Guard Your Writing Time!
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24 Hours - 1,440 Minutes - 86,400 Seconds - That’s what we have each day. Life is busy and hectic, and there are lots of obligations and distractions. Writers, you need to guard your writing time. It is so easy to fill up time with other things. If you’re going to be a productive writer, you need to write. Here are some ideas that help me.
Schedule your writing time. If it’s on my calendar, I am more likely to do it. This also keeps me from filling the space with other tasks.
Being a published author requires writing, editing, revising, book marketing, book promotions, blogs, websites, and events. The list goes on and on. It is easy to get lost in all the tasks. Your job is to write your next book. Make sure you balance all your writing work with life.
When I’m working on my first draft, I track my daily word count (on a Post-it). This helps me hit my daily goals. For me, the daily number is enough to keep me motivated.
I now schedule time in the mornings to do other writing tasks likes blogs, emails, website updates, and social media posts. I was blending this with my writing time, and I was doing more “other stuff” than writing.
When you get off track, don’t beat yourself up. Life happens, and it’s often messy. Just figure out how to get back on track.
Set goals for each day. They don’t have to be lofty. I attended a workshop recently by Dana Kaye and Sisters in Crime. She recommended that you have daily goals to keep you organized and focused.
When you don’t feel like writing, try to write something. When I hit a brick wall, sometimes, it’s easier to schedule social media posts or write a blog. If not, I do something else. Usually physical activity helps me clear my head and my roadblock.
