And yet, we all have the same 24-hour day. The challenge is how we choose to use it.
Sure, I’d like to be a full-time writer and never have to leave my home office. But I’m not there.
Yet.
So, looking at that, how do I manage three blogs, keep up with my daily word goal of 1,000 words, and keep up with the script and the novel?
I don’t always. But here are some ideas to help in scheduling writing time.
1. Give it a priority. If you’re a writer, you know that you have to make time to write.
2. Unplug. Shut down the internet (or limit your research time). Turn off the email and phone notifications. Stop scrolling through Twitter or Facebook.
3. Find, or create, your space. I’m fortunate enough that I’ve got my own home office where I’m surrounded by mementos and things that are important to me. They serve as inspiration. And my desk is situated so that I can always be looking out the window. But reality is all you need is a comfortable chair and a space flat enough for your laptop, or your pen and paper.
4. Pick a writing time. Get up an hour early. Carve out time during your lunch break. Turn off the TV or computer an hour early. Whatever works for you establish a time to write and stick to it.
5. Set goals. How many words will you write today? How many this week? My current plan is to write 1,000 freestyle words that may or may not be later incorporated into other works. At the same time, I’ve got my blog posts scheduled for the week and the initial goal is to have the week’s worth done by Saturday morning. That’s the plan. But decide how many words you can manage in a given time and don’t give up. Don’t worry that they’re not the best words. That’s why there is editing. Just write.
6. Keep notes. Use a product like Evernote or OneNote, or a spiral bound book to record notes and ideas. Don’t tell yourself that you’ll remember that brilliant idea. You won’t.
Your own plan to be a productive writer might vary. These are the steps that work for me.
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