FINDING TIME TO WRITE!

Let's face it; the hustle and bustle of working your day job to earn a living and caring for a family, writing often takes a timeout and remains nagging your mind on the back burner.  You can’t take the time to write so you make copious notes to put into a “someday” book.  Want to find the time to begin creating your masterpiece?  Read on.

I used my managerial experience to tailor a time to write with my individual personality traits and requirements, which new and/or experienced writers may find useful. 

It only takes two simple steps and your firm resolve to find time to write:

1.     Determine your most productive personal time of day.  Most of us are already aware of this time frame.  I read with some interest, and delight, Gary CrucefiX's, article in a recent issue of THE e-WRITER'S PLACE UPDATE e-LETTER.  The electronic magazine for every writer!  http://ewritersplace.com .  His time of day starts at 4 AM.

I determined through knowing myself that I am a morning person.  If I don't get something done by noon, it just ain't getting done today!

I completed the second step by listing everything I was already doing as part of my self-created morning routine.  I went through each item, asking three questions about each item:

           1.  Does the task need to be done at all??? (Be very critical here.  After all, your decision boils down to your desire to write, verses another one of YOUR other desires!)

          2.  Was it something only I could do?  Could I hire the task done or delegate the task to someone else.

3.      If the task can only be done by me, could I pick another time of the day, or day of week to accomplish it?

To make a long story, short; I sacrificed playing golf (3 mornings a week, Ouch!), cutting the lawn, house cleaning, planting and working in the garden.  I gave up my duties at the American Legion Post and the Moose Lodge, to free my mind of clutter.  We got rid of our second car to avoid my rationalizing that I had to go somewhere.  Now if I have to go somewhere, I ride my bike.

I changed my exercise routine, biking, to an earlier time frame.  Incidentally, I find exercise prepares my mind for creativity.

I cook less elaborate meals for my working wife. BTW, I am an amature chef and very good at it.  (I am retired, but very active as a househusband.  I still do 90% of the household chores, but not during the time I have reserved for my writing.)  The only day I don't write is Sunday. 

I moved the laundry and research to Sundays.  We have hired out the lawn mowing and a maid comes by once a month.  (How I wish she did windows and refrigerators.)  I let my answering machine screen my calls.  Most of them are marketing calls anyway.

There is a book available at www.booklocker.com, "I'll write when the kids are grown", by Angela Giles Klocke.  If I still had children at home, I would purchase that book.

Incidentally, surfing the Internet is extremely time consuming.  I don't go to any chat rooms, except Author’s Den, and I only surf the net to do research to fuel my own creativity.

I realize you can think, "Well, he's retired and I have to work," and some of you are thinking exactly that, after reading this.  Nobody has to take my advice.  However, if you allow YOUR own self-created routine (YOU did create it you know), or your children to take up all of your productive time, they will. 

You deserve to make or take the time to explore your own writing prowess.  You all have a productive time of day, find it, analyze your chores and start writing!  I'm glad I did!  I am FREE to create, write and publish 6 days a week, between 7 AM and noon.  

Roger Nelson, Writer/publisher.

Author of:

Gulo, The Evil Force

The Shaman’s Destiny

The Appointee and

How you can become a successful Supervisor

Visit his website at: http://www.nelsonpublishingcompany.com