Finding time and Space to Sit Down and Write

Some of you are at home right now, listening to his podcast, making spaghetti sauce, trying to keep your three year old from terrorizing the dog, while trying to keep the dog from stealing the ingredients you have gathered to make the sauce.

So, when are you going find time and space to write?

Remember that creativity, to an artist, is as essential as air or water.

Find a spot in your house where you can focus. For me it’s essential that it’s not anywhere near a television. Currently, I am next to a television, and it’s driving me crazy. I notice that it is slowed my productivity way down. Frustrating, yes. However, it’s also only temporary.

Don’t overlook the places in your house that you wouldn’t normally consider. For example, some of your condos being built today have incredibly large closets. Really you don’t need much room for a laptop and could even build a little desk in that space. I even know of a few authors that work from local coffee shops rather than try and write at home.

If you have a 9-to-5 job there are other ways in which you can work and still have a life. I know one author who uses recording software on their cell phone and a microphone they bought online. While they’re driving to and from work, their speaking their narrative into their cell phone and then downloading that information when they get home.

You could also utilize a basement. Even if that basement isn’t finished, you could buy materials and any home improvement store to quickly turn that space into something usable. Just find yourself a small desk or stand put your computer on.

It is really important to have a conversation with your family about allowing you the space to work. If you don’t make it clear that writing is a priority for you, then it will never be a priority for them. I’ve made it clear my family that interrupting me while I’m working needs to be a very rare occurrence.

Look for times to work when your spouse and children are at home. And remember that although it would be great if you could sit down and write for hours at a stretch, that isn’t necessary. You could carve out several blocks of shorter time and get the same amount of work done.

You have to be willing to turn off that part of your brain that is calling for you to check your Facebook status every few seconds. It is far too easy to want to reach for that phone when you’re stuck in a particularly difficult sentence.

I don’t know what it is about the morning, but that is the time that I work the best. It seems that any time before noon I am at my most productive. Around noon I start to flag a little bit have to turn to doing something like going for a walk or maybe reading for a while recharge my batteries. Any time after 230, I just can’t write. Since I suffer from fibromyalgia, it can make working in the afternoons difficult.

I’ll tell you this, if writing is truly in your heart, and it’s meant to be a thing, then you will put in the time it’s necessary.

Next week, I am going to have New York Times and USA Today best-selling author C. J. Ellison on with me.

I want to particularly pick her brain about what attracted her to the genre of romance. I’m very curious what her journey was to bring her to this point in her career. She also has some wonderful tips as a writer on how to organize your project you’re currently working on.

So remember to tune in for that show, it’s going to be great.

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