What works in the real world is to schedule your book writing time.
Start With Your Calendar and Your
Heart
Start with your calendar. Looking over the next few weeks, what kind
of time could you devote to book writing if you really wanted to? Is
there an hour at the beginning or end of the day that might work? How
about your lunch hour three or four days a week? A lot can be done in an
hour on a regular basis.
If you find you've got several hours here and there, that's even
better.
As you're looking over your schedule, check too with your heart. Is
there something you're doing that you could drop? Would getting a
housekeeper help? What changes could you make that would open up some
space for writing?
Once you find some space, put it in your calendar. Book your writing
time for at least the next two weeks. Now watch what happens.
Are You Able To Keep Your Writing
Appointment?
If you find you're able to mostly keep to the writing schedule you
set out, great - you're on your way.
But if you discover you're not keeping to the schedule, don't
despair. It often takes several stabs at carving out time before you'll
find something that actually works for you.
Of course, it may be you discover that you really don't have time to
write. It that's the case, look to the future - is there something
that's going to change in the next few months, or even next year, that
will make it possible? If there is, you can set that date to begin.
A Hard Truth
Sometimes clients of mine will tell me the really don't have any time
now or in the foreseeable future to write. If you find yourself in this
position, your faced really faced with only two choices:
- To recognize that it's simply not time for you to write your
book, and it may never be. There's nothing wrong with that; in fact,
discovering book writing is not for you can be a big relief.
- To hire a ghostwriter. Hiring a ghost can be a good solution,
but be aware, you'll need to spend some time with both the ghost you
hire and with the manuscript they send you - but the time spent is
often much more manageable.
To get a book written, someone needs to spend the time actually
putting words on paper. There's just no way around it. Often, by
tweaking your schedule and priorities, you can find the time; if not a
ghost may be the way to go.
Write well and often!
