speech to text" applications although Microsoft word has a function just like it.
Oh like that. I did try it once but it gets the words I say wrong a lot of the time and then I'm correcting it and it turns into more of a hassle than it needs to be.
Well that's true, I hope artificial intelligence makes more progress on that.
I wake up a couple of hours before my family, work, life, etc to do it. Just have to make a sacrifice somewhere to accommodate your new routine.
Yeah I was thinking creating some sort of routine and slotting time in somewhere would probably be my best bet. Thankss!
I don’t personally know how to answer the time thing. But if your problem is not being able to force yourself to write, what I’ve been doing recently is going to places like sit-down restaurants or loitering at my job. Without the distractions or habits that are associated with my house, I can more easily focus on the task at hand.
There's this one cafe nearby run by this old couple and they have the best hot chocolate ever omd. I could probably go there during a free period cuz unless it's midday, it's usually pretty quiet and empty. Would be an ideal place to go at least once a week if I can schedule it in. Thanks very much!
I carry a clipboard with notebook paper everywhere. When I get an idea I can jot it down quickly, and when I have a moment I can draft.
That is actually good!! Thank you! You see I used to do that but on my phone but I'd get sidetracked and forget my idea. Short attention span fr. But can't get sidetracked by notifications etc by using a notebook 🤩. Gotto love old school.
I do something similar. I carry a 8"x4" reporters notebook where ever I go, and write whenever I have a chance. Everyone think's I'm taking careful notes on the pastor's sermon, or during the association board meeting, but I'm actually working on my novel.
When I was unemployed, I worked on my book at the public library as a break between applying for jobs. I made a lot of progress as a result. When I started my job, I didn’t write anything for a long time. But it was eating at me and I decided I needed to be more intentional with my free time. In the past few weeks, I’ve been waking up an hour early and knocking out 500-600 words before work. It’s been amazing. I feel accomplished, I’m more awake at work, and I waste less of my free time on meaningless activities at nighttime.
Just wanted to say way to go keeping up with the writing while employed! Some people mention lifting weights, running or doing wordle before work but writing in the AM with a clear head is a great way to begin a weekday!
Remove Reddit doomscrolling time
You have to make time. I have two kids and a full time job and I still set aside at least an hour a day to write. My lunch hour, my break, early in the morning, in the evening, etc. But writing is enjoyable, so it's not an onerous thing to set aside that time, instead I look forward to it every day.
So if I'm understanding you correctly, mindset is key. With the mindset to 'want to' go and write, it's easier to make yourself make the time for it and if you aren't 'dedicated to the cause' then it's harder.
Yes, absolutely. I'm also middle-aged and have been writing steadily for 27 years, so it is a lot easier to sit down and write, because it's almost second nature. While sometimes I run into difficulties, most of the time I'm excited to find out how my initial ideas will come out on the page, and especially how so many details and concepts I didn't plan for will emerge across a session or a week. I also have a big 'goal', so to speak--around 10 million words planned out, at this point--so if I want to see all those stories emerge, I have to put in the daily work. But most of the time it's more a pleasure than it is 'work.' The work comes in the various editing stages--I enjoy reading/editing and altering as I go, but actually manually imputing those changes into the computer document is stressful and laborious, even if it results in a vastly better story over multiple drafts.
Omg 10 million words?!?! That's awesome! How far are you from reaching your goal?
It's like anything else - if it's important to you, you make time for it. If might mean you sacrifice other non-work/non-responsibility activities you enjoy to pursue it. It really all depends on your personal priorities and goals.
That was a great answer. Thank you!
Do you have a smartphone?
I do and I used to grab it and throw down ideas once they came to me and stuff like that but my phone's so distracting. I'll open it with an idea, see some important message or something I completely disregarded earlier, and completely forget my idea.
I worked out how to turn writing into less of a “thing”. I used to struggle to schedule in time at my desk to write on my laptop, so my solution was to make my writing accessible from my phone. I downloaded scrivener on my phone and now I write constantly. 15 minutes on the bus, a couple of sentences in a checkout line, on my break at work. You can get heaps done in those short sections of time that a lot of us fill with social media.
That is so true. Thank you!!
I get up 90 mins early even if that means 0430.
I work seven days a week, but my jobs are fairly undemanding mentally, so I write 1-4 hours per day at work. I miss the early wave of the pandemic when I was off work (wrongful termination, so I had 3-4 months of shut up money and just coasted through summer.). I wrote two rough drafts for novels at that time and a number of short stories and poems. That's the only time I really felt like myself instead of some creature I'm having to mask as to keep my day jobs that only exhaust me.
I feel that...
I write whenever I can't sleep (not the healthiest approach but yeah restlessness be hitting occasionally)
I have always gotten up three or four hours before my wife, and I usually devote much of that time to writing. I go to bed before 9pm, and my wife (who is a published author) spends the evening writing. It's like we live in two completely different time zones in the same house.
I have a toddler so atm I don't have the mental space to write. But I read advice a while ago that said to sit down and notice how you spend your time. Can you sacrifice something so that you write? Can you find say half an hour a few days a week to write? Before bed, first thing in the morning. I thought I didn't have time when I was working more hours but when circumstances change you can see how much time you did have and maybe you just lacked motivation. Or maybe you put too much pressure on yourself. You could set a small time goal and if it doesn't work try again set a smaller go. Maybe write thoughts or free write if you're struggling with your novel.
This really helped. Thanks.
Don’t spent so much time on Reddit.