by Judi S. Fadeley
(From the June 2004 issue of the Update.)
No, I don’t have a minute or even a second to spare. But I make time for writing despite my fulltime job as a media specialist in a middle school, my part time job in retail on Saturday, and my work at home caring for my husband and dogs. There is no “S” on my chest for superwoman. Like many writers, I can’t quit my day jobs to write fulltime, so I learned to make time for all aspects of writing. Here’s how I manage to get everything done.
1. Learn to delegate. At first I thought I had to do it all at school. When someone asks you if she can help, say yes. Don’t be selfish; spread the work around so more than one person can get credit for the job.
2. Learn to say no. This one was most difficult for me. I enjoy helping in the community and with extracurricular activities, but I soon learned there were other people ready to fill in when I said no. Now I don’t feel as guilty.
3. Write every spare moment at work. My lunch is thirty minutes long. I’ve learned to work on my writing and eat at the same time. I do not necessarily have to write, but I can read over one of my chapters and make notes in the margins about corrections later.
4. Teach your husband to cook. I’m lucky that my husband is an excellent cook and works out of the home. He volunteers three or four times out of the week to cook dinner if I do the dishes. Washing the dishes is mindless, and I can think about dialogue, plots, subplots, and characters. If your husband can’t cook, it doesn’t matter. Eat it anyway and smile. If he asks if you like it, be honest. Say you’ve never tasted anything like it before. This may encourage him to cook more and become better at it.
5. Encourage your husband to have a hobby. Many hobbies can get your husband out of the house. My husband loves the flea markets and yard sales. Do you know how long he is gone when searching for treasures? I’ve reaped the benefits of his quest by having the house all to myself.
6. Pets. Half hour walks with my pets allow me time to think about the next chapter or a difficult passage. My pets don’t care that I am not talking as we walk, they are just happy to be outside.
7. Make driving to work productive. Are you stuck in traffic on the inner loop or outer loop around town? Use this time to brainstorm. Have a tape recorder handy to record any random thoughts that come into your mind.
8. Allow your children to go to a sleepover. Not only will your children love you for allowing them to go somewhere; you will love yourself for having time to write without chasing after your kids. Caution: Make sure husband is engaged in his hobby!
9. Make the television your friend. No, don’t sit in front of it waiting for an idea, but allow your husband and children to watch their favorite shows. Choose only a few good shows you must watch.
10. And most important. No matter what else is going on, give yourself time every day to devote exclusively to your writing. I have an office in my house, and when I go there I am not to be disturbed. It’s my time alone.
Find those spare minutes in your life and you’ll start reaping the benefits in your writing. Be creative in your use of time as well as in your choice of words.
~~~~~
When Judi S. Fadeley, writing as Judi L. Strider, finds time to write these days, she works on a medieval Scottish trilogy based upon her husband’s relatives who fought with William Wallace. Her first book, Hold On to My Heart, is a mainstream contemporary suspense. Judi is also associate editor for WRW newsletter.
