Defending writing time is a challenge that every writer faces. Family, friends, work responsibilities, and miscellaneous crap all seem to take over every spare second that you have. How can you possibly make enough time to write the next great American film?
The first trick is figuring out when you write best. Do you like to get up early and whip out a page or two before you go about the rest of your day? Or do you use your lunch breaks to brainstorm ideas with your co-writer? Get into some sort of routine, even if it’s just a minimum page requirement every week, and stick to it. The worst thing for a writer is only writing when you feel “inspired.” Be your own damn inspiration and write on a regular basis.
Once you’ve decided on a routine that works for your schedule, use these handy tips to defend your writing time with everything you’ve got:
1. Unplug
Turn off your internet connection. Shut down your phone. Stay away from your email, Facebook, and Twitter. If you’re the kind of person who can’t bare to be separated from your social network, use that desire as your motivation — once you’ve written today’s three pages, checking Facebook can be your reward. Distractions are death to productivity.
