I'm currently writing a book, and would eventually hope to be a writer as a career. However, at the moment I'm struggling to find the time and the discipline to actually sit down and write consistently.
I know that writing (and most other professions where one is working alone) is all about the self-motivation and discipline to sit down and do work.
However, as I have a full-time 40 hours a week job, I'm really struggling to find the time to do it. I know that the time is there, people do more with less free time, but when I have free time I generally want to relax rather than begin writing.
I tend to want to write at the least opportune time (commuting or lunch break or when I'm about to go to sleep). I have the motivation to write, but I need to manage my time better in order to fit writing into my schedule.
I'm not looking to quit my job, I actually enjoy it (plus I need the money) but I would like to be able to get serious about my writing and devote some time to it every week, and start prioritizing it above other things.
I do simply need to sit down for a number of hours a week and write, even if I'm stuck and I do some inane writing that has nothing to do with anything in order to get my creativity going. I understand this, and once I'm in a routine I'm hoping it will become a habit, I just need to break into the habit.
Fortunately I have most of my story written in my head, I know where the plot and everything is going, so the 'having nothing to write' problem is not too bad. I occasionally get caught up on minor details and progressing to the next plot point, but the problem is at the moment by the time I get back to my writing I've usually forgotten where I was going with it.
I know consistency would help with this. It's the biggest, if not only, problem that I face at the moment. Once I allot certain times for writing I will probably end up with more.
Does anyone have any effective tips to how I can balance a full-time job, spending time with loved ones, personal time and then also writing?
Answer
I have a full time job and small children, so I feel your pain. There are a combination of things that keep me writing:
Break the seal: Commit to some very minimal amount of daily writing (for example 15 minutes or half a page). It's easier to force yourself to do something that small. Once you are doing that consistently, it will be easier to work your way up to more time.
Stop in the middle: It may be counter-intuitive, but if you stop in the middle of a hot writing streak it will be easier to get re-started than if you reach a natural point of completion.
Seek instant gratification: For me, posting on forums, or in a blog, helps give me the kind of instant feedback that is missing from my more long-term projects, and helps keep me energized for them. A blog can also be a good way to write a long term project piece by piece.
Use those little blocks of time: Take a notebook with you, and jot down your ideas during those lunch breaks or commutes.
Take breaks: I don't write at all on Sundays. Having an enforced day off makes me more eager to get back to writing the next day.
It's funny, but it wasn't until I had both the job and the children that I really started writing consistently. I think it's because I'm very conscious of how limited my time is. If I ever miss that daily window to write, I'm super aware that it will be another 23 hours of sleep, work and child care before I get another chance.
EDIT: I recently read a book which recommended doing creative activities in the early morning especially if you are a night owl. The reason is that your internal editor isn't awake yet, and you pump out more creativity without censoring it (early birds get the same effect from staying up late). So I've been trying it for the last few weeks, and I've never written more in my life! But on the other hand, everything else has been suffering. So it's definitely a trade-off --but it does *work.
EDIT 2: I've now been writing in the mornings for a year and a half, and it's really caused a huge jump in my writing productivity --even though I still hate mornings.*
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