I don’t set writing goals, just slots of time to write or edit…Once you find the elusive balance between life stuff and your writing ambitions, hang onto that rhythm, protect it... its ok to say "no" to other people, cos you're saying "yes" to your own ambitions... unless something is on fire or someone's in hospital... other people's distractions is all small stuff... there's a lovely quote "routine is the housekeeper of the imagination"... can't remember who said it, but it serves to remind me to stick with it.
Time is the enemy, yes! But when I'm trying to sleep I let things unravel a bit in my head, follow the characters around as if the story's a film to see how the plot develops, or let a poem run through my mind. The rhyme and rhythm help you sleep! The trick is to remember it in the morning.
So I am lucky in some ways, I use my commute to write, but because that sets the boys in the backroom going, rather than vegging in front of the TV I spend about 30 to 60 mins every evening too. Once you reach a rhythm, you don't want to stop.
I spend a lot of time just thinking about the story, getting to know the characters before starting to write. I may jot ideas, plot points even scribble a scene or two before finding a block period of time to write a rough outline of the story or 1st draft. Some initial research is useful to do at this stage too.
As I have busy periods in my working life I try to block time out and have things prepared so I can get on with a solid period of writing during the quiet times. Well, that is the theory :)
I wrote my debut novel in fits and starts, whenever I could find time. Time was by far the biggest challenge. I'm a doctor and often felt as though I was stealing time away from my family and my patients. Several times I found myself writing during night shits at the hospital, when things were slow medically. If it were up to me, I'd write every morning for a few hours, as that's the time my brain works best. I also find that ideas come to me in that twilight sleep just before waking... my characters come to life in a dream-like state, and certain plot points or other issues unexpectedly resolve themselves. My take-home point is, write whenever you can and you're at peace with yourself, even if it's a 30-minute window.
I try to do four slots of 27 minutes. It doesn't matter when they happen as long as they get done. I keep a diary of how many slots I do each day, and I can see at a glance how any week has gone. If it isn't working I know what I have to stop doing in my daily life to find the time. Less social media usually.
Last year, I vowed I would finish a full-length novel I'd been working on by December. I had targets of so many words a week, episodes to write, plot holes to fill. And I got there. Then it was Christmas, so I took it easy; then I got Covid (I've leapt over six months where I wrote only scraps and fragments) and gave up everything. Summer childminding, visitors and visits, the garden and get-togethers, have absorbed all my energy. I'm gearing up again. So I'm about to read what you all say.
My days are never the same so I’m constantly looking ahead for ‘perforations’ in my schedule. The problem is that I need at least ten minutes to get into that ‘writing tunnel’ so when I sit down I make certain I have at least an hour free time.
If it’s only ten minutes I have, then I think through a character, building their personality, or a location, building its credibility. Twenty to thirty minutes enables me to think through one particular problem in my manuscript. When I’m driving, I try to run a chapter through my head, breaking down each scene and act, and wondering whether or not it should be in the story. (See Anton Chekhov’s quotes about a gun)
When I’m alone, morning is the best time as ideas suddenly present themselves and I have the feeling that YES I CAN DO THIS, I CAN BE A WRITER!
But sometime the only time I have is those crepuscular moments when the family are upstairs relaxing and its then I can detach my mind from the normality of life and enter the ‘tunnel’…until my cat Booboo, starts meowing for a slice of salmon from the fridge!
Ufff.... Good question*...... I Look for events, news, art, open source images, etc pertaining to my story line even ripping out magazine articles, news paper clippings & I take photos...... Those scraps I tag with post-it notes or scribbles = notes...
Those scribbles turn into sentences. Those sentences turn into paragraphs, the paragraphs evolve into chapters. & then I stitch the chapters together in the love hate misery of self edit and then hopefully Cornorstones will groom & structure it......
My goal is 10 minutes a day, or an hour + a week.... even if I stare at the MS & do nothing for a few minutes it works for me........
Routine and order help me to focus when I match them to flexibility. I try to plan a month ahead so I can see what is essential for home and work. While I'm good at saying no, I need to put in breaks too. The breaks let me evaluate and rest.
What I do is go back and do a bit of re-edit. I tried “sweating it out,” but it was no good, it made it worse, getting all hot and bothered. So, my thoughts are to forget the deadlines, stand back and wait until you can write quality stuff.
I always think that writing isn't just about sitting in front of a computer pushing keys but it is also about plotting, planning, researching, thinking and a million and one other things. So, if I'm grabbing a quick sandwich, sitting on a bus, waiting for an appointment or have a few minutes quiet I simply think about my story, my characters, my plot - where it is going and where it has been. If anything comes to mind I then note it down in my notebook to look at when I get a little more time.
My best time for writing is first thing in the morning. I get myself set up with two ground coffees one after the other and drink them whilst starting work on books for the day. How long I work on my latest book depends what stage or aspect I am working on. Original drafts tend to work in shorter bursts than reviewing drafts. Background reading is usually longer than either of these, particularly if it involves technical or historical background reading. My current book is set in 1852 and a lot of research has gone into it to ensure historical accuracy. Do I set myself a goal to write a certain amount each day, particularly original draft text? No, because I found that I would often write much more and it felt better just to go with the flow. I had to wait 15 years to start writing properly because of the demands of my first career, so just letting it all come out has been an absolute joy. Do I set any goals when it comes to reading other people's novels? OK ones I try to work through them in blocks of chapters. Really good ones I cannot put them down and just want to reach the end. What would be my tips for writing when life is busy? If in a career such as my first career (all-consuming), reward yourself time on annual leave as writing time and book your holiday somewhere quiet enough to do that. If you are the kind of person who drafts by hand, then get yourself some lovely stationery in advance of time coming available and entice yourself to write on it.
Currently I have simply upped sticks and visited Canada for 3 months ( cos we pensioners know a thing or two ) where I am carrying out major surgery to a difficult birth of a story about the appalling way women are treated ( even in todays world ) once they live beyond the usefulness of family as grandchildren carers. I tell you this because I set out on this adventure to one of our old dominions completely for a drastic change to the busy life back in the U.K. I remain in one piece and appear to have landed on my feet. In Canada, an exotic world in its own right, has allowed me to break the patient ( the story ) down into 5 parts of which 2 parts are satisfactorily still breathing part three is currently under the knife and 4 and 5 already benefitting from the leap made into the unknown of a different environment
A busy life I have always known. Writing remains part of it. I tend to separate out parts of my writing that I simply know I can improve and focus in short bursts of energy on these. Also I actually find the busier I become the more creative are my thoughts in that it’s as if the energy spent doing the mundane sort of super charges the grey matter
A comment from Kev, who doesn't have Substack:
I don’t set writing goals, just slots of time to write or edit…Once you find the elusive balance between life stuff and your writing ambitions, hang onto that rhythm, protect it... its ok to say "no" to other people, cos you're saying "yes" to your own ambitions... unless something is on fire or someone's in hospital... other people's distractions is all small stuff... there's a lovely quote "routine is the housekeeper of the imagination"... can't remember who said it, but it serves to remind me to stick with it.
Time is the enemy, yes! But when I'm trying to sleep I let things unravel a bit in my head, follow the characters around as if the story's a film to see how the plot develops, or let a poem run through my mind. The rhyme and rhythm help you sleep! The trick is to remember it in the morning.
So I am lucky in some ways, I use my commute to write, but because that sets the boys in the backroom going, rather than vegging in front of the TV I spend about 30 to 60 mins every evening too. Once you reach a rhythm, you don't want to stop.
I spend a lot of time just thinking about the story, getting to know the characters before starting to write. I may jot ideas, plot points even scribble a scene or two before finding a block period of time to write a rough outline of the story or 1st draft. Some initial research is useful to do at this stage too.
As I have busy periods in my working life I try to block time out and have things prepared so I can get on with a solid period of writing during the quiet times. Well, that is the theory :)
I write whenever I can... stopping in between household chores to jot down, before I forget. Also grab many a moment to do some research.
I wrote my debut novel in fits and starts, whenever I could find time. Time was by far the biggest challenge. I'm a doctor and often felt as though I was stealing time away from my family and my patients. Several times I found myself writing during night shits at the hospital, when things were slow medically. If it were up to me, I'd write every morning for a few hours, as that's the time my brain works best. I also find that ideas come to me in that twilight sleep just before waking... my characters come to life in a dream-like state, and certain plot points or other issues unexpectedly resolve themselves. My take-home point is, write whenever you can and you're at peace with yourself, even if it's a 30-minute window.
Get up earlier
I try to do four slots of 27 minutes. It doesn't matter when they happen as long as they get done. I keep a diary of how many slots I do each day, and I can see at a glance how any week has gone. If it isn't working I know what I have to stop doing in my daily life to find the time. Less social media usually.
Last year, I vowed I would finish a full-length novel I'd been working on by December. I had targets of so many words a week, episodes to write, plot holes to fill. And I got there. Then it was Christmas, so I took it easy; then I got Covid (I've leapt over six months where I wrote only scraps and fragments) and gave up everything. Summer childminding, visitors and visits, the garden and get-togethers, have absorbed all my energy. I'm gearing up again. So I'm about to read what you all say.
Good question Cornerstones.
My days are never the same so I’m constantly looking ahead for ‘perforations’ in my schedule. The problem is that I need at least ten minutes to get into that ‘writing tunnel’ so when I sit down I make certain I have at least an hour free time.
If it’s only ten minutes I have, then I think through a character, building their personality, or a location, building its credibility. Twenty to thirty minutes enables me to think through one particular problem in my manuscript. When I’m driving, I try to run a chapter through my head, breaking down each scene and act, and wondering whether or not it should be in the story. (See Anton Chekhov’s quotes about a gun)
When I’m alone, morning is the best time as ideas suddenly present themselves and I have the feeling that YES I CAN DO THIS, I CAN BE A WRITER!
But sometime the only time I have is those crepuscular moments when the family are upstairs relaxing and its then I can detach my mind from the normality of life and enter the ‘tunnel’…until my cat Booboo, starts meowing for a slice of salmon from the fridge!
Ufff.... Good question*...... I Look for events, news, art, open source images, etc pertaining to my story line even ripping out magazine articles, news paper clippings & I take photos...... Those scraps I tag with post-it notes or scribbles = notes...
Those scribbles turn into sentences. Those sentences turn into paragraphs, the paragraphs evolve into chapters. & then I stitch the chapters together in the love hate misery of self edit and then hopefully Cornorstones will groom & structure it......
My goal is 10 minutes a day, or an hour + a week.... even if I stare at the MS & do nothing for a few minutes it works for me........
Routine and order help me to focus when I match them to flexibility. I try to plan a month ahead so I can see what is essential for home and work. While I'm good at saying no, I need to put in breaks too. The breaks let me evaluate and rest.
The bottom line for me is: I can’t!
What I do is go back and do a bit of re-edit. I tried “sweating it out,” but it was no good, it made it worse, getting all hot and bothered. So, my thoughts are to forget the deadlines, stand back and wait until you can write quality stuff.
I always think that writing isn't just about sitting in front of a computer pushing keys but it is also about plotting, planning, researching, thinking and a million and one other things. So, if I'm grabbing a quick sandwich, sitting on a bus, waiting for an appointment or have a few minutes quiet I simply think about my story, my characters, my plot - where it is going and where it has been. If anything comes to mind I then note it down in my notebook to look at when I get a little more time.
My best time for writing is first thing in the morning. I get myself set up with two ground coffees one after the other and drink them whilst starting work on books for the day. How long I work on my latest book depends what stage or aspect I am working on. Original drafts tend to work in shorter bursts than reviewing drafts. Background reading is usually longer than either of these, particularly if it involves technical or historical background reading. My current book is set in 1852 and a lot of research has gone into it to ensure historical accuracy. Do I set myself a goal to write a certain amount each day, particularly original draft text? No, because I found that I would often write much more and it felt better just to go with the flow. I had to wait 15 years to start writing properly because of the demands of my first career, so just letting it all come out has been an absolute joy. Do I set any goals when it comes to reading other people's novels? OK ones I try to work through them in blocks of chapters. Really good ones I cannot put them down and just want to reach the end. What would be my tips for writing when life is busy? If in a career such as my first career (all-consuming), reward yourself time on annual leave as writing time and book your holiday somewhere quiet enough to do that. If you are the kind of person who drafts by hand, then get yourself some lovely stationery in advance of time coming available and entice yourself to write on it.
Currently I have simply upped sticks and visited Canada for 3 months ( cos we pensioners know a thing or two ) where I am carrying out major surgery to a difficult birth of a story about the appalling way women are treated ( even in todays world ) once they live beyond the usefulness of family as grandchildren carers. I tell you this because I set out on this adventure to one of our old dominions completely for a drastic change to the busy life back in the U.K. I remain in one piece and appear to have landed on my feet. In Canada, an exotic world in its own right, has allowed me to break the patient ( the story ) down into 5 parts of which 2 parts are satisfactorily still breathing part three is currently under the knife and 4 and 5 already benefitting from the leap made into the unknown of a different environment
A busy life I have always known. Writing remains part of it. I tend to separate out parts of my writing that I simply know I can improve and focus in short bursts of energy on these. Also I actually find the busier I become the more creative are my thoughts in that it’s as if the energy spent doing the mundane sort of super charges the grey matter