Conceptualizing your writing time

If you're writing your first novel, unless you’re independently wealthy, you probably have a day job. And independently wealthy or not, you probably also have a family—and friends, and chores to do, and those pesky eat-sleep-breathe types of maintenance that we human beings require. So taking the time to write can be difficult.

But wait—how do you take time to write? I have a theory, based on anecdotal evidence not just from my own life but from how other writers talk about their work: how you think about the acquisition of your writing time can make a difference in whether (and how much) you actually write or not.

There are three basic ways I’ve heard writers refer to how they get their writing time: finding time, making time, and stealing time. And I’ll tell you why I’m a big fan of the last option—and why it doesn’t necessarily mean what it sounds like.

Finding time to write: If you’re finding time to write, you’re taking a passive approach. “Finding” sounds like you’ve stumbled upon something nice, something you might not have sought out intentionally. When you “find” time to write, you do everything else on your to-do list—for your boss, for your family, for your toenails that really need a new pedicure, you name it—before you write. So you don’t actually get that much time to write, since new tasks tend to creep in and you don’t keep them out.

Making time to write: This is a step up from finding time to write because it’s more proactive. When you make time to write, you say, “From 5:30 to 6:30 this evening, I will write. I won’t let other tasks intrude; I will make sure my responsibilities are completed beforehand or rescheduled, and I will tell my boss, family, and anyone else who might want something done that I’m unavailable at that time.” It’s like an appointment you keep with yourself—and it’s a great idea for making sure you prioritize your writing.

But sometimes, despite your attention to detail and your great communication with the other people in your life (hey, you’re a writer, so you’re probably awesome at that), intrusions happen anyway. Or we feel guilty. We could be tackling that pile of dishes. We could be starting that new project we were assigned today but don’t need to start until next week. Sure, we want to write, but things come up, and we’ll feel just terrible if we don’t address our real or perceived obligations immediately.

That’s when the last paradigm comes in handy.

Stealing time to write: By this, I don’t mean time theft, neglecting your kids, or anything like that—although I’m sure some writers do those things. Stealing time means recognizing that there are other obligations and people in your life and doing your writing anyway. It can be a good way to sidestep the guilt of taking time for your own goals; instead of avoiding or obsessing about the idea that you’re doing something awfully selfish and rude, you run right toward it by saying, “Yes! In fact, I’m stealing the time to write! Mwa ha ha ha!”

Nowadays, when the to-do list just keeps growing, I move from making time to write to stealing it. In other words, I do my writing before other tasks that I can complete on time and in a satisfactory manner. Those other tasks generally come with someone else holding me accountable, and they don’t require as much creativity as my writing does, so I know how much time they will take and how soon I can complete them. But most of the time, I’m the only one holding myself accountable for my writing. So I owe it to myself to get that writing time and use it for nothing but my own work.