Seeking Out Opportunities to Write For a Living

There’s an old saying: “Writers write.” And like many adages that have been repeated for generations, it holds more than a kernel of truth.

If you have a habit of lamenting, “I never have the time to write!” you are probably wrong. (Don’t worry, though… we’ve all been there!) It’s not that you have “no time”; after all, we each have the same 24 hours a day. It’s simply that you’re not using the time you have to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.

There are a variety of reasons that we inadvertently sabotage our creative composing, including:

1. Not Feeling Writing is “Important” Enough (Or that WE are Important Enough to Write)

This is a self-esteem issue and may have its roots buried deeply in your psyche. But in order to enjoy the fulfillment of writing, you have to allow yourself the moments to create plays, poems or stories.

2. Not Having Family Support

Your family may love you, but they might not understand just how important writing is to you. If you aren’t getting the time to write, you may have to assert yourself and let them know that you’ll need half an hour (or more) a week to just sit down and be an author.

3. Having a “Why Bother?” Mentality

Have you convinced yourself that there’s no way you’ll ever finish the novel you want to write? Are you regularly telling yourself, “There’s no reason to get excited about writing because I never finish anything, anyway”? If so, you need an infusion of optimism. Instead of focusing on all the reasons NOT to write, focus on all the reasons TO write!

After you’ve gotten over the “self-sabotaging” stage and are prepared to give yourself opportunities to write, you’ll need to wisely carve out chunks of time to create your literary works. A few techniques that have worked for other busy authors are listed below:

Write After Everyone Else is in Bed

This seems to be a frequently-used method of writing, especially if you run a busy household and are always on the “go”. Though you may be exhausted by the end of the day, it never hurts to have a journal by your bedside in which you can jot down musings for 10-15 minutes before retiring.

Write Before Everyone Awakens

Not a night person? Set your alarm for half an hour before the rest of the family wakes up and use that time 100% for yourself. Don’t become sidetracked with packing lunches, folding laundry or wiping down shelves (the dust will still be there later, we promise!) Instead, use that snippet of time to ONLY write.

Write Whenever you Have to Wait

Almost any time you have a professional appointment or meeting (such as at the doctor’s, dentist’s, accountant’s, et cetera), you’ll also have a waiting period. Use those moments to write or edit instead of staring into space or forcing yourself to banter with others in the waiting room.

The next time you find yourself ready to throw in the towel, remember that busier people than you have found the opportunities to write. Using their natural innovative abilities, they squeezed “hidden” moments out of every day. Therefore, if they could do it under circumstances even tighter than yours, so can you! Happy writing!