Making room for your writing

This helpful article was in the last issue of Writer’s Digest. Its author is the women’s fiction novelist Amy Sue Nathan, who also hosts the popular Women’s Fiction Writers blog.

Nathan offers some helpful insight into how to carving out time and space for your writing, even in the midst of the overwhelming demands of work life, family life, friends and other interests.

According to Nathan, it’s all a matter of habit. Writers need to write – and if the available time in which to do that daily is three hours or ten minutes, it’s important that writers claim it and get into the habit of making writing central to their lives.

She fleshes out four points:

Stake your writer’s claim

This doesn’t have to be rigid writing hours or a dedicated writing studio, but some comforting routines can help here to ensure writing is a consistent part of your life.

Think outside your writing box

Be willing to adjust if it makes sense to you and your routine. Not working for you? What about a change of scenery?

Give yourself a break

No matter how well you plan things, you’ll have to make some adjustments to your best-laid plans when life gets in the way.  Maybe the time you’ve scheduled for writing has to be shifted, maybe your word count goals aren’t producing the quality writing you’d like to see. When this happens, be sure to give yourself a break and to readjust your goals.

Give up something

Ah, we all know this one all too well. If we want to write, something has to go. Chances are it won’t be work or family, but it may mean less cooking or housework. I hardly ever watch television anymore. And yes, for me, sadly it means scaling back on social events… but let’s not go overboard. : ) You’ll find you’re probably letting something go if you’re writing.

Great advice from Amy Sue Nathan for busy writers. And you writers out there – what are your tips for carving out sufficient room for your writing?