Your Imput for an article about time management & writing

[HDSimplicityy]

I want to write a 500-800 word article about how some of us writers struggle with that. We want to write, and we also want to do something relaxing after work, such as game or read. Some of us have spouses and children to spend time with, but we also want to chip away at that book. UGH the nagging feeling of wanting to be writing for half an hour when you also want to read another Brandon Sanderson novel.

I'd like to write a piece discussing methods to have effective time management, as well as making decisions. In addition, I'd love to have input from a few of you! Im thinking like five to six folks to give me a few sentences on how the make these work. This is in addition to my 500+ words. 

When it is ready, I'd share it here, on my Facebook page, YT channel, and a few discord servers.

Share below what you'd want me to include!

[HDSimplicityy]

The topics can be time management (how long to write vs how long to read a novel), indecision (stuck on just writing when something else exciting begs your attention), making sure we consume storytelling outside of novels, and assuring ourselves FOMO is understandable, but ok.

[ScintillaMyntan]

I don't have much to add because I haven't figured out time management myself. Or rather, I have time but put off writing because of confidence problems.

But I was reminded of something I read in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book on creativity: We all have the impulse to relax, conserve energy, to have fun. But creative people have an additional ability to have fun by expending creative energy. And to be productive, we have to choose the latter.
He says:

Taking refuge in passive entertainment keeps chaos temporarily at bay, but the attention it absorbs gets wasted. On the other hand, when we learn to enjoy using our latent creative energy so that it generates its own internal force to keep concentration focused, we not only avoid depression but also increase the complexity of our capacities to relate to the world.

[Sundrinker]

The only thing I found that made a significant different was having a routine and people to write with. For a while, Scinty and I would start writing ~4 times a week together at a specific time. Another thing I did was attend a weekly in-person write-in group. That interesting because I could exchange with other writers.

That more or less solved the "when" to write question, but it didn't necessarily help me put words on paper.

What *did* help me write, as I'm remembering now, is a single singing class I took. I have trouble expressing myself and while that isn't the reason I wanted to take a singing class, it helped with my writing. I asked the teacher at the end of that trial session if I had potential and she responded yes. Something changed after that and I was able to write more easily. I have difficulty putting down more than ~150 or so words in a single sitting and at the time I was writing my review of Pocket Mirror ~ GoldernerTraum. Each day after that singing class, I was able to put out a couple of hundred more words in a sitting. On the last day, I wrote about 1300 words, which surprised me.

Anyway, personally I had a psychological blockage that prevented me from writing.

At this point in time I'm not really writing anymore as my carpentry studies leave me too exhausted to do much creative work afterwards.

[HDSimplicityy]

Ooo this is gold. Thank ya! I'm looking forward to seeing what others say and I'll write it up.

[saintofm]

Make time for it. Find a moment that is good and a place to do it in. I am often riding, so in a car works for me, but I also like to go to a resturant for lunch or a library for a change of place and to avoid some noise. It dosn't have to be a long session, but for that time you need to focus on this. Anything else needs to aid in this be it listening to music or a podcast.

If you do a lot of computer gaming, and your computer has long load times, also good time. I used to get alot of reading done while playing Totaal War on my last computer.

[HDSimplicityy]

Sept 7, 2024 9:32:21 GMT -6 Sundrinker said:

Anyway, personally I had a psychological blockage that prevented me from writing.

Ive been there, too. Its like a lightbulb finally springs to life to get going again.

Earlier this year I just couldn't figure out how to write this Twine project. Thats a game engine. So I quit doing that. What solved it was pivoting to starting editing of my novel. A few months later, I got an opportunity to edit a videogame script.

[HDSimplicityy]

Alright, a rough draft is typed up. I will pick a day to pull the weeds.

[saintofm]

If one can't get a set time to do this, then be creative in in. There is one author, I forget the name, that dictates their books into their phone while he goes on nature walks.

One area I have done, especially on my old computer, was to play a Total War: Warhammer game and during the loading screens either between turns or when I was getting into a battle. My old computer as it would take a few minutes. This one, while getting up their in age by laptop standards, is still quite fast and so I got maybe a minute or two at most. As not everyone has a gaming model of computer, this might be a good way to get some writing done.

[HDSimplicityy]

A first edit passthrough. Yes, it is longer than 800 words. There are places to par down. I just dont know what; I already put three hundred words off to the side.

Feel free to offer constructive feedback on anything. The goal is to publish this on:
My personal website.
These forums
My Facebook page.
LinkedIn
Discord
and perhaps Medium?

Wordcount: 1,487. 

#

Time Management & Creative Writing - Strategies for deciding when to do it and to balance your time.


Introduction

Your smartwatch reads 5PM on a Wednesday. You are home from work, grabbing Trader Joes chocolate almonds from the dinner table.

You might want to continue reading that Brandon Sanderson book or play a videogame. There is that nagging thought in the back of your mind, however: you have a chapter of your WIP novel to work on. Should you give yourself a break for the day, thinking “I really want to start reading that book”. Or put forty-five minutes in before reading? Heck, maybe you’re facing writers’ block. Today aint the day for creativity.

Do you relate?


In this article, I will share ideas on making those time management decisions that benefit you and those around you (yay, adulting!). Additionally, I have nuggets of advice from the writers at LegendFire Critique Community - the tight-nit group that I often learn from. It’s my goal that you can relax about time crunches, and discover a method to include writing in your week.

May this motivate you, challenge you, to at last finish that story.



P1: Why time management is important for writing. And why taking breaks is encouraging.

“What can I do to become good at time management?” You ask.


It is something I ask myself often!


This doesn’t necessarily mean seven days a week for four hours. Or four days a week for two hours each after dinner, or even three days a week for an hour and a half. It means different things for each writer. By making it a priority in some portion of your week, however, you will find your progress moving forward. You see your word count growing, and you settle into a rhythm. You may see your management becoming effective day in and day out. The hard part is those reminders you set aside that ping back into memory, “Dang it, I wanted to read tonight!” and” I forgot to watch that movie”. You type the final sentence in that story instead!


Congratulations!


To start your own strategy, use time blocks in your calendar. Decide how many revolutions of your clock to spend. And you might have to force yourself to concentrate, just to get going. Time management is important to develop consistent writing habits. You know that this time of this day is dedicated for it.


Just don’t forget to take breaks! Literally as I type this sentence, I need to stretch my fingers. Refilling solves a lot of creative challenges. But I digress. Don’t beat yourself up in missing writing days. Life sidelines this on the occasion. The important thought to remember is to do it another day.


From LegendFire, user ScintillaMyntan comments on this:

I was reminded of something I read in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book on creativity: We all have the impulse to relax, conserve energy, to have fun. But creative people have an additional ability to have fun by expending creative energy. And to be productive, we have to choose the latter.



He says:

“Taking refuge in passive entertainment keeps chaos temporarily at bay, but the attention it absorbs gets wasted. On the other hand, when we learn to enjoy using our latent creative energy so that it generates its own internal force to keep concentration focused, we not only avoid depression but also increase the complexity of our capacities to relate to the world.”



P2: Unusual places to write:


You have next to zero time at home, between taking care of little feet or having a second job. Let’s say you commute to work using the train or the bus. No, it’s not quiet unless you bring your preference of headphones/earbuds. It is still time to churn up a few dozen words. It may not look like much. However, do that for a week, a month even, and see how the word counter ticks up.


That experimental short story you want to write? There is a good opportunity to write it. Even share with a commuter.


User saintofm from the LegendFire has thoughts along that line:

Make time for it. Find a moment that is good and a place to do it in. I am often riding, so in a car works for me, but I also like to go to a restaurant for lunch or a library for a change of place and to avoid some noise. It doesn't have to be a long session, but for that time you need to focus on this. Anything else needs to aid in this be it listening to music or a podcast.



If you do a lot of computer gaming, and your computer has long load times, also good time. I used to get a lot of reading done while playing Total War on my last computer.



P3: Deciding how long to write versus how much time to put into another hobby.


Probably the place where we trip the most. Especially ADD-types.


We all have hobbies outside of writing. Things that we do when we need a break and have attention hooked elsewhere. For some of us like myself, giving up that time can be hard. Its this catch-22. Do I want to unwind on Saturday and play more Xbox, or do I need to plan a 1.5 hour writing session?


Well… both?


I guess it depends. If you have other obligations like family functions, you’d write around them. When it comes to prioritizing writing, putting it above videogames or reading means you have an opportunity to push ahead. That time sacrifice might be the difference between finding publications to submit to and reading the final chapter of that historical fiction novel.


Unless you DO do both. Then there is nothing to worry about.


Thoughts regarding this from LegendFire user Sundrinker:

The only thing I found that made a significant difference was having a routine and people to write with. […] Another thing I did was attend a weekly in-person write-in group.

[…] That more or less solved the "when" to write question, but it didn't necessarily help me put words on paper.



What *did* help me write […] is a single singing class I took. I have trouble expressing myself and while that isn't the reason I wanted to take a singing class, it helped with my writing. I asked the teacher at the end of that trial session if I had potential and she responded yes. Something changed after that and I was able to write more easily.





P4: My Writing Time


I can be fueled off motivation. Most writing sessions are easy for me to choose. Two days a week or six days a week or something; I know that I want to continue what I have started. These days it is three to four days a week for at an hour. Sometimes Saturdays or Sundays are make-up days. I will write in a chapter in a book, a videogame project, or an article such as this. After work, this is based on how much energy I have. Thirty minutes, or an hour and a half if I can manage.


The best times are when you/ I get deep into writing mode that you just can’t stop. The momentum is too exhilarating to put on the brakes! Another forty-five minutes flies past! I realize I wanted to start a load of laundry.


That is how I have been doing it. It normally produces a few hundred words. Alas, my personal challenges are focus as well as concentration. When both are working, its like a never-ending buzz of energy.




Summary: To end, there are a few practical methods to try out. Your habits are unique to yourself as a writer. A good number of us still find time management plain frustrating. The ideas above can aid in finding that balance:


• Decide where to write: your bedroom, an office, a coffee shop… whatever. Find a place to charge forth into the pile of words yet to be tapped out. And experiment with times that fit your schedule.

• Decide what is the priority for the day, for the week. Write out 500 more words, or take a few hours off to play videogames. If you’re a full-time writer, well, this might be different.

• Don’t beat yourself up for not writing. Days off can happen. Your passion project won’t chase you out of the door if you’re going out to dinner.

• Play background music to set your mind to concentrate.

• Find people to write with. Not for the solidarity of the craft, but to be engaged with your writing with others. You can all be creative weirdos at the same time and get stuff done.


And from the terrific writers at Legendfire - infinitely more skilled than I - is make time to expend fun energy. You’d be surprised that even after a tiring day, you have that kick in the pants to turn on your computer and type away. And enjoy it. The time will be available