SPA Girls Podcast – EP02 – Finding The Time To Write

Posted By SPA Girls on Oct 2, 2015 | 1 comment

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In the second episode of the SPA Girls podcast we talk about finding the time to write in your already busy schedule. You know you want to write, you think you’d be amazing at it, but you just can’t fit it into your life? We offer some ideas, suggestions and practical tips on how to make it happen.

Making Time To Write 

We’re assuming that if you’re listening to this podcast, that you want to make a living out of your writing, so this episode is dedicated to how you can make time to write. We’ll tell you what we’ve tried and what works for us and hope that something will resonate with you.

When we first started writing, how did we find time?

For each of us there are different time constraints and family pressures. Trudi and Wendy are full time authors. Trudi has a pre-schooler and Wendy has just become a nana for the first time. Cheryl works part-time in a busy role and has a large family. Shar is self-employed working for other Authors and companies.

This is us now. When we began our friendship we were all working for other people in some capacity – Wendy full-time. Things that worked then may have changed or evolved, just as our writing’s evolved. (Hopefully improving. lol)

As we’ve said in the podcast, here are our tips for what helps us. On their own they aren’t miracles – but teamed with a desire to get the words down, and a determination to find something that fits your life style, it may feel that way. (See Shar’s pet inspiration*)

1. Accountability by joining a group – critique, chapter, goodreads – anything that motivates you.
2. Pomodoro technique (writing for 25 minute time slots).
3. Fit your writing time around your life – sometimes you have to give up something to be able to have writing time (TV?).
4. Make notes and then type them up when you have time – at the doctors, children’s practice, on a bus.
5. Put the memo app on your phone and make verbal notes – for that ‘I don’t want to forget this’ moment.
6. Develop a writing routine – not hard and fast – unless that works for you – but regular.
7. Keep a note book with you – always!

How do you keep the creative juices flowing when you’re tired or unsure where to start?

1. Make it enjoyable. If you’re stuck work on something else, or perhaps a new chapter.
2. Set yourself goals you can achieve. Do you want a time based goal or a word count goal?
3. Start at the beginning and finish at the end. If something stops you on the way, put it in capitals, then carry on until you reach the end.
4.  Before you finish your session leave something on the page as a reminder of where you’re heading in the story. It can be a word or a sentence – anything that helps to start you off the next time.

Summary

1. Writing’s like learning to run a marathon, you need to learn to stretch the creative muscle, so write when you can, as often as you can.
2. Not many people get a clean first draft, don’t get hung up on that.
3. Life gets in the way – accept this and move on.
4. Will puffy stickers work for you like they do Shar?*
5. The flow doesn’t always come in the way you’d choose but, if you write something, who knows where it will lead? If you don’t write, then the answer is obviously nowhere.
6. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

Links

Pomodoro Technique – http://pomodorotechnique.com/

Write Or Die – http://writeordie.com/

Website – www.spagirlspodcast.com –

Twitter – @spagirlspodcast –

Facebook – www.facebook.com/SPAGirlsPodcast

If you can think of a challenge or question that you want us to research or help you with, then please ask us. There is no question too big or small.