I’ve been asked this question a lot.
Like a lot.
Especially when I tell them what I’ve been doing. As of today, I’m editing my fourth book, waiting for edits on the third draft of my third book and halfway through writing my fifth book.
Don’t forget that this whole author thing isn’t just about writing books, too. There are emails that need replying, social media that needs updating, blog posts that need writing and so on.
Add to that stuff like:
- Mum duties
- Chores (anyone wanna volunteer to do them for me?)
- Day job
- Exercise
- R&R (Netflix and gaming for me)
- Family time
- Friends catch up
It kinda looks like I have a full schedule.
So how do I actually find time to write?
I just do.
That doesn’t help, does it? There are a couple of advantages that I have that maybe others don’t, which gives me more time to write.
Like what?
For one, I only have one kid, one I trained to be responsible and who helps me around the house when I ask her to. It was a conscious parenting decision for us to teach our daughter to do her bit around the house. Part to teach her responsibility and part to give her some life skills for when she’s on her own in the future.
Second, I work from home. There’s no traffic to sit through or packed train rides to contend with. That time that most people spend in transit, I use to tick heaps off my daily To-Do list. Having said that, if I had to sit through a train ride I would use that time to write or read or edit.
Third, I schedule things like a madwoman – a task master with a whip. I give everything on my To-Do list a time limit. Within that time, I focus on one task alone. Once the alarm beeps, I move on to the next. That way I end up accomplishing several things in one day – including writing/editing my books.
Fourth, I accept when things don’t go according to plan. There are days, of course, when the unexpected happens. Someone is sick, something unforeseen happens. I can’t predict everything, so I just accept it and then look at my schedule and move things around.
The thing I always remember is that everything that is important to me will have a place in my schedule. If it’s not, then it won’t be. That’s why I added R&R, family time and catching up with friends. If you want the writing thing to happen, then you’ll find the time. It’s just a matter of prioritising.
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