Are you busy.
Your day is full. You need to write, but there is never enough time.
It’s an ordinary writer’s lament, but what that writer usually means is that there’s never enough time, in one sitting, to achieve much. But where is it written that a writer must have large blocks of time to do something?
Consider how many wasted minutes can be found throughout the day and used to advance your work in progress. Time is wasted waiting in line, sitting in traffic, running errands, attending meetings, and elsewhere.
It is possible to recover some of these “lost minutes” to write:
1. Use your “timeout” wisely. How many times have you stood in line at the grocery store and flipped through a magazine handy on the nearby shelf? In less time than it takes to turn to page forty-seven to read about the latest UFO sighting, he could have written the snappy dialogue required for his boy meets girl scene.
Other places where you can take advantage of “wait” time are doctors’ offices, the mechanic, the bus stop, school, the line at the gas station, the bank, even while you’re on hold while talking on the phone. call. Just about anywhere you arrive a few minutes early (or are often kept waiting for) is a good candidate for “wait” time.
To make this work, be prepared: Don’t come up empty when you have those few minutes to burn. Keep a pen and some index cards, a small notebook, or even a folded piece of paper in your pocket.
If you are at home, keep your computer on at all times. A computer “on standby” leaves you no excuse to put off writing a scene or jotting down a few notes while dinner cooks or boils water for tea. Also, a few minutes may be all you need for minor research for your project. Bonus: You’ll be less likely to waste time browsing if you only have a few dedicated moments.
2. Bus rides, train rides, taxis, and flights present opportunities to write. In fact, any trip where you’re not driving is ideal. Get out your laptop or notebook and type. Too loud? Bring earplugs or headphones and an mp3 player to drain the chatter.
3. If you drive, traffic lights are your friends. Keep a clipboard on the passenger seat of the car to jot down notes and scenes when you are pulled over. This method is especially helpful if you’ve spent your drive time thinking and planning your story or article.
If you don’t like the idea of writing in the car, carry a small pocket recorder and take your notes by speaking out loud.
(Another great use of commute time is listening to audiobooks. Pick up a non-fiction book, perhaps one about writing, and take notes during stop lights. Or do some necessary research while driving by listening to a book on a topic related to your job at progress.)
4. Dominate your meetings. Everyone attends meetings: there are those at work, club meetings, PTA meetings, Scout meetings, etc. Few are called to order in time. Arrive a few moments early, grab the best writing space, and write. Ignore the chatter around the coffee pot and other forms of socializing. It may even be possible to write during the discussion that is not relevant to you.
You may find it difficult to write prose while others are talking. So spend that time sketching out an item or a few scenes in your work in progress. If that fails, create a list of scenes you may need, or brainstorm some item ideas.
5. Give up something else. It’s not so much about finding time as doing it. If your schedule is so tight that you can’t find small time slots, then you should consider giving up one activity for another. Cancel a class you’re taking, stop watching TV, skip meeting a friend for lunch, or sacrifice some sleep by setting your alarm 15-20 minutes earlier than usual. You can also stop cleaning the house, leave the dirty dishes in the sink, and mow the lawn less often. (Or pay someone else to do it while you type. Seriously.)
There are always empty moments to be found in the day. Make up that time by employing one or more of the above ideas and watch your progress grow.
