Does this sound like you? “I don’t have time to write! I’ll start this career later when I have more time.” Fair point, most people are super busy and can’t dedicate hours at a time to writing. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have time to write. It definitely doesn’t mean you can’t create your writing career today.
Let me tell you a little bit about my life.
I work a full-time job, which often requires 10+ hours of overtime every single week. I also work a part-time job, demanding another 5-10 hours of my week. I’m a single mother with a young daughter. If any of you have children, you know that’s like another full-time job.
Despite all of this, I found time to create this website, edit one novel, and write another. So, I’ll be honest and tell you that you do have time to write. You’re just not using it. Let me show you how to create a writing career despite the chaos of everyday life.
How to Start a Writing Career:
Step One: Analyze
For this step, I recommend using Google Calendar. But you can do this however you want. First, list every hour of every day for one week. By using Google Calendar, this part is already done for you. Then, enter all the timeslots you cannot change. For example, working every day from 7 am-3:30 pm. You won’t be doing any writing then.
Be sure to account for things like meals, sleeping, and commuting times. Once you’ve done that, continue to step two.
Step Two: Prioritize
This is the fun part! Now that you have everything blocked out, see where your time really goes. Ask yourself: “Is there any place during my week where I could squeeze in an hour or two of writing?” If so, that’s great! Go ahead and add “Writing Time” to your calendar. If not, don’t despair.
If you can’t afford an entire hour, find places with about 15-20 minutes of free time. Mark them off as “Writing Time.” You’ll be surprised by how much time you actually have. For example, I found an entire two-hour slot that I’d been wasting watching Netflix. So I broke it up and dedicated an hour of that time to writing. This way I still get that final hour to relax.
Your obligations are likely to change weekly. So be sure to keep your calendar updated. One method is to plan your weeks on Sunday nights, with daily updates on progress. Be sure to include any changes that need to be made. Check out my Bullet Journal tutorials for some neat ways to track your writing habits and plot out your writing goals.
Step Three: Make a Plan to Create Your Writing Career
You’ve analyzed your time. You’ve really taken a deep look into how much spare time you never knew you
You could try to set a reminder in your calendar to help you stay focused. Set it to go off 15 minutes before you want to write. This will allow you to prepare and get settled before you start writing.
If you’re just planning to free write, that’s great. This is a great way to get into the habit of writing more often. But if you have a specific project you’re working on, like a novel or article, you need to dig a little deeper.
You have your main goal of that particular writing project. You need to break that project down into smaller pieces. What do you want to have accomplished by the first week? The second? After a month? Be sure to make these “SMART Goals.” Having these micro-goals will keep you focused and motivated throughout your writing journey.
Step Four: Announce Your Plans / Find an Accountability Partner
This is a key step that I think a lot of people skip. You need to hold yourself accountable for achieving your goals. But oftentimes, that’s not enough. That’s where an accountability partner comes in.
Your best bet is to let your closest friend, your parent, or your significant other know that you’re planning to write more. Be sure to also inform them of your specific SMART goals. This way, they can check up with you at the end of the day, week, month, etc… to make sure you’re actually writing.
I know some people don’t have anyone like this in their life. If this is the case, reach out to social media. There’s a great writing community on Twitter. You will definitely find someone there. Also, try Facebook or even a local library writing group.
If all else fails, count on me! I will be your accountability partner for an entire month to help get you started. Just send me an e-mail at [email protected] -or- [email protected], or reach out on Twitter: @inkwellspills.
Step Five: Take Action Today to Start Your Writing Career
My final piece of advice is to begin doing this today. Choose one thing you can do today to start your writing career. The sooner you start, the sooner you begin writing. And the sooner you will realize that yes you do have time to write.
Speaking of having time, I highly recommend reading this book “Yes You Do Have Time” by James “Butch” Tanner. It’s a really quick read – took me about an hour. But it helped me develop this plan.
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Check it out and let me know if it helps you as well. You can buy the hard copy or read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited. Best of luck in your new writing adventures as your work to create the writing career of your dreams!
Note: This page may contain affiliate links for which, if an item is purchased, I will receive a small commission at absolutely no extra cost to you. I only ever post links for products that I have used, found helpful, and loved. Thank you for supporting my writing journey so I can continue to help you on yours!
