Class Notes - Finding Time to Write

At our recent IndieAuthorHub conference, Rachel Ann Nunes taught a class on finding time to write. Here are some notes on that class, as provided by Roseanne Wilkins.

Whether we want to admit it or not, all of us are writing for money. If we were writing for pleasure, we wouldn't be attending classes and finishing our books.

In order to achieve success, we need to treat our writing like a business. We have to set aside time every day for writing, just like a job. And like a job, we need to be able to tell friends and family that there are some hours of the day that are just ours - for writing.

With that said, we all also have lives. It's important to stop if the moment requires it. Children are especially important, and there are some moments when we just have to stop and share some time with our kids because our moments are finite and they will be grown before we know it.

We need to prioritize and accept that we can't do everything. We don't need to fix gourmet meals. We need to delegate to those around us as much as possible. We need to say "no" to activities when we feel pressure to say "yes." Remember that when we're saying "no" to one thing it's so we can say "yes" to another. 

You don't have to spend every moment writing. You can take time for other things you enjoy. It's a matter of priorities and not doing things others might put pressure on you to do. 

If you have someone who isn't valuing your time, you need to make your time valuable. Turn off the phone. Don't answer the door. Be strict about your writing time. And have writing time every weekday, like a job. Any words you write can be edited, but if there's nothing to edit, you won't get anything finished.