How to Find Time To Write

[@giuliaddd]

When my daughter was around 7-8 months old I miraculously found the perfect time to write during her afternoon nap: strangely I wasn't too tired myself and managed to spend one hour or more working on my project almost every day. Consistency was all for me, I never lost track of where I was with plotting and writing (as I was doing both) and was pretty satisfied with my project. Then she changed her routine and mine along with it, and to this day I still haven't found such perfect conditions (quietness, motivation, energy) . She still naps in the afternoon but I never, ever found that magic again.

[@jackhaggerty1066]

I hope you do find 'that magic again' and perhaps the magic will find you. Take heed of Shaelin's advice : *If you have scheduled in time to write, stick with that, as if it is a meeting with Another Person ... * That Other Person is the Muse, or what Kipling called his Daemon. Kipling said he could hear his Daemon approach, even when out walking, and he would sit down with his notebook and obey her prompting.

[@VickiPetterssonAuthor]

I was up at 4 am when I had my daughter. It must be a case of, if you need something done, give it to a busy person! I think you pointed out what was most important to you, though: the consistency. This is why people say "Write everyday." It allows you to better sink into the story without having to refresh yourself first. I believe you can find your magic again. Perfect, though? I've never found that. Write anyway. Nobody can see the world the way you do.

[@AFringedGentian]

Single mum here. I write at night after the kids go to bed. That’s my time!

[@oladelesamuel55]

I write in the bus on my way to work and at night. Your videos are inspiring and great. Thanks a lot.

[@PaginasLetea]

Finding time to write has been quite a challenge for me. I write poetry and I set myself the goal of writing 30 verses everyday, but since I also work as a freelance translator I get caught up in this I-will-finish-work-as-fast-as-possible-and-then-I'll-write-myself-away mindset, which ends up being a form of procrastinating. Even working as fast as I can I end up loosing a whole week of writing. I write in my journal everyday effortlessly, but I still feel that I'm not writing if I'm not working on my verses, so these tips were pretty useful.

[@sjna123]

For married women with kids, I suggest you and your spouse read Fair Play first! The only reason I have any writing time now was because we needed to go back and look at the unfair division of labor. Now we both get an hour of "unicorn time" each night while the other takes point on watching the kids/chores.

[@Khylian]

i'm a really young writer that's currently writing a big story, and finding the right time to write is really difficult. i'm still a child and i should be doing the things i like, sure. but every second i'm not writing i feel like i'm missing out. but then again, every time i am overworking myself it feels wrong too. so it's this very awkward jump between feeling like i should be writing and when i shouldn't

[@vanipatil2012]

I defiantly agree cause we've got school🏫, homework📒, then other things we want to do but..we end up not getting enough time to write and when we do ,we end up straining ourselves at least i do

[@davidstewart8796]

I am a morning person, I used to get up at 7am watch breakfast tv then go to work. Since June I have gotten up at 6am and sat down to write until work. I also only write M to F. Since June I have written 60.5k very happy with that. I work on nonfiction at weekends and have written a further 36.5k. It works for me.

[@africajourney2182]

I find that setting an alarm for a certain time to write and putting my phone on do not disturb for that remaining time helps to block out any unnecessary notifications that would've otherwise interfere with me checking my phone while writing. Also making sure my environment is tidy since if my environment is cluttered then somehow my brain feels cluttered as well.

[@jackhaggerty1066]

Uncluttered Room = Uncluttered Brain. Important. Don't forget the Unconscious. The Secret Room where so much happens. Many writers set themselves a time to write, a fixed time in the morning, which allows the Unconscious time to work things out. Dorothy Lessing used her dreams in all kinds of ways, her dreams were a rich source of ideas. Her novels & short stories were all the richer.

[@PaginasLetea]

Hadn't thought of setting an alarm, I think it's a pretty good strategy, thanks for sharing!

[@PhoenixCrown]

The last one is the most important imo: Prioritize. There is enough time in the day to do EVERYTHING we deem important ;) I struggle myself--was a lot easier to find time to write when I was working part-time with no kids... but life goes on... in the best way!

[@sayhellotohaps]

Love this!

[@ronaldwatson3862]

Thanks for the video.

[@arwenanduin]

Some really valuable suggestions here! How to trick my mind into genuinely shifting an attitude...

[@rachelthompson9324]

Keep your head in it. So any free time becomes writing time. Don't wait for or stop inspiration. Just do it.

[@bkjackson8092]

For me, finding time to write isn't the challenge---it's finding time to do all the things that must be done BEFORE you write. If you write historicals and need to research a specific thing for example. Or you need time to brainstorm a story problem, plot a story, etc. Because for all these things, I need larger chunks of time. But I can write in 15-20 minute snatches so that's easier to schedule. I am most definitely a morning person, but my morning is already taken up w/critical things I need to do before going to work (but that's all subject to change when I hit the lottery and no longer need a day job. 8-) So of these tips, I think the one I need to try is attaching the writing pre-work time to some other established task in my life and see if I can gain traction that way.

[@jackhaggerty1066]

Research for historical novels must be like climbing a mountain : Sillitoe has a poem titled *Snow on the North Side of Lucifer*. Allan Massie is the best historic novelist in English - *Augustus* *Tiberius* *King David* *Caligula* *Arthur the King*. He has written a memoir by Sir Walter Scott *The Ragged Lion* and WWII novels *A Question of Loyalties* *The Sins of the Fathers*. Born in Singapore to Scottish parents and educated at Cambridge: *Alan Massie Toast To Sir Walter 1990.* KZbin. *Beyond the 39 Steps* by Ursula Buchan is the biography of John Buchan who packed so much into his life - he was Governor of Canada. Buchan wrote great historic novels like *A Lost Lady of Old Years* and Hitchcock filmed The 39 Steps with Robert Donat & Madeleine Carroll.

[@lakeshagadson357]

are you can ask yourself if you can write ✍ for long a long time or a short time when it comes to writing a book or essay or something that just has to do with writing

[@jackhaggerty1066]

Tacking writing on to an existing habit is wise & workable. I used to see the then unknown J.K. Rowling writing in an upstairs cafe & in the Coffee Rooms of the National Portrait Gallery in Queen St. Edinburgh. My sister lives in the Cotswolds (England) and there was a wonderful place for coffee, The Swallow Cafe, on a high pavement, looking down on trees. If you're at home, create a space where you don't feel lonely : Kipling said he felt the approach of his creative daemon when walking in woodlands. John Fowles (Journals Volume 2) loved the bird life in his garden in Cornwall, and hated having to go to London & New York to promote *The Magus*. Brenda Ueland (*If You Want To Write*) advises keeping a *Slovenly, Headlong, Impulsive, Honest Diary.* The word Slovenly had me laughing.

[@jackhaggerty1066]

The Swallow Bakery and Restaurant stood in the tree-lined Promenade, Cheltenham's swankiest street and is now closed. Writers exploring the Cotswolds in search of places to work should visit Moreton-in-Marsh, Burford, Cirencester, Stow-on-the-Wold, Snowshill, Winchcombe, Bourton-on-the-Water, Lower Slaughter, Upper Slaughter, Cold Aston, Tewkesbury & many others - visit them on KZbin. These places are so beautiful they feel like a glimpse of Heaven. There are pubs & teashops ideal for writing & used bookstores.

[@u_t_d_s_h-1_a]

With a pen along with paper handy, time for a writer to do his / her job is always. ---once inspiration occurs---no matter where; while at work, during recreation, vacation, town hall meetings, out walking, on one's way home, perhaps during the course of daily dedicated hours for writing, maybe even during odd interactions with people twice farmiliar than any other are with one, ---just put pen to paper and write down those inspirational lines one received out of the blue, one day, just one day, one's book will be done.

[@jackhaggerty1066]

Hemingway as a young man described working in his favourite cafes in his posthumous memoirs *A Movable Feast*. He described seeing a beautiful girl with hair as dark as a blackbird and then writing a story set in Michigan in his boyhood. Looking up he noticed that the young woman had vanished, so intent had he been on the story. He ordered another coffee and wrote away ...

[@jackhaggerty1066]

Hem's cafes were in Paris, of course. James Baldwin liked to work in the upstairs room in the Cafe de Flore. Les Deux Magots was another favourite. *Seeing the Paris of James Baldwin* by Ellery Washington, Seattle Times online. *James Baldwin's Paris - The New York Times* online. Ellery Washington again but a different essay.

[@u_t_d_s_h-1_a]

@@jackhaggerty1066 Correct. Earnest Hemmingway.

[@jackhaggerty1066]

@@u_t_d_s_h-1_a His friends called him Ernie or Papa but he had too much a sense of humour to be Earnest. *Henry Miller got laid in the afternoon and thinks he invented it,* Hem said.

[@u_t_d_s_h-1_a]

@@jackhaggerty1066 correct. Earnest H. At a most convenient time

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

The beginning will take some time. But, once it gets going, everything will flow smoothly.

[@noelsolo61]

I try to write after my daily exercise.

[@thomascrump1165]

👍

[@rachelthompson9324]

if you get stuck write something else and go back to it later.

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

5-6 hours of meetings and fun. The rest of the time, I want them to leave me alone in my room. The phone will be with Abbie and she can interrupt me with important calls or messages. This will make sure that I can get it all done quickly. Also, I would like to get a feel of the characters. So, I would like to meet you guys from time to time.

[@ThatBoomerDude56]

How to Find Time To Write: *Shut down KZbin.* (Sorry ... but, in my case, it's true.) 😬 🙄 😯 😦 😧 😮 😲

[@nativechique7589]

I need my wntire phon yaken rom me andbim mad right now because i have to have it for appts and tracking a couple packages. Im so i over my stupid phone

[@zuziako]

I don't even have time to watch this

[@jackhaggerty1066]

Mia Farrow complained to her husband Frank Sinatra that he needed to make more together time. *I can do a lot of things but I cannot make time,* replied the Mob's favourite singer, *I can try to find time.* Al Bowlly had a lovely song *Time On My Hands* which the Bratislava Hot Serenaders sing on KZbin. Bowlly's song *Midnight* closed the Kubrick movie *The Shining* based on Stephen King's brilliant novel.

[@jackhaggerty1066]

*Midnigh, the Stars and You.* KZbin. Ivan Gordiyenko. March 5 2013.

[@Reggie2000]

You didn't really say anything helpful in this video imo. 😔

[@Reggie2000]

If your not writing at all, then clearly you don't like or love writing enough. I mean if you have time to do (insert loved activity here), then you have time to write, so time can't be it. So what is it? It's probably that you don't really like/love writing, because when you like/live doing something, finding time is not most people's problem. Sorry if this truth hurts people. Truth can be painful.

[@nativechique7589]

Writers block lol jk