Need more time to write?
You need more time to write, right? If you’re frustrated that days pass and you don’t make it to the page of your memoir, your novel, your essay, your short story, it’s easy to start beating yourself up: I’m lazy, I don’t want it enough, I don’t have enough energy and I should be able to do it all!
So, first, put down the emotional cudgel, bat, truncheon—stop blaming yourself which is never productive—and read on.
We talk about stories and we use words like a character’s “want” and “need.” We say characters don’t always get what they want but if the story isn’t a tragedy, they do get what they need.
When it comes to our lives, knowing the difference between what you want and what you need applies, too. You may want to learn Latin, or take up ballroom dancing, or write your supernatural thriller—and of course those are worthy desires.
Image courtesy of Geralt & Pixabay, thank you
Needs & Wants
But before you get lost in the “why can’t I find the time when I want ‘it’ so much” first take a look at what you need and why.
If you haven’t inherited a trust fund, you probably need to make a living so you have a roof over your head and heat and food on the table. Those are basic needs and the costs of NOT attaining them are serious if not dire.
Graduates of psychology 101 may remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a five-tier pyramid model of motivational theory based on human needs. The first four levels of the pyramid are sometimes referred to as “deficiency needs” while the top level—self-actualization—is about becoming all that you can be.
The first two needs on the foundation of the pyramid are things like air, water and food, shelter, personal security, employment and resources, basic health and property. We can probably all agree that it’s easier to write when you’re not starving, freezing, or in the throes of a serious flu bug.
The next two needs on the pyramid include family and friendship (love and connection) and recognition, respect and freedom (esteem). Again, most of us agree we function better when we have basic connections and enough respect and self-esteem to pursue that fifth level of human need, self-actualization.
What does all this have to do with you finding more time to write? You don’t need me to tell you that if you are using most of the time in your day to make a living and feed your family and pay the bills, you will prioritize your job(s) over less immediate needs.
Prioritize
A “priority” is one thing that is regarded as more important than another thing. Author and coach Kristen Kieffer offers two great questions in her new book Build Your Best Writing Life:
- “Which need-based priorities serve as the foundation of my schedule?”
- “Which desire-based priorities fill in the gaps?”
If writing is your first answer to question #2—and it remains top of the list with a bit more soul-searching—then it’s time to look at what other desires (aka “wants”) you’re willing to de-prioritize in order to create more time to write. Can you hold off on the Latin lessons? Can your partner pack school lunches for your kids and supervise homework three nights a week? Can you spend a bit less time watching cute cat videos on instagram–and I know those kitties are therapeutic!
Take a good look at your schedule
Evaluate your daily/weekly schedule and assess where you have time to go beyond those things that need to get done—so you can schedule time for the writing that you so deeply want to share with the world.
image by Lisa Runnels from Pixabay, thank you
Find writing windows
See if you can discover “writing windows” that didn’t seem to exist before and offer more time to write! *If you work in an office and leave for lunch, you might choose to “bag it” and walk as far as your car, sit inside and write. *Do you walk for exercise, and, if so, what about a simple recording device so you can talk your story on the go? *Then use a transcription program to get your words onto the page. *Carry a notebook with you at all times—just by jotting notes, images, dialogue snippets, you can stay in touch with your story. *And keep a notebook next to your bed. I’ve scribbled full scenes without turning on the light.
Make a boundary with a magic marker, not kidding
For some reason it’s easier to miss a writing session than it is to miss a doctor’s appointment. Yes you need to keep appointments–and that includes the vital appointments you make with yourself to write! So when you do have enough space to block one, two, or (luxury) three hours for writing, make sure you set boundaries around that time. Let your partner know, your kids, your friends—whoever you need to tell so they will support you with your writing. And keep a physical calendar so you can magic marker an unbroken square or circle around that time. Don’t break your commitment.
Pay attention to you, stay present, stay open
When it comes to paying attention to what you need and want what you want and finding the balance that supports both—in 2020 and beyond—remember to stay present in the moment and open to your intuition and self-awareness. The goal is to move forward proactively in the direction you choose, rather than letting life lead you reactively. Be creative because you are creative!
Image by denkendewolke from pixabay, thank you
A work in process–and progress
Putting your “prioritizing” into action is a work in progress. When you look at your wants and needs and identify ways to prioritize writing, you can begin to put a new schedule into action. And! You will still need to stay on top of things. It’s a honing process, and it’s about seeing what works and what you need to tweak. You may start off scheduling time to write on four days out of the next week. If you only manage to write on two of those four days, that’s success, not failure. Tweak your new week’s schedule to include two writing days and it will be a bonus if you manage an additional day.
Thank you Geralt & Pixabay
The war of art–moving toward a more peaceful, easeful process
And finally, know that your own internal resistance to writing will often factor into the time/priority equation. There is a reason writer Stephen Pressfield titled his bestselling writing book The War of Art. All of us Creatives encounter internal resistance at times. Fear, anxiety and doubt all raise their heads and show their fangs. *So DO check in with yourself from time to time by using a simple free write. *Give yourself 2 or 3 minutes to respond to this question: Why am I afraid to write this book? Just scribble your answers without censoring yourself. This gives you the chance to air “hidden” internal saboteurs who might be interfering with you getting to your page.
Please let us know…
We want to hear from you–how you’re doing, topics of interest, your likes and your gripes, too. This is space for writers of all stripes.
More to-come on all these topics. Please let us know how you’re doing and any future topics you want us to gab about. Here’s to writing flow and ease~Sarah
Brava! thanks for this. it applies to other things too.
Absolutely true, Juliette–we all need to support each other on staying the course!