For people who want to write but tell themselves they don't have the time.

A LITTLE CAN GO A LONG WAY

Displayed prominently in my office, there is a quote
from Alan Bean, Apollo 12 astronaut. It’s heading stands out in big, bold lettering and challenges me every day.

HAVE YOU WORKED TOWARDS YOUR DREAM TODAY?

“The most important quality I have noticed in successful people is that they have a dream. They want to be someone or something. They want to have something. They want to go somewhere.

“They think and work towards that dream every day.

“I often ask people who tell me their dream, ‘What did you do today to move closer to your dream?’

“Eighty-five per cent didn’t do anything. They’re planning to do something next week; they’re just too busy today.

“These eighty-five per cent will probably never see their dream come true .

“Ask yourself the same question: ‘What have I done today to make my dream come true ?’ If the answer is nothing specific, then you probably won’t make it unless you change.”

No time to make your dreams come true ? Life getting in the way?

Those of us who work full time know how much of a chunk it takes out of the day, as does bringing up children, housework, and the thousand and one other things constantly demanding attention, none of which move you toward your dream of being published.

There’s not a lot you can do about those, but something else can encroach on your precious writing time without your knowledge.

Holes in the day.

These are the small amounts of time that you might have been wasting, and which you can now put to good use. The trick is, recognizing these holes and not letting them get away. If you do, you risk the frustration of not moving forward, drifting from one day to the next with nothing to show for yesterday.

Wherever you are, keep a notebook and something to write with at the ready. Those small jotters cost only a few cents, so you can keep one in every room in the house and on the passenger seat of your car.

Chances are that the great idea you had while driving will have flown right out of your head by the time you get to wherever you’re going. Great ideas are famous for their capriciousness. If you don’t write it down, it could be lost forever.

By the way, I’m not advocating writing while driving. Stopped at traffic lights will do.

Maybe you could consider a voice activated tape recorder for use in the car.

There are probably plenty of times during the day that you can put to good use.

Waiting for the bus.
Waiting outside school to pick up the children.
Waiting for the repairman.
Morning/afternoon tea break.
Lunch break.
Mute those TV ads (if you’re watching TV instead of writing that is).
Got to bed an hour later.
Get up an hour earlier.

There may be several holes that can add up to that hour or two you didn’t think you had for writing. It’s amazing when you look back at the day, how much you have accomplished.

Here are a few suggestions I’ve used and gleaned from other authors. Believe me, they work.

Only got 20 minutes? No problem. There’s a lot you can do in that short time, or even less.

 Write a paragraph.
 Write a snippet of dialogue.
 Line edit.
 Check spelling.
 Check grammar.
 Look for typos.
 Write a character sketch.
 Fill in character charts – what’s the hero’s eye color, favorite food, music, etc.
 Write some scene detail.
 Listen to conference tapes.
 Read a how-to book. Your mind retains information better in small doses.
 Brainstorm ideas. You might not use all of them but at least you’ll have some possibilities to work with.
 Plan your next scene. Pre-planning can save you a lot of time when you come to the actual writing. Decide what you want, turn it over to your sub-conscious and you’ll be amazed what it will come up with.
 Carry your WIP with you and some colored marker pens. Then you can check for repetitions in dialogue tags. How many times has the hero snarled, glared or grinned?

That should get you started. I’ll bet you’ve already thought of another hundred and one times in your day that can be put to good use.

What’s the most negative phrase in the English language?

“Yes, but.”

Plenty of people use it as an excuse to do nothing.

It can often be cunningly disguised so don’t you fall into the “yes, but” trap.

Work towards your dream constantly or one day you might look back and say, “If only.”

Filling small holes in the day can go a long way to changing “if only” into “I got the call!”

Have you worked toward YOUR dream today?