Making Time

Time to Write…

Blog Schedule

How often do you publish on your blog? A few years ago, I had some pretty amazing output. In 2010 on A New Day, I published 337 posts! That is close to a post every day. That impresses the heck out of me. The following year that number slipped to 230 posts. Still decent, but more like daily minus weekends. The numbers continued to slip from there though. I never regained the output I started with. But that is alright. You know why? I still post on A New Day and here on A Writer’s Take.

Today, my output looks more like a few posts a month on each blog. I publish book reviews, poetry, and short stories over at A New Day and my focus here is more on the craft of writing. Both are a part of who I am, but appeal to different audiences. I have often debated making the two blogs into one unified entity: a more formal website and landing page for clients and fans. That still might happen at some point too, but not today.

Regardless of where you write, how often do you sit down to the act of writing? Do you write daily in a journal, but only write a blog post a week? Are you like me, who writes for work, but struggles to find enough time for your own words? Or are you intimidated by the process of sharing anything with anyone, sometimes even yourself.

One of the tricks with writing is making a practice of it. Set it into your routine, like workouts, extracurricular activities, classes, regular dinner dates with friends: routines help to ensure activities happen. Once a routine becomes established, it is easier to maintain.

Tips for Scheduling Writing:

• get up half an hour earlier to write – create the time, instead of complaining you don’t have any
• write for ten minutes in a journal before bed – make that time a priority
• jot your thoughts down during your lunch break – frequent snippets are better than nothing at all
• set a timer to ensure you reach your goals – Instead of staring at a blank page, begin to write & keep up the momentum until you reach your goal. Worry about editing later!
• carry a journal with you to take advantage of snippets of time to capture thoughts and moments from your day – never lose a moment
• join a writing group to build accountability to yourself and others – you might find fellow supporters and inspiration you never would have anticipated too
• set realistic and attainable goals – if they’re not realistic, you doom yourself to failure
• remove distractions during your writing – ie. shut down Facebook, turn off the TV, find a quiet spot away from the kids

Once you develop a habit, it becomes easier to fulfill your goals. Make those goals realistic and attainable, so that you are successful and stick to them. With success comes pride, and renewed interest in attaining and continuing those goals. If you are serious about writing, ultimately you CAN make it happen. It doesn’t matter if your schedule is daily, weekly, or monthly. Set a goal and do your part to stick to it.

I publish on average 3-4 blog posts a month, write for an hour every Monday evening in my writers group, and set the intention to make more time for my writing this year. What do you do to make your writing a priority?