Ten ways of finding time to write when you have no time (The Archive Series)
Sometimes 'just opening the file' is all it takes…
‘The Archive Series’ aims to bring all the best ‘Writing Coach’ posts together in one place on the new website. This post originally appeared on my very first blog ‘Stubborn World’. It tackles the thorny issue of how to find time to write in a busy life, something that so many of us struggle with. I do hope that you find some of these ideas inspiring.
1. Set aside a regular time each week for your writing and make it sacred. Even if you can only find a single time slot, for example Sunday evening, put it in the diary and make it A FIXTURE. Tell everybody you know that you’re busy and honour this time. It may seem a small step, but it’s a way to signal to yourself and others that you are committed.
2. Write only what you love. Nothing is going to make you write if you are not passionate about what you are doing. When considering a writing project, ensure it is something you really WANT to write about. If you can find the passion, you are halfway there. Your desk will draw you like a magnet.
3. Perfect your writing space. Make sure that the place where you write is conducive to your work. It’s difficult for anyone to work at a desk … Read the rest →
Previous posts
Annual Review of 2011 (Part One: What went well)
First of all, a very Happy New Year to you all and wishing all readers of this blog a happy, healthy, and creative 2012!
What is the Annual Review?
Last… Read the rest →
How a single image can lead to an entire novel: on listening to author Ian Beck
Question: What can a writer learn from an illustrator?
Answer: The fact that we don’t have to know the entire plot before we begin. Indeed, we might know nothing at… Read the rest →
A view on NaNoWriMo (could you and should you write a novel in a month?)
Win an appraisal of 25 pages of your writing work and a copy of my ebook in the Writing Coach Twitter/Facebook Competition (see below)
Today marks the first day of… Read the rest →
Ten simple steps to make editing a novel easier and more fun
Writing a first draft of a novel or any book is, you might say, the easy part. But it’s at the editing stage that we craft our work into something… Read the rest →
An artist’s date in nature
Most readers of this blog will be familiar with the concept of the ‘Artist’s Date’, the phrase coined by the author of The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron. In Cameron’s words,… Read the rest →
My favourite productivity tips for writers
One of the main questions that I get asked in my work as a writing coach is “how can I become more productive as a writer?” Modern life is full… Read the rest →
The road to completion
There are times, for all writers, when the idea of completion seems like an impossible dream. A book-length writing project is no small undertaking and completion takes determination, guts, persistence,… Read the rest →
The lure of the independent bookshop
There is nothing quite like an independent bookshop. I know I’m not alone in bemoaning the homogenisation of bookshops these days. I often feel deflated when I walk into Waterstones… Read the rest →
On visiting the London Book Fair 2011
My first visit to the London Book Fair has been a lively and exhilarating day. I have found it fascinating to meet so many people working in so many different… Read the rest →
Ten reasons why you can afford to be confident as a writer (or “having a chat with your inner superhero”)
For many writers, confidence can sometimes seem in short supply. I’ve been a writer long enough and been around enough writers over the years to know that self-doubt is an… Read the rest →
View more posts in the archives.
