Losing the Excuses - Tips on Finding the Time to Write

I don't have time. I have to work all day. I have to take care of the kids. I have things to do around the house. I'm travelling or on vacation. I'm tired. Like exercise, finding the time to write can be hard sometimes (especially if you're one of those who don't write as a full time job). So I'm here to tell you a few ways to ditch those excuses and write the book you want to write.

1. Make time to write. This is self explanatory and I know, you are saying how do I find the time to write if I don't actually have time. Well, this is the basis for the rest of the tips, so keep reading.
2. Get up an hour earlier. If possible, get up before you usually get up, like an hour before. Think about it. That may be the only time that you have peace and quiet - you know, before the kids have to get up for school or something when you have to help get them ready. Take advantage of any time you have, no matter how much time it is.
3. Write after the kids go to bed. The house is going to be quieter. This works better if you're a single parent, but if you're married, have no fear. Take about 30 minutes before going to the bedroom to write.
4. Use household tasks to think. No matter what you are doing (washing the dishes, vacuuming or mopping the floors, cooking dinner, etc), think about a scene or character you want to create, what you're going to write next like a new story or something along those lines. Write down any ideas you have.
5. Always have a notebook and a pen nearby. You never know when an idea will strike and if you write it down right away, you won't forget it later.
6. Take advantage of when the kids/spouse are out of the house. Whether they're at a friend's house, running errands or enjoying a hobby (golf for men usually and girl time for women), use that time to get your story down. The house will be less crazy and quieter so spend the time wisely and do what you want to do (for the purpose of this post, that would be writing).
7. Set a goal and keep to it. Set aside a certain time of the day for writing - a trick may be to tell the kids to be quiet for a half hour or so, that way you can get some writing done.

Remember that you don't have to write a book in a day or a few days.  Set a goal each day of how much time you want to spend writing and do your best to stick to it. It may be as little as 20 minutes or maybe two hours, whatever it may be. Or a goal could be writing a page or a couple pages a day. And finally, a goal could be how many words you want to write a day (100 to 1,000 more or less).

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

Meg