Are you busy.
Your day is full. You need to write, but there is never enough time.
It is the lament of a common writer, but what that writer usually means is that there is never enough time, in one sitting, to achieve much. But where is it written that a writer must have large blocks of time to do something?
Consider how many wasted minutes can be found during the day and used to advance your work in progress. Time is wasted waiting in line, sitting in traffic, running errands, attending meetings, and elsewhere.
It is possible to recover some of these “lost minutes” to write:
1. Use your “wait time” wisely. How many times have you stood in line at the grocery store and flipped through a handy magazine on the nearby shelf? In less time than it takes to turn to page forty-seven to read about the latest UFO sighting, he could have written the snappy dialogue required for his boy-meets-girl scene.
Other places where you can make use of “wait” time are the doctor’s office, the mechanic, the bus stop, school, the line at the gas station, the bank, even while on hold while talking on the phone. to call. Almost any place where you arrive a few minutes early (or are often kept waiting) is a good candidate for “wait” time.
To make this work, be prepared: don’t come up empty handed when you have those few minutes to burn. Keep a pen and some index cards, a small notebook, or even a folded sheet of paper in your pocket.
If you are at home, keep your computer on all the time. A computer “on standby” leaves you no excuse to put off writing a scene or taking a few notes while dinner cooks or water boils for tea. Plus, a few minutes may be all you need for some minor research for your project. Bonus: You’ll be less likely to waste time browsing if you only have a few dedicated moments.
2. Bus rides, train rides, taxis, and flights present writing opportunities. In fact, any trip where you’re not driving is ideal. Get out your laptop or notebook and write. Too loud? Bring earplugs or headphones and an mp3 player to drain off the chatter.
3. If you drive, traffic lights are your friend. Keep a clipboard in the passenger seat of the car to jot down notes and scenes when you get pulled over. This method is especially useful if you have spent your driving time thinking about and planning your story or article.
If you don’t like the idea of writing in the car, carry a small pocket recorder and take your notes by speaking out loud.
(Another great use of commute time is listening to audiobooks. Pick up a nonfiction book, maybe one on writing, and jot down notes at stoplights. Or do some necessary research while driving by listening to a book on a topic related to your job at progress.)
4. Dominate your meetings. Everyone attends meetings: there are at work, club meetings, PTA meetings, Scout meetings, etc. Few are called to order on time. Arrive a few moments early, grab the best writing space, and write. Ignore the chatter around the coffee pot and other forms of socializing. It may even be possible to write during the discussion that is not relevant to you.
You may find it difficult to write prose while others are talking. So spend that time sketching out an article or a few scenes in your work in progress. If that fails, create a list of scenes you might need, or brainstorm some item ideas.
5. Give up something else. It’s not so much about finding the time as it is about doing it. If your schedule is so tight that you can’t find small slots of time, then you should consider ditching one activity for another. Cancel a class you’re taking, stop watching TV, skip lunch with a friend, or sacrifice a little sleep by setting your alarm 15 or 20 minutes earlier than usual. You can also stop cleaning the house, leave dirty dishes in the sink, and mow the lawn less often. (Or pay someone else to do it while you type. Seriously.)
There are always empty moments to be found in the day. Recover that time by employing one or more of the ideas above and watch your progress grow.