Numerous times through my journey as a storyteller, I have set my storytelling aside for one reason or another. I had small children to care for or a job with too many hours or hit a block so wide and tall that I didn’t have the energy to deal with it. I have had author friends who have experienced illness in their family, loss or lack of inspiration as well. Life’s demands can make it hard to find time to focus on writing, but with the right strategies, you can keep your creative spark alive during the busiest seasons. Here’s how to write through life’s challenges.
Embrace Micro-Writing Sessions
You don’t need hours of uninterrupted time to make progress. Short 10- to 15-minute writing sessions can keep your creative juices flowing and prevent you from getting out of practice. To do this, it will be important to have writing materials available at all times. Apps on phones and voice recorders can be some of your best friends to help keep those creative fires alive. A paragraph or even a couple sentences add up over time.
Pro Tip: Write where you can, when you can. When I worked in the corporate world, I often wrote short stories while on my breaks and lunch period. I also knew an author who wrote during her bathroom breaks.
Create a Writing Ritual
Establishing a routine can help you slip into a creative mindset quickly. The routine could consist of finding a specific time of day to write or a designated spot to write. When I was working on my first novel, Annabelle’s Boots, I wrote the majority of it on the floor of my local library. For whatever reason, once I did this a few times, I couldn’t stop. Finding my quiet corner and sitting down seemed to open my mind and get the story going once more. Incorporating specific cues tells your brain it is time to write. Kind of like putting on workout clothes might tell your brain it is time to go to the gym or go for a walk.
Pro Tip: If life feels chaotic, focus on rituals rather than output to build consistency. Since I work from home, the best thing I have found is to change my environment. Sitting somewhere aside from the desk where I coach clients, balance my checkbook, record my inventory and all my other “work/home” tasks tells my brain, “It is time to write.”
Be Kind to Yourself
Writing during challenging times requires grace and flexibility. Perhaps you have always wrote late in the evening but a new job has you tired out by the end of the day. It may be time to wake up and write a little before work or even write on your lunch break. Or, maybe you are currently a weekend writer and that is your season for the moment. Just because you’ve been a specific kind of writer, or always written at a specific time of day does not mean it cannot be changed up. You, my dear, can be adaptable if you want to be.
You will also want to get into a habit of celebrating your wins both daily and weekly. Maybe you didn’t write today but perhaps you engaged with your readers on social media. Maybe you didn’t write anything over the weekend but let’s not discredit the whole chapter you finished across the span of the week. Celebrate those wins!
Pro Tip: If your schedule is packed, journal your thoughts and feelings—they may later inspire your writing. It is easy to get bogged down with thinking nothing has been accomplished; for this reason, it is important to focus on and celebrate wins—big and small.
Journey Through Your Writing Challenges
Staying focused during busy times is about finding what works for you and remaining patient with yourself. Progress, no matter how small, is still progress.
What’s your favorite tip for writing during a busy season? Share your advice in the comments.