Many authors often face this problem. Usually, you put writing on your to-do list but never actually get to do it, as many other important things start to pile up one on top of the other. So you promise yourself that you will write tomorrow, but the same thing happens, so you never actually get time to complete your writing, and you start avoiding it as well.

This type of thing is very common once it comes to starting authors especially, and often don’t write again, but there is a way to counter this. Here are tips on how to make time for writing.

How To Make Time for Writing

Dedicate yourself 

The first and most crucial step to writing a book is to dedicate yourself.

Most people often want to write a book but very few actually achieve it, so it all depends on your decision, as you have to decide that you’re going to do it and make it your absolute priority.

Just wanting to write a book and absolutely prioritizing it is different, just as distant hope is from intention.

So before you start writing a book, stop and say out loud your determination to write this book.

 

Build a writing habit

When it comes to getting anything done, strategy is everything, especially with writing.

You have to create a proper time for writing, as, without a plan, things tend to drift off, and when you drift, you lose control and eventually end up back where you started from, which always leads to an unending annoying session of procrastination.

The key to successfully having writing sessions on weekends is to plan out your writing time and develop a kind of writing habit. If you’re aware ahead of time of what you’ll be focusing on, where you’ll write, and how long your writing session is going to go for, then when it’s time to write, you’ll be ready to start your action.

To create a plan, you can research a bunch of articles, topics, reviews and start by creating an outline as well.

As writers, we should always prepare and research our book outside of writing time, not during it.

Stopping to research one thing on the net might just end up with you deep down in the rabbit hole that is the internet, instead, if you’re not sure, then just add a “Come Back Later “mark on that passage and check it out later.

You should set up your chapters by making small mind maps for each of them; if you have outlined already, then this should be easy, and taking just a quick few minutes to create a mind map for each chapter would enable you to avoid parts where you need to brainstorm on the spot.

You don’t necessarily have to write anything until the weekends, but at least have notes and plans on what you’re going to do when your time to write arrives.

Set up a writing space

Your writing environment actually has a great ton of effect on how your writing sessions go.

Where you choose to write should be carefully evaluated from your preferences. Whether it’s a favorite outdoor cafe, a quiet room, your living room, or just a place with your laptop and a bulb, it depends on what type of place helps you focus better.

The goal of writing space is to make you feel like ‘it’s writing time’ once you enter, so try to give attention to where you think you’ll get the brightest of ideas. The place should also be incredibly comfortable if you have to spend hours in there writing, not to mention away from any distractions.

Now, if you know a place like that, that’s amazing, but if you prefer public places, you can wear headphones and cut off all the noise by playing some light music that helps you concentrate.

It’s not necessary to only have one writing space, as you can have two or three, so don’t fret if you can’t decide on where it should be.

 

Decide on the time to write.

When time itself is limited, it is difficult to figure out when you should write. 

Things you’re going to need to decide are for how long one of your sessions will last and if you’re going to be having it multiple times today.

Once you’re done with that, the next thing that can come is what time of day you are going to write it in. Many people suggest writing first thing in the morning, but that really depends on what type of person you are. If you’re a night person, you could write on nights, and if you’re a morning person, you can write in the morning.

Another thing you could do is write at the edges of the day, like before work or during breaks, but writing should also be a priority for you, so make sure everyone knows, as if you wait for the ideal circumstances, you’ll never be able to write. So why not start from where you are.

Also Read: How to Overcome Writer’s Block

 

Overcome any excuses

We all have our fair share of excuses that hold us back from giving our all while writing.

Once you’ve become a writer, there is no guarantee that once it’s time to write, that you’ll not just distract yourself with countless other excuses. Some of which is ‘I just need to rest a little, I’ll write late,’ ‘I need to check out the new thing everyone’s been talking about, or ‘I just don’t feel like writing today. These types of excuses are often the ones that would drag you down. But they are just excuses, in other words, lies. 

Once you realize that those are nothing but lies, you will be able to overcome them, and you’ll be able to be better than before.

 

Set your word count of the day

The thought of writing a book can often be overwhelming to people, but it’s not that bad.

If you write 3000 words per weekend, you’ll be able to finish the first draft of your book in a month.

All you have to know is the number of words you want in your book, and then you just need to work your way backward from there.

Although you might still think of it a lot, take a minute to assess just how long you spend watching the TV or doing something random, so if you look at it like that, writing a book isn’t quite that hard as it depends on how long or short a book you are going to write.

If you’re writing a short book with about 120 pages, you could write 250 words minimum every day, which is a relatively easy goal to accomplish as you would also be able to achieve it on a tough day, and it creates a sense of achievement.

 

Plan the process for the following weekend

There is still one more process for you to do at the end of the weekend.

Planning can be very tiring, but it’s still essential. And that is to plan the next weekend since if you don’t plan the rest, you’re planning for failure.

Before you get ready to go to bed, take at least ten to fifteen minutes to plan, including making time for book research, a chapter outlining, and anything else, you need to do outside of your writing time.

Doing this step before the week officially ends can make everything much easier as you would when to do what since you had already gone over it, which would ultimately make the next week a success. But before anything, don’t forget to make time for your writing sessions for the flow of your week to go smoothly.