Life is hard. Writing is hard. Writing while life is life-ing is incredibly, indescribably hard. But when the alternative is not writing, what choice do you have?
Actually, you have a few.
- Do a time audit. Take a subjective look at the time you spend on your activities each day, and see if you can replace some of those activities with writing. Do you fill the 20 minutes between waking up and getting up scrolling social media? What would happen if you got up right away and used that time to get ready for the day instead? Would that free up more time to write?
- Schedule writing time. Once you’ve gone through your day to see where you can be more productive with your time, try actually scheduling your writing sessions. Maybe it’s after the kids are in bed, or maybe it’s before everyone else gets up—whenever it is, pick a time and try to write consistently during that time. After a while, you’ll train your mind to anticipate that creative outlet, and you’ll be surprise how much you can accomplish in each session!
- Small times add up. Writing in 7 minute segments might not seem like much, but it adds up! I wrote 50,000 words in a month 2 years ago by writing tiny chunks on my phone while nursing my infant. If you wait until you have an entire afternoon to dedicate to your work, you might have to wait months for an opening.
- Try alternative methods. Maybe sitting down at your laptop for an hour isn’t possible, but could you jot down a few scenes in notebook at lunch? Use voice-to-text while you’re driving to work? Compose on your phone while watching cartoons with the kids? Time to get creative with your methods!
- Don’t give up. I know—writing as a busy adult is hard. Finding a system that works is also hard. It may take some trial and error, and you might have to change the way you do things in order to make this work. There will be setbacks. There will be days when you wonder if it’s worth it. It is. If writing is a priority for you, then find a way to work it into your life. Little by little, it will add up, and when you look back after a week or a month or a year, you’ll be amazed at all the progress you’ve made.
Writing in the Cracks 