If you’re a writer, you probably already know how hard it is to actually find time to write. Ironically, that’s true even when you work on staff since you’re almost always saddled with tons of meetings along with editing other people’s work. So the key, whether you write professionally or on the side, is ensuring that you make the most of whatever precious time you do manage to carve out.
In Part 1, we talked about time, priorities and planning. In this second part of the Realizing Your Writing Dreams series, we’ll look how we actually use that time, courtesy of business coach Dave Luke of Dave Luke Advisory, Inc.
Efficiency
You’ve fought hard to find the time to write. Now you need to make sure that you’re using that time as efficiently as possible. That means doing things right and getting rid of time-killing waste in your writing process. Be honest. Does it take you half an hour just to get going each time you sit down to write? Maybe you need to stop just shy of where you know you’re going at the end of every writing session, so you can finish that thought and keep rolling during the next one. Or maybe you need to read the last two pages you wrote as soon as you hit your desk in order to get those creative juices flowing again.
Effectiveness
You want to make sure you’re doing what is really going to advance your project. Have you created a rough outline, so you know where you’re headed and what needs to be written or researched? The last thing you need to do is follow a squirrel up the wrong tree, especially if squirrels and trees are not even part of the equation.
Next?
By now, if you’ve read Part 1 in addition to this blog post, you have a sense of how to carve out time and how to make sure that time doesn’t go to waste. In Part 3, we’ll explore how to turn that into a formula that will help ensure that you actually finish your book. In the meantime, I’d love to know how you make sure you’re efficient and effective on the writing front.
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