What
would life be like if you could actually write full-time, with no financial
obligations or burdens? I know it sounds like a dream, but let’s go there for a
moment. The process may help you to
become a better, even more prolific writer.
Most
writers complain they have too many distractions. Life is busy in general, especially when you
tend to your health, kids, parents, chores, and day-to-day needs. Throw in some kind of personal drama and the
occasional crisis and you feel challenged to find enough time -- or quality time -- to pen your book. Then you have the
obligations of social media, branding, and platform building. You have the distractions of mass
entertainment and a computer that you carry in your pocket. We haven’t even discussed money and a job
yet.
Oh
yes, the old career thing. One has to
pay the bills – and debts. If you want
nice things, to travel, or keep up with your health insurance premium, you
better be working one, if not multiple jobs.
You may even whore out your talent and use your writing skills to
freelance, maybe conduct research into boring topics and compile reports or
articles on stuff you never gave thought to.
So,
aside from cutting back on much-needed sleep, when do you find time to write? Wouldn’t it be so much easier if you could
write on your own terms and have a wide-open schedule, without the drain of a
job?
You
can write around the pitfalls, demands, and stress of life, but it’s
tricky. It requires dedication,
discipline, and drive. If you are truly talented, your writing will get done
and you will break through. No matter
how much time is available to you, use it wisely.
Here are some tricks:
·
Get
up earlier than you normally would – by 30 to 60 minutes. Use that quiet time to write.
·
If
you are not a morning person, stay up later to write.
·
Substitute
non-essential activities to write. Do
you need to watch a re-run of a mediocre T.V. show? Do you really have to go shopping again?
·
When
you’re not writing, think like a writer.
Take notes on things you want to research or read. Jot down ideas that can be pursued when time
is available.
·
Use
your lunch hour to write.
·
Reduce
other activities by 10%. For instance,
instead of going to every soccer game for your kid, skip one every so often.
·
Call
in sick -- or even use vacation days -- and write away.
·
Have
a fake emergency, leave work two hours early, and get to your writing.
·
Change
how you commute. Can you take a train or
bus instead of drive? Use that time to nap -- so you can write later -- or use it to
write.
·
Always
think about your writing when exercising, standing on a line, or running an errand. Don’t just think how you want to write and
can’t. Actually think of the content you plan on writing.
Or,
screw it, just shut down your financial world and quit to write. Be prepared to quickly tally a debt. You can work part-time and build half the
debt. In any case, if you make that
choice, just do it, and feel good about it.
I don’t have that courage, but you might. Nothing wrong with it. Try it for three months. See how productive you are and ride your
success into more books.
Maybe
the tension and tease of having to squeeze our passion -- writing -- in every day is
what drives us and make us better writers. Let’s face it, we can’t write all
day, every day. Our minds go numb, our
hands tired, and we lack worldly distractions that inspire and inform our
writings. Perhaps the busier our lives,
the better it is for our writing.
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog
are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more
important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2016 ©.
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