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Finding the Time to Write in a World of Constant Busyness

We live in such a busy world. Everyone is constantly fighting for your time. Even right now, you might be procrastinating by reading this article (I’ve been there… don’t even try to deny it). At the end of the day, you may be disappointed in yourself for not taking the time to right (don't worry, I’ve also been there). You’re passionate about writing, but how on earth are you going to find time to do it when it seems like you barely have time to breathe?

Prioritize

I know this is the most cliche piece of advice ever, but it really is true. I’m not talking about dropping out of school to pursue writing full-time (even though I know we’ve all considered it), but prioritizing it over something less important (like the ever-popular doom scroll). When I first started being consistent with writing, I knew I was going to have to step back from my social media addiction and make sure I was leaving myself time to write everyday. I’m not gonna lie to you - this was hard. Sometimes, I just want to do something simple at the end of the day (and we all know writing isn’t always simple).

Make it easy

Easy? Writing? Didn’t I just say it wasn’t always simple? Well, hear me out, the actual writing isn’t easy, but choosing to write can be. I used to think that in order to be a worthwhile writer, everything that I wrote had to be with a pen and paper. It somehow felt more authentic that way. However, when I decided to step into the National Novel Writing Month challenge as a full-time college student, I knew something needed to change. I started typing my manuscript, simply because I knew my laptop would almost always be with me. I also starting writing from my phone, which sounds crazy but was actually so helpful. Always having my manuscript with me allowed me to make intentional decisions every time I picked up my phone. Would I scroll endlessly on Instagram before falling asleep? Or would I make the decision to write a few sentences? Sometimes, motivation was tough, but because starting is often the hardest part of the process, making sure my work was easily accessible was a game changer. 

Remember why you started

This is something that’s hugely important when finding the time to write. If I didn’t have the proper motivation, there was no way I was going to open my document and work on my novel. Remembering why I started was key. While writing my latest completed project, I had to continually remind myself that I was doing this for Christ, rather than myself. Using the gifts He blessed me with was something I had wanted to do forever, and there I was finally doing it! Remembering my “author’s purpose” (little throwback to elementary school for you there) helped keep me always moving forward, even when it seemed like I would rather be scooping my dog’s poop in my backyard. 

Make it fun

So many times, I get so caught up in my word count, or how polished my prose is, that I forget that writing is something that I love. I should treat it like something I love. Setting too many goals or being too strict with myself always ends with me feeling burnt out and not enjoying the time that I spend writing. Writing began as a hobby, and still is something that I do as a hobby today. Because of this, I have had to find new ways to keep it fun. This could be using fun colored pens, or making sure my characters are people that I would hangout with. Whatever works for you is perfect, just make sure that you never forget that writing is something to be enjoyed. This is key in making sure that you are able to find time to write.

Set a ritual

Too many articles that I read told me that I should write at the same time every day. They said that was the only way to be successful. However, that simply isn’t practical for me. My schedule is constantly changing (yay college), so there was no way I could follow the same schedule for writing every day. Because of this, I decided to create a writing ritual. In this ritual, I listen to the same music each time I write, and try to do it in the same environment everytime I write (though this isn’t always practical either). By creating routines around my writing, it helped me get into the “zone” more quickly and allowed me to focus more deeply on what I was writing. This routine/ritual also allowed me to avoid not writing at all due to not being able to write at a set time. Taking away the time constraints that I had given myself allowed me to feel more freedom when it came to writing.


All in all, always remember that writing is something that should be fun for you. If it isn’t fun, taking a break or working on a different project may be a good idea. Comment down below how you find time to write when life gets busy!

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