Find Your Time to Write

You know what your day looks like. You know when you have time to write. You also know when you don’t have time to write. There are really two challenges though…Finding the time when you are not asleep and finding your particular muse somewhere along the way. They are both elusive creatures. Neither seem to be on your side. Neither want to cooperate with each other. You may be inspired, but you don’t have the time. You may have the time, but are not inspired. Here are a few quick tips on bringing these writing necessities together…

1) When the muse arrives, make sure you have something to capture at least the falling remnants of your inner voice…a notepad, a napkin, or your text, web, or email-enabled phone. Don’t lose the muse moment because you didn’t expect it. If you are in a situation where you can’t crank out thousands of words, capture the thoughts, the ideas, a handful of words and phrases so that you can return to them when you have the time.

2) When you have the time, ask yourself questions about what you are trying to write. However, don’t just say them out loud, write them down…yes, let us say that again…write them down…If you are wondering who your characters are, write on your blank page or screen…”Who is Thomas L Commons, III?” If the descriptive flowing prose don’t make their way to the forefront of your mind and onto the page, then capture simple thoughts and ideas…”Father, son, believer, bored, family”…If you are writing you are not wasting the time you have, you are writing. Each word you write can be used at a later time.

3) If you are one of those fortunate individuals, who have realized that your muse arrives each morning at 8 AM sharp and you have reorganized your schedule to accommodate the visits, take that first moment to appreciate the inspiration and write where it takes you. Don’t stop, don’t hesitate. Don’t question. Just write. If you pause and ask questions, that coordinated time will be less productive, but you may also stop the time all together. It is as if you had a guest to your home and you interrupted him/her every time he/she decided to say something. That would be rude and make for shorter, less frequent visits and relationships.

Over the next month, we will offer basic tips on working with time and inspiration. Sit back, relax, write, and enjoy…