Writing Tips: Time Management

By Jacob Donley

Time management is a task that many beginning/aspiring writers tend to struggle with. I'll admit, I'm one of them. With the never ending tasks, conflicts, and other entities in our lives that tend to suck up our available time like a black hole, finding time to sit down and write can be quite difficult. It's not an excuse though. The time still needs to be found somewhere. Wake up early, stay up late, flip-flop something else in the schedule, but make time.

OK, you've finally sat down in front of your computer or have sat in front of your desk with pen and paper. You're ready to start writing, but nothing begins to pour out onto the page. The muse is not singing in your ear so to speak. Don't worry! It's perfectly normal. Just set fingers to keys or pen to page and start writing anyway. It doesn't matter if it is complete garbage. You're sifting; you are clearing the mechanisms for creativity. Your brain needs a warm up, and this is what these beginning lines and paragraphs are doing. Schedule this time into your writing time and allow for it. The amount of warm-up time will be different for everyone. After a while, you'll know how much time you need and will schedule the appropriate amount of time. Then,  you can enjoy the act of creating!

Just remember that setting aside time to write everyday should be priority. It doesn't have to be five hours or even three. Know how much time you need for warm-up and try to get some writing accomplished. One hour or five hundred words, it doesn't matter. Just write!