Finding time to write

Tips to write your book while dealing with work, family, and just life...

Hello and Welcome to The Writer Story!!

I started this newsletter one day on a whim, and now there are close to two hundred people receiving this right to their email inboxes. I can’t even think how that is logical. I mean why would anyone want to read whatever BS I am spitting out here.

But it was a whim, and I am absolutely, incredibly grateful for all the wonderful souls here and who like and comment on my posts. If you don’t, please do…

Now, let’s talk about writing. Or as the title says, finding time to write.

Okay, I get it. It’s not easy.

We all have busy lives, jobs to do, family to take care, chores to complete.

Anyone who wants to be a writer, or for that matter, break into any creative industry, it’s like trying to break a stone wall by hitting your head against it.

Sometimes people like to climb that wall too, or maybe dig a tunnel.

But let’s face it, whatever path you choose it doesn’t come easy. It’s easy to get fooled by the wonderful lives of the successful authors and get swayed by the glamour and all. But understand that the life we see didn’t happen in a minute. There’s no fairy godmother for you, my dearest Cinderella.

In any case, if you wish to become a writer, the first thing you need to do is write. If you want to be called a writer, you need to write. That’s like the first requirement.

You with me so far? Good.

Now finding time to write.

Let me break that down for you.

We are all very different writers, really. The style, the humour, the way the brain strings words together to form a coherent sentence are all quite different from one writer to another.

And so are writing routines.

The writing routine that works for someone else is not going to work for you. You need to formulate the routine that works for you, that will benefit you.

Now, how do we do that?

You need to ask yourself the following 3 questions. Here’s a handy flowchart that I scribbled for you all.

• Can I live with myself if I never finish writing a book and never get published? - If your answer is yes to this, you don’t need to write at all. Problem solved. Go do whatever else you want to do. There are far easier things that you can do to entertain yourselves. Writing is probably not for you.

• What makes me want to write and why? - Now this is the crux of what makes you a writer. What motivates you to write? Why is writing important to you? What do you want from it? This is where you need to fetch the true writer in you that perhaps is hidden deep among a pile of chores and life stuff.

• Do I write well in large chunks or small ones? - Once you have found that writer soul in yourselves, you need to understand what suits you as a writer. Do you need large chunks of time to write? Do you indulge in the process and need time to get into the flow? Then you will want to allocate time accordingly. I suggest at least 2-3 hours whenever you can. But at least once a week. But if you are like me who can write anytime anywhere, then 15 minutes a day will suffice. I have literally written on my phone during a after lunck walk or sitting on the toilet or waiting to pick up kids.

Choose what works best for you. Set a reminder if needed. And give a real actual shot at this writing stuff that you chose. You know I am always rooting for you.

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That’s all for today.

Thanks for reading The Writer Story. You can find me on social media - Twitter/X - @authoranima or Instagram/Threads - @authoranima

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Until next week,

~Toodle-oo~