Do you ever wonder how you can be a successful writer despite having a full schedule? Have you ever caught yourself thinking, Oh, I wish there were more hours in the day! Or maybe, I wish I didn’t have to waste time sleeping; I could fit in more writing time.
If you think like this, you’re not alone.
I can remember a time when I worked full-time as a corporate communicator. I had a family to take care of and volunteer assignments at church that I was passionate about completing. My schedule was full.
The idea of working on any fiction or nonfiction project (see also our article on narrative nonfiction) was a dream. I made time for everything except my writing life. Until I one day decided to manage my time differently to give my writing the attention it deserves.
Once I learned the processes I needed to plan and control my time, I published two books. Today’s post outlines some of the steps I took to manage my time to become a successful writer. Feel free to share what works for you in the comment section.
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In order for real writing to take place, I had to claim space in my day.
Claim Space in Your Day
Before I took control of my writing life, my schedule was full. There never seemed to be any time for me to write the kind of books I wanted to write. Until I decided to make time. In order for real writing to take place; I had to claim space in my day.
If you’re like me, you have appointments in your schedule. But what about the things that aren’t on your schedule? Walking the dog, doing the laundry, or checking on your mom, are all things you plan to do but may not be on your schedule. To claim space in your day to write, you need to know what you are doing.
Try this
Use a time tracker to list everything that needs to be done each day. Next, list the top three things you want to get done each week and each day. Third, find time to write – even if you only have 30 minutes to write. Finally, keep the tracker handy to add any unexpected things that come up throughout the day.
Identify the Blockers
The next step in managing your writing time is identifying the critical problems or blockers that keep you from writing. Think about the things that take time away from your writing. Don’t list items that require you to spend quality time with your family or God. Instead, think about the time you spend surfing the web or checking Facebook for hours.
Exercise
To dig deeper into why you’re not writing consistently, use the 5 Whys to get to the bottom of the problem. Ask yourself five times why you’re not writing like you want, digging deeper each time you ask why. While the process is called 5 Whys, you can ask yourself four or seven questions. However, five questions usually get you to the root cause of the problem. The goal is the identify and address the blockers preventing you from being a successful writer.
Focus on One Goal
Now that you know your blockers, it’s time to make a list of the things you need to accomplish. For example, if you decide to build your author platform with a new website, using SiteGround or Bluehost. While there will be several things to do before you launch your site, you cannot do everything at one time.
To deal with time-anxiety while writing, channel all your focus on one goal. If you try to cook or babysit the kids while writing, you may not accomplish your goal. Instead, when you’re writing, focus on writing—nothing else.
Exercise
Before you start writing, identify one goal you want to work on during your current writing session.
To deal with time-anxiety while writing, channel all your focus on one goal.
Use Writing Sprints
To get the most out of my writing time, I like to use short bursts of writing. For my writing sprints, I like to use the Pomodoro technique. If you suffer from productivity dips while writing, this technique is the perfect one for you. You take a five-minute break after every twenty-five minutes of work. This keeps your focus fresh, and you won’t burn out.
Tool
While I have used a variety of timers, I’m currently using the PomoDone App. This app is an easy and fun way to track your writing session using the Pomodoro technique. The app includes a countdown timer and allows you to connect to your Trello project management board.
A Successful Writer Minimizes Interruptions
Have you ever sat down to write, and your phone starts ringing? What about when the doorbell rings? Or the kids decide to start fighting over a toy?
Such interruptions make writing stressful. You look at the clock and realize that you’ve been staring at a mostly blank screen for the past three hours but still didn’t get anything done. Unfortunately, you didn’t factor in the time you wasted in dealing with interruptions. Therefore, before you sit down to write, try to eliminate as many potential distractions as possible. Part of being a successful writer means minimizing or eliminating distractions.
Tool
To eliminate interruptions that pop up on your computer or mobile phone, use apps like RescueTime. Not only does RescueTime block distractions, but it also helps me understand where my time is going while I’m working on my computer.
Pat Yourself on the Back for being a Successful Writer
After all your hard work to control and manage your writing time, take a moment to reward yourself for being a successful writer. If you want to feel happy and enjoy your work, you should associate it with rewards. This will motivate you to incorporate more time management strategies into your writing sessions. Remember that rewards don’t mean that you have to eat chocolate or treat yourself to ice cream only to end up gaining extra pounds. Instead, take a walk, watch your favorite movie, or grab coffee with a friend.
Even that fleeting feeling of accomplishment is a reward. You managed to transfer that empty, ugly blank page into something meaningful. Once you are done with the work, pause and enjoy the moment.
Becoming a successful writer takes energy, focus, and time.
In Summary
You have a lot on your plate; most successful writers do. Nobody understands this better than me. But your writing is important, and it deserves time to grow. On your road to being a successful writer, be intentional about how you manage your writing time. Don’t allow unnecessary distractions to derail your focus and knock you off track from accomplishing your goals. As you move forward, remember to reward yourself. If you miss the mark a few times, don’t be hard on yourself. Your hard work will pay off on your way to becoming a successful writer.
