How To Fit Writing Into Your Scheule

I'm basically just throwing my update schedule for this blog (and Wattpad) out of the window...Well, at least that announcement fits perfectly with this article :)

One problem I’ve been facing lately - and one that I’m sure anyone who follows any of my books or even just this blog has noticed - is that I don’t have a lot of free time to write. So I thought for this week’s article, I would share some pointers and tips I’ve developed in how I’m fitting writing into my busy schedule!

Know where your priorities lie. I touched briefly on a similar topic in another post. You can read that article here. But it’s important to keep in mind what responsibilities are more important and what activities you should pass up to work on your writing.

For example, the reason that I can't be regularly updating my books or blog any longer is because I have a lot of schoolwork and studying to do. Because staying on top of my classes will help me construct a brighter future, I know that I should prioritize that before my writing.

Now, if you have a spare moment, and have to choose between, say, YouTube or writing...trust me, I've been there during pretty much every weekend or school break. I have to remind myself that by writing, I am working toward my dream of one day being published. I'm not accomplishing anything nearly as wonderful by watching mindless YouTube skits.

Set aside at least a few minutes each day to write something. No, I don't mean writing as in filling out your math worksheet or answering some questions for English class. I mean good old creative writing.

I find that the best time for me to do this is right before I go to bed. Even if I only write a page in my composition notebook, or an entry in my journal, I still go to sleep feeling strangely cleansed and peaceful. If your story is on a computer, however, I wouldn't recommend this - the artificial light from our electronics can actually throw off the chemicals in our brain so that it's harder for us to fall asleep. Instead, try typing in the morning! Or, if that gives you headaches like it does for me, perhaps write a few sentences during your lunch break or during down time in class or your workday. It's entirely up to you, but even just writing a few sentences a day can have dazzling results.

Keep yourself motivated. I don't want you to waste your precious free time on a book that you don't particularly enjoy writing. Be honest with yourself - do you find yourself dreading the time of day when you'll feel pressured to write? Do you dislike thinking about your book when you're not writing it? If so, perhaps it's time to switch topics.

If you want to stick with your idea, however, and know that you're just going through a rough patch, try this: compile a playlist of songs that represents your characters, or daydream about your story while doing something endorphin-releasing like jogging. I did and do both of these things, and they make all the difference, trust me.

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To recap:

- Know where your priorities lie

- Set aside at least a few minutes each day to write something

- Keep yourself motivated

I'm sorry that this article was so short, but I hope that these few tips at least gave you an idea on how to manage writing and everything else in your life. Happy writing!