Do you find it difficult to find time to write?
A lot of writers do.
Life is hectic. There’s so much to do and too little time to do it.
You want to write. Your inability to write is bothering you. And you blame one thing: a lack of time.
But if this is what you think, you’re deluding yourself.
It’s not about time at all.
Your Lack of Time to Write Is Not About Time at All
I’m speaking from experience.
I too have blamed time for my lack of writing output. I still do, now and then, until I remind myself what the real problem is.
Let me ask you this: realistically, could you find 10 minutes to write tomorrow?
If you said “no,” you’re kidding yourself.
Let me rephrase: If your mother (or husband or daughter or cat—whoever you care about) was dying tomorrow would you be able to find 10 minutes to call them? (Assuming your cat can use a phone.)
Most likely your answer would be “yes.” We can find time for those things that are important to us. And certainly, everyone can carve 10 minutes out of the day.
So if you agree with me that yes, you could find 10 minutes to write tomorrow, would you do it?
I’m thinking, “No.” If you’re someone who believes that you “don’t have time to write,” you will not find that 10 minutes tomorrow or the next day, either.
Why am I so pessimistic?
Because “time” is not the real problem.
What It Means When You Say You Don’t Have Time to Write
Here’s the real reason you can’t find time to write: You’re unwilling to write crap.
Let me explain.
We all want to think of ourselves as great writers. We want what we put on the page to be brilliant, mesmerizing, moving, and admirable.
Go ahead. Admit it. It’s fine. It’s what we all dream about.
So we bring those dreams and expectations into our daily lives. When we think of writing, we’re not just thinking of writing. We’re thinking of penning that next bestseller. We’re thinking of the awards we’ll win and the five-star reviews we’ll get.
Talk about pressure.
How do we respond to pressure?
Poorly.
You could make 10 minutes to sit down and write. But you don’t, because you’re putting too much pressure on yourself and on the story you might create.
It’s Not Time to Write, It’s Self-Doubt
You’re afraid you won’t do it well or do it right.
And that is a justified fear when you’re a writer.
After all, good writing requires a lot of talent, skill, creativity, practice, education, and know-how.
The more you realize this, the more you worry you might not measure up. You see the giant writers of our day and you want to be like them, but you realize how far up the bar they are, and how very far you have to go.
So when it comes time to write your story, you decide you don’t have time.
I Don’t Have Time to Write Because Writing Is Messy
Here’s something you may not have thought about: creation is messy.
Think about what it’s like to build a house. At first, all you have is a bunch of materials scattered all over the place and an empty plot of land. As the builders put those materials together, the house begins to take shape.
Still, it’s messy.
There is scrap wood all over. New materials here and there. Trash. Wires. Pipes. Cement mixers. Dirt. Mud.
Yet how do builders approach building a house?
“Today we’ll get the foundation etched in. Tomorrow will be when we get the cement poured. After that, we’ll get the flooring in on that one room. And then we can put the pipes into the bathroom.”
Little by little, they walk into the mess, create, leave a little more mess, and go home.
As a writer, you may think your story is a mess right now. It’s not the story you envisioned in your head. It’s not coming together as you hoped. There are pieces and parts everywhere.
When you think about working on it, all you can see is the mess.
So you tell yourself, “I don’t have time to work on it today.”
The Secret to Finding Time to Write
I understand all of this because I’ve felt it too. I’ve felt the pressure to make my story “great” from the get-go, and worried that it would never come together right. I’ve been convinced that the “mess” I started would never morph into a coherent story.
And I’ve allowed these worries to stop me from writing, all while telling myself I didn’t have time.
You may insist that no, this is really about time. You’re just busier than the rest of us. You have more going on.
Here’s a secret: All writers have a lot going on. We’re all busy. We’re all challenged to find time to write. The difference is that some of us do and some of us don’t.
Which group will you be in?
If you want to be in the “amwriting” group, here’s what you have to do:
Permit yourself to write crap. Let it be a mess.
You’re not writing right now because you’re not allowing yourself this luxury.
Embrace the fact that what you write will be disorganized, confusing, and maybe even downright bad.
Understand that while you are writing, you may feel self-doubt. You may worry that you’re wasting your time. You may think that you’ll never be able to write the story you want to write.
Then put on your boots, step into the mud, and write crap.
Tomorrow, get up and do the same thing.
Carve 10 minutes out of your day. Don’t think about it. Don’t “prepare” yourself to write. You don’t have to be suitably inspired.
Don’t tell yourself you “don’t have time” so you can avoid all these difficult feelings.
Just grab your laptop and start typing.
Yes, it will probably be crap.
But it will be something.
And you can work with something.
Do you struggle to find time to write?
For more help on finding time to write, see Overwhelmed Writer Rescue.