Write Time
By Camy Tang
Working Full-Time and Writing
(or for any busy writer)
As always, remember that these tips won't all work for everyone, so pick and choose what's right for you.
Give yourself a rest day.
This gives you time to do other household chores, bills, read, etc. It's also a chance to recharge from a focused week of writing.
Think of your writing like a second job. You wouldn't work seven days a week without a break, it would become too tiring even if you only work a few hours a day. Therefore, a day of non-writing can often help rejuvenate your creativity and your motivation.
I have a day of rest on Sundays when I don't write at all. You can choose any day you prefer. During the week, I try to stop myself from doing non-writing things and put them off until Sunday.
Schedule your chores for your "rest" day, or a specific day.
This is a time when you should procrastinate! Don't be distracted by chores during your writing time. Put it off until your rest day. When I start lamenting on that the floors have dust bunnies the size of rabbits, I promise myself I'll sweep later on my "rest" day. That way I can go back to writing with less guilt over my messy house.
Alternately, schedule a specific day for each chore, like Thursday for vacuuming, Friday for laundry, etc. It's harder to be distracted by a dirty house when you know it'll get done in a few days on your designated chore day.
Increase your productivity when you're well-rested.
Sleep doctors tell you that if you don't sleep, you die. This is biological fact. For many people, tiredness blocks creativity. If you have to, schedule a day when you go to bed early and get a few extra hours of sleep. A little extra sleep may be all you need for the words to start flowing.
Schedule your writing like a trip to the dentist.
Many people who write and work another full-time job tend to do most of their writing on the weekends when their spouse is home to help out with kids, cooking and chores.
Take advantage of this time and don't let something else hijack it. When a friend wants to meet for lunch, plan it for another day or time. "I have an appointment on Saturday morning/afternoon/evening. How about . . . ?" That appointment is with your manuscript.
This is another reason I find using Sunday as a "rest day" works for me. Saturday is for writing except for unbreakable commitments, and everything else I schedule for Sunday when I'm not writing. It allows me to be more productive on Saturday but still keep an active social schedule.
Next month: your home.
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