How do you make time to write in the midst of a busy schedule? Whether it’s poetry, short stories, memoir or novels you love writing, the challenge is always the same: finding the time. Here’s 10 tips for anyone who loves writing, to help you keep the creative juices flowing no matter how busy you may be.
Keep a creativity journal, and jot down ideas whenever and wherever they occur to you.
A sudden idea for a short story… a line for a poem that appears out of nowhere… a fascinating detail about a passer-by you think would work for a character… get used to jotting down ideas whenever they occur. Keeping a notebook in your bag or a file on your phone is the best way to do this. Keeping a creativity journal is a way to feel like a writer all of the time… even when you haven’t much time to write.
Never sit down to write with nothing but a blank page in front of you.
Begin with a source of inspiration and you are always more likely to make the most of your time. Refer to point number 1!
Write whenever and wherever you can.
You don’t need to be at your desk or in a quiet space to write! Take ten minutes out of your lunch break at work, or use voice-to-text software, and write as you walk. If great ideas come to you in the shower, consider buying a waterproof notebook!
Write a small amount every single day
Getting into the habit of writing is a useful thing to do. Setting aside ten minutes every day is usually possible if writing is something you love – no matter how busy you are! Don’t pressure yourself to finish anything. Try a different short writing prompt every day and you’ll slowly accumulate terrific fragments you can work into something longer, when you do have the time.
Cultivate a reading habit
Read what you would like to one day write, and you’ll always have the motivation to begin.
Join a writing group
It’s always easier to find motivation to write when you’re not having to find it alone. If you love to write, find others who share your passion – and hang on to the joy.
Journal every day
Journalling is writing – and it can be every bit as creative as other forms. Most novels and short stories grow somehow from true events. When you journal, you’re not only making time for something you love but building a dossier of ideas you may later use in your fiction or poetry.
Identify where and when you are at your most creative…
Do you have a favourite chair? A kind of tea you love most? A chocolate bar that fills you with joy? Set up your writing space in a way that works perfectly for you, and you are much more likely to write.
… but don’t wait for the muse to descend!
If you love to write then do it no matter how you feel. The goal isn’t to create a masterpiece… it’s to carve out time for yourself. So you’ve had a tough day and you don’t feel inspired? Write anyway!
Consider a creative writing retreat.
On retreats, people with busy and complicated lives get to shed everything for a week and just be a writer. It’s difficult to appreciate how wonderful this can be until you try it for yourself. A writing retreat isn’t a moment you make time for in among everything else you have to do, it’s acres of time to grow, learn, create, make friends, share in community and above all else, to see yourself as a writer. You can check out our creative writing retreats here: https://www.centauriarts.com/retreats/
