Struggling To Find Time To Write? The Answer Is Within Reach

‘Write daily’ is not the only way. Here are 3 more options.

Cheryl Strayed is a successful writer.

Four published books, including a New York Times bestseller.

But for years, she was a writing failure.

She felt inadequate and judged herself as not a real writer. Everyone said to write daily. She didn’t have time to do this. So accepted she’d never make it. She nearly quit.

Then one day, she had a life-changing thought.

Her circumstances were different from the authors she was copying. Maybe her writing approach could be different too? Strayed learned to write as she could, not as she couldn’t.

I’ll tell you what worked for her in a minute.

But first…

Why is write daily so heavily pushed?

There is a good reason why write daily is the gold standard.

It’s powerful having a routine. Same place, same time, every day creates a habit. This reduces the reliance on willpower. A very weak source of power.

Eliminating the decision of when to write is valuable. Decisions exhaust us. Writers feel guilty if they are not writing. So a regular pattern stops this negative feeling.

Motivation to write can be like the wind. Strong one day, completely absent the next. A commitment to turning up every day can help weather these peaks and troughs.

But hearing the advice to write daily can imply this is the only way.

For some this doesn’t work.

And that can leave them failing like a failure.

Write daily doesn’t work for those who:

• don’t thrive under a regimented routine
• don’t have the same time available every day.

Strayed proves there are other ways to find the time.

Here are 3 to try.

1. Go into Monk Mode

Binge writing is Strayed’s preferred method.

Strayed would book into a local hotel for 2 nights. Tell her husband not to interrupt her unless somebody stops breathing. She could then focus on writing.

Having binge sessions freed Strayed to identify when she wasn’t going to write. This released her from the shame of not writing every day.

Some have the privilege of writing retreats or sabbaticals.

Cal Newport is a big fan of this approach. These gestures raise the goal in our mind to our top priority. This can unlock huge mental resources. When you’ve taken annual leave or a partner has taken on your caring responsibilities. This is a strong push not to waste the opportunity.

Dickie Bush has drawn criticism recently for going into monk mode for 3 weeks. With 14-hour work days. For many, their responsibilities make this impossible.

But you can use this idea to create your own monk mode. This might be 1 day off/month. Using a friend’s house or the library.

Decide what you can do and be creative in making it work for you.

Don’t panic if these sessions are rare.

They will be deeply productive.

2. Use your time leaks

Matthew Dicks agreed to meet someone looking for advice on how to get a book published.

He answered her questions and explained the publishing process.

Then he asked the killer question.

‘How many words have you written?’ he asked the aspiring novelist.

‘None’ she admitted.

Matthew replied ‘You were 10 minutes late. Which is not a problem. But do you know what I did in those 10 minutes? I wrote a paragraph for my next book’.

We waste the 10-minute leaks in our day because we imagine we need 30–60 minutes to write. But Dicks has written whole novels in this way.

I’ve written previously about this approach. Those with unpredictable or packed calendars can find this effective.

It sounds spontaneous, but you must prepare to take advantage of time leaks. Have the resources always on hand. And know exactly what you will do when they appear. So you don’t waste time deciding.

Some might struggle to do deep work in these spare 10 minutes. Instead, you could edit, read an article or brainstorm a title. Choose tasks that are easier to do.

Using scraps of time can add hours of writing to our day.

3. Time boxing

For those who need regular time to write but can’t create a daily rhythm. Time boxing could be the answer.

Make appointments to write. Perhaps 3 sessions a week based on your other responsibilities. Decide how what length suits you. (mine is 60 minutes). Then book them in your calendar.

This suits those whose schedule varies. Fit your writing session around your life.

This pragmatic approach sounds easy. But it is difficult to pull off.

The biggest challenge is keeping your appointment. When you have a meeting with others you stick to it. But appointments with ourselves easily shift.

View your writing appointments as equal value to your other appointments. If necessary, take it somewhere people can’t interrupt you.

A key skill is to study yourself. Notice what works. Identify what doesn’t. See it as a journey of discovery.

You might not decide on one approach. You might combine ideas. Use time leaks for edits & idea generating. And time boxing for deeper writing.

Whatever you do.

Write how you can, not how you can’t.

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