What do you do when there simply isn't time

[Garren Jacobsen]

Alright guys and gals I am in a bit of a pickle. That pickle is one of time. Specifically I don't have much time to actually sit down and write novels. I am, however, doing a metric crap-ton of other forms of writing, all of it non-fiction. So, what do you do to keep up the writing skills while not being able to actually sit down and scratch out a story?

As for myself I read about an hour a night. Any other suggestions?

 

[Russ]

Alright guys and gals I am in a bit of a pickle. That pickle is one of time. Specifically I don't have much time to actually sit down and write novels. I am, however, doing a metric crap-ton of other forms of writing, all of it non-fiction. So, what do you do to keep up the writing skills while not being able to actually sit down and scratch out a story?

As for myself I read about an hour a night. Any other suggestions?

The other crap ton of writing helps.

If you can, strive to make your nonfiction better. The two areas well and overlap.

And you are in law aren't you...some would say you are writing fiction anyways...or at least fantasy.

 

[FifthView]

Make the time?

Set your alarm for an hour earlier, an hour and a half, and write during that time every morning?

I don't know. When not writing, I often think about writing, and I try to tell myself that all this thought will one day pay off when I actually take the time or make the time to write. But I don't think there's any real substitute for actual writing.

This weekend I had a very productive 3-hour period one day writing on a project. Things coming together, very "in the zone." But by the end of it I realized I'd only added about 250 words to the total length; the rest had been some revision of parts previously written. This, the first chapter of a project. Very humbling.

 

[Garren Jacobsen]

And you are in law aren't you...some would say you are writing fiction anyways...or at least fantasy.

Yeah, I debated for a few minutes to put in fiction, it is more accurate afterall.

 

[skip.knox]

There is not such thing as not-time. I know, I know. I've been there too. But the brutal fact is this: we each get the same 24 hours in a day. If those hours are taken up by other activities, then that's what it is. You cannot "make" time, you can only decide what to do with the time you have.

Yeah, sure, get up earlier. *barf* I was never able to do that.

What I was able to do is to take a physical notebook with me whenever I went to lunch or even on a break. And I made sure I took both. And I made sure I went somewhere where I could write, even if it was only for five minutes.

I was blessed with a short commute, but when I would go for a longer drive, I would take a recorder and speak while in the car.

I didn't make time, I chose time.

I am retired now, and I have to tell you this bad news: if you don't develop good habits now, you won't suddenly have "more" time when you retire. Whatever habits you inculcate now will carry forward into your so-called free time.

 

[FifthView]

Surely no reasonable person would believe in the literal process of making time. I'm not sure what kind of being can do that (time dilation notwithstanding), but I know of no human who can add 5 minutes to the 24hrs/day he already has.

So, it's figurative. It's choosing the time. I suppose an extension of the figurative language would be to make "writing time" out of what was once "sleeping time" or "watching Netflix time."

I mentioned setting the alarm clock and waking one hour earlier because this is something I already do. But it's so I can drink a whole pot of coffee while reading the news, playing a few rounds of Hearthstone, and generally pulling myself into wakefulness before I ready myself for work. But I've had the thought more than once that that's an hour, hour and a half I could be using for writing instead.

The problem is this from the OP:

sit down and scratch out a story

That idea is pregnant with meaning. I, too, often feel that I don't want to start a writing session unless I know I can push out enough writing to justify setting aside that time. What's an hour when three hours can lead to only 250 new words, as happened to me one day this week? 84 new words? 84 new words per day in that extra hour (or lost hour of sleep?)

But over time, 84 words/day would add up. Even if that's too slow, it might keep the juices flowing, so one doesn't get lost in all that "doing something else time." Maybe on some good days, that would stretch to 100, 150 words, for that hour, at least for a very rough draft.

 

[Garren Jacobsen]

There is not such thing as not-time. I know, I know. I've been there too. But the brutal fact is this: we each get the same 24 hours in a day. If those hours are taken up by other activities, then that's what it is. You cannot "make" time, you can only decide what to do with the time you have.

Yeah, sure, get up earlier. *barf* I was never able to do that.

What I was able to do is to take a physical notebook with me whenever I went to lunch or even on a break. And I made sure I took both. And I made sure I went somewhere where I could write, even if it was only for five minutes.

I was blessed with a short commute, but when I would go for a longer drive, I would take a recorder and speak while in the car.

I didn't make time, I chose time.

I am retired now, and I have to tell you this bad news: if you don't develop good habits now, you won't suddenly have "more" time when you retire. Whatever habits you inculcate now will carry forward into your so-called free time.

You are correct it is matter of priorities, the problem here is that I have one overriding priority that is the focus of my life until the evening of July 27th. I am studying for the bar exam. That's taken up 10 or so hours a day for 6 days a week. Put that on top of paternal responsibilities as well as job hunting and other responsibilities I am a bit swamped. I suppose I could wake up at 5 or 6 but then that would give me an hour or two less sleeping time.

But over time, 84 words/day would add up. Even if that's too slow, it might keep the juices flowing, so one doesn't get lost in all that "doing something else time." Maybe on some good days, that would stretch to 100, 150 words, for that hour, at least for a very rough draft.

However, an hour at a time is what I am used to doing. On a good day that can be close to 1k words. Maybe, instead, carve it out into half hour intervals. I think I can squeeze some time in and maybe, if I am lucky, get a few hours on Sunday.

 

[TWErvin2]

You just tread water until the bar exam, and then reorganize your time.

You can listen to audiobooks in lieu of reading. Listening to audiobooks during commutes or the like can free up that reading time for writing time.

 

[TheKillerBs]

If you're studying for the bar exam, you should probably just take a break from writing until after the exam. If your brain is fresh enough for writing, you can study some more.

 

[Penpilot]

As for myself I read about an hour a night. Any other suggestions?

Well, you have an hour to read, then you have an hour to write. No? You could split it evenly, half-hour of writing followed by a half-hour of reading. You don't have to put down a metric-butt-ton of words in a sitting to be a productive writer.

To toot my own horn here, here's an article I wrote on the metrics of writing that spells out just how few words you need to produce to be productive. The Metrics of Writing

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Yeah I would almost look at it as "break time" until July 27... which works best if you've got some writing that can be left sitting, so you can rest the brain from creative writing while that older work goes from fresh to compost, and give you a new view of your writing after sitting for a month and a half with a brain that hasn't written for a while.

In short stints of free time, maybe reread some writing books you like, find some new ones, or take a little time to read a new fiction book.

Different people, different processes, but that's the sort of thing I do. Personally I find the total break from writing can help my writing as much as just plugging along, helps my perspective and critical eye to come in fresh from writing altogether.

 

[skip.knox]

Age quod agitis -- do what you are doing

That's not the technical translation, but I deeply believe in this sentiment. You are studying for the bar. Do that. Do it thoroughly and don't worry about writing. I had to do the same in writing my dissertation. It wasn't because there was not an hour here or there to be had. It was that there was no mental space. Writing academic history is fundamentally different from writing fiction. Trying to do both would be like trying to play two different songs at once; they would just get in each other's way. Finish the one tune, then play the other, right?

 

[Holoman]

Maybe write a fictional scene where a character has to explain a legal concept to another. That way you can test your knowledge, revising, and writing at the same time?

 

[Russ]

Take a break until July 27 and don't be hard on yourself about it. That is just around the corner and once you have recovered from the bar you will be fresh and ready to go again.

And take heart from the ridiculous number of successful writers who produced great work while practising the law as well.

 

[Chessie]

I actually haven't written anything more than 1k words since the end of April. Whenever I start to feel guilty I just remember that sometimes I need a break even from writing. This has happened to me every year for as long as I can remember. After a few weeks or a couple of months of not writing, then all of a sudden it comes back to me and I write the rest of the year.

Also, 2016 has been a hard one with my surgery, not being able to properly walk for a few months, my husband switching jobs and schedules, and my 8 yr old stepson coming to live with us full time, etc. It's been a crazy 6 months...and I needed a break from the stress of creating. I know that sounds weird, but I put a lot of pressure on myself to get this writing thing down right because my goal is to be making a liveable wage within the next 2 years so busting ass is what I do. And now that I'm walking much better, all I want to do is be outside and do my cardio classes that I haven't been able to do for a year.

Last night, actually, I set up two new projects on my word count app and have started writing again today. I have to do it. If I don't, then my husband won't support my endeavors and off to a real job it is. So that's a motivating factor if there ever was one lol.

But no one should feel bad for taking time to REST. Reading, watching movies, spending time with family and nature is really important to our creative souls. We need time to decompress, to soak in more good ideas, and to reorganize our goals. It's bearly mid-summer, too, so there is still plenty of time to bust out some projects by December.

Take your time. Do not feel guilty about it. Go back to your writing when you feel refreshed. It definitely pays off to honor your creativity that way.

 

[Heliotrope]

I've had to be a lot more realistic with myself. There are many things in my life I love. Teaching. Mountain biking. Search and rescue, adventure racing. My husband. My children. I'm not ready to give up on any of these to write full time. I love writing, but I stop loving it when it becomes a job, and I'm not sure I want that. I love writing shorts and trying to get them published, I love plucking away at my silly little pirate novel... But I know I don't have the time or the will at this point to make it my career. Later, maybe, when my kids are older and don't need me so much, but for now I'm a hobbyist and ok with that.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Been there, but after a couple decades of putting things off, I have this urge to sell my house and business, move to a less expensive location and hard core it to see if I can do it. If I could make enough to survive writing by itself it would open up so much time to do other things, heh heh. Wonder if trip to machu picchu would be a tax write off for research on a novel, LOL.

I've had to be a lot more realistic with myself. There are many things in my life I love. Teaching. Mountain biking. Search and rescue, adventure racing. My husband. My children. I'm not ready to give up on any of these to write full time. I love writing, but I stop loving it when it becomes a job, and I'm not sure I want that. I love writing shorts and trying to get them published, I love plucking away at my silly little pirate novel... But I know I don't have the time or the will at this point to make it my career. Later, maybe, when my kids are older and don't need me so much, but for now I'm a hobbyist and ok with that.

 

[Heliotrope]

OMG you are a braver man than me (If I were a man lol!)

 

[Chessie]

I've had to be a lot more realistic with myself.

This is a really big one. A lot of us have children which are amazing but hella time consuming. Especially in their younger years. I've had the blessing of being with my husband since my stepson was 3, but we only got him in bits and pieces. Now, all of a sudden I've inherited (a very beautiful and awesome) 8 yr old. Life has gotten crazy. There's no way I can write the way I used to since he's not in school atm and shit, I've had to accept that's just the way things are right now.

Being a full time writer takes a lot of work and many, many writers do it with full time jobs, families, and who knows what else on their plates. Me? I'm very selfish. I like to be outside, spend time reading, chill with my family, enjoy my day being peaceful. I cannot create if I'm a rush. It's another reason why I've allowed myself this time and I feel much more refreshed now.

We have to honor our individual situations, approaching them with compassion. It's hard not to compare ourselves with where others are in their writing careers but comparison is emotional death. My goal is to be a full time writer so I have to work twice as hard but damn, sometimes I just want to take time for myself. Is that so bad? NO. No one should feel guilty about that.

 

[skip.knox]

>for now I'm a hobbyist and ok with that.

There really and truly should be advice books, writing tip books, the whole d*amned industry worth of books for writers who are not at this point in their lives interested in becoming professional writers. I don't know if the advice would vary all that much, especially at the writing end, but the tone would certainly be different. There are a great many people out there who are more or less in Heliotrope's position. They deserve to be an audience.