best time for creative writing

How To Make Time For Writing: 12 Tips for Busy Authors

How often do you reach the end of your day without having written a single word of your book?

If you’re like many Authors, the answer is too often .

It’s a scenario I see all the time:

Writing is on your to-do list all day, but you can’t get to it because 500 other things pop up that “need your immediate attention.”

By the end of the day, you’re too mentally drained to write, so you put it on tomorrow’s list.

The next day, the cycle starts over again. But this time it’s worse because you still feel bad about not doing it the day before. You’d rather not think about it, so now you find yourself avoiding it, which only makes things harder.

This kind of negative cycle can spiral out of control. I see it happen to Authors all the time (I’ve done it to myself too many times to count).

Sometimes Authors stop writing completely, and often they never even start.

But there is a way to break out of the cycle:

Make a writing plan and stick to it.

At Scribe, we’ve helped over 1,700 Authors publish their book .

Through that experience, we’ve developed a writing plan system that works.

No matter who you are or what your personal circumstances might be, creating a plan according to this process can help you write your book .

How to find writing time in your busy schedule

1. commit to writing your book.

The first and most important thing you need to understand about writing your book is that the writing begins before you’ve written a single word. It begins with a decision:

The decision that you will prioritize writing your book.

Unfortunately, a lot of Authors think that wanting to write a book is enough. It isn’t.

You have to DECIDE that you’re going to do it AND that you’re going to make it a priority.

Wanting to write a book and deciding to prioritize writing a book are two different things.

Look at the two statements in comparison:

“I’d love to write a book.”
“I’ve decided to write a book.”

The first one expresses hope . The second one expresses intention .

So, before you read the rest of this post, stop and make your decision right now. Say it out loud.

“I’m going to write this book. It’s important to me to make that happen, and I’m going to treat it like it’s important.”

Everything else in this post will help you find time to write , but you have to start with that commitment.

2. Decide to make a writing plan

Without a specific writing plan, you will not actually write your book.

Think of it this way: everyone wants to be in great shape. We might even decide to get in great shape.

But it isn’t going to happen until we start exercising and eating healthy each day.

People may fall in love with the results—or with the idea of the results—but what actually gets you there is going through the process.

If the first decision was about committing to the result , this decision is about committing to the process and then making a plan to do it .

Once you prioritize your book, you carve time out of your day to work on it, and you sit down every day during that time to write it.

I’m going to show you exactly what we teach in our book coaching services (like Guided Author and Coached Author ), where our clients do the writing themselves.

We start them off by having them set up their writing plan template. Then they fill it in step-by-step:

3. Decide on the amount of time you’ll write each day

What do we recommend?

1 hour is optimal
2 hours would be amazing (but not necessary)
Don’t go over 4 hours
Be honest with yourself about what you can commit to

The key to a good writing plan is consistency. If you can’t stick with whatever you decide, you’ll be back in that negative spiral.

But if you think 1 hour doesn’t sound like enough, think again.

Committing 1 hour a day to writing your book will get your rough draft finished in less than 4 months in most cases.

Stop here and add this to your writing plan.

4. Decide what time of day you’ll write

This is different for everyone.

A lot of studies have suggested that people do their best creative work in the morning. But I’ve seen plenty of Authors who write best at night.

Whatever works for you is great. The point is to commit to a specific time that you know you can make happen.

Stop here and add that to your writing plan too.

5. Decide where you’ll write

Next, decide where you’re going to write.

Again, it doesn’t matter where it is. The key is to write wherever you’re going to get writing done.

It might be in your home office, at your favorite outdoor cafe, in your tool shed, or even in your electric car while it’s charging in the driveway. I don’t care, and neither should anyone else.

The only thing that matters is that you know you can go there and that it will be conducive for you to write.

Stop here and add it to your writing plan.

6. Set your minimum number of words per day

At Scribe, we recommend a minimum of 250 words a day.

That might not seem like much, but that’s the point. This is the word count for which you’ll hold yourself accountable. It needs to be a goal you can accomplish.

At 250 words each day, you could write a 120-page book in about 4 months.

Ernest Hemingway wrote only 500-700 words each day as a full-time writer, writing for 6 hours a day.

Remember, you’re welcome to write more than that. This is just the daily number of words to which you’re committing, at a minimum.

A goal of 250 words is something you can accomplish even on a rough day when your time gets crunched.

It’s also a chance to get a “little victory.” Celebrating a small win each day helps keep you out of that negative cycle.

The days when you only hit your minimum are fantastic. Those days mean you’re building a habit. Those are the days that prove you’ll finish your book.

Stop here and add your minimum word count to your writing plan.

7. Decide on your daily accountability

Now that you have your minimum number of daily words, ask yourself this:

How will I hold myself accountable for sticking to my plan?

We recommend posting your daily word count on Facebook or any other social media.

Posting your count where friends and family can see it will help you hold yourself accountable to your plan. It will also give those same friends and family a chance to cheer you on.

Other accountability tricks include:

Daily text partner
Word count journal
Project blog
Mobile apps for habit-building

Whatever your accountability system is going to be, stop here and add it to your writing plan.

8. Decide on your self-care routine

Believe it or not, your self-care routine is tremendously important to your writing process.

Our creativity is at its strongest when we’re relaxed, rested, and focused. That only happens if we make it happen.

I’ve seen self-care plans include all kinds of things:

Eat a healthy diet
Sleep 8 hours each night
Go on daily nature walks
Acupuncture
Energy healing
Float sessions
Epsom salt baths

Whatever you need to stay calm, centered, and focused on your writing journey, do it.

Stop and add a single major self-care commitment to your writing plan. One will do.

9. Decide what software to use

Guess what? Your writing skills don’t depend on your software .

I’ve seen people complete their writing projects on just about every kind of software.

Don’t get caught up in this decision. And definitely don’t stall out trying to learn some new app because you think you need it. You don’t.

You just need something you can write your book on that you already know how to use.

Whatever software you’re going to use, stop here and add it to your writing plan.

10. Add your time blocks to your calendar

Great! You’re almost done.

Now that you have your time planned out, take a minute to add those writing blocks to your calendar.

Most of us live by a pretty strict schedule, so if it’s not on the calendar, it won’t happen.

For many Authors, this is the number one thing that holds them to writing their book. More than friends or social media accountability, they feel obligated to do it because it’s on the calendar.

Stop and do it now. Put those writing blocks in whatever calendar system you use.

11. Don’t try to be super-human

Remember, the writing plan has to be something you can commit to and remain committed to over the course of several months.

Nobody’s perfect, and everyone needs to take a breather once in a while. That’s part of your self-care!

So, can you take a day off every week?

Sure. Plan it into your schedule and enjoy it.

What should you do if you miss a day?

Forgive yourself and move on.

That said, with a minimum word count of just 250, you should be able to knock these out most days, even if you’re tired.

I’ve seen it work.

Authors grumble, but then they think:

“I can do this. It’s just 250 words.”

And they sit at their computer and do it.

But if you really can’t or if something crazy happens, let it go.

Tomorrow, hit that 250-word count. As long as you get right back to it, you’ll have that first draft before you know it.

12. Break your book into writing pieces

Finally, break the task of writing your book into pieces.

Writing a book can feel like a Herculean task. A solid writing plan breaks that job up into achievable writing goals.

This is critical to any writing program and one of the most important writing tips for any Author.

You won’t create good writing habits if you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve each day.

Using your writing plan, set up your writing blocks with focused tasks for each writing session.

Don’t just block out time to “write my book.” Be specific about what you’ll do when. Some examples include:

Figure out book positioning
Brainstorm table of contents
Draft outline
Write the first section of chapter 1

These kinds of tasks give you discrete, achievable goals with small victories every day. They help you:

Block out the time you really need for each section
Include any research time you need before writing
Focus deeply on each section as you write it
Include editing time after you’re done writing
Feel motivated by your progress as you complete each step in your plan

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The Best Time To Write

You sit in your favorite writing chair, by the window, on the porch, or in the study. You wear your favorite tweed jacket with the leather elbow patches, or your blue jeans, or your “creative shoes.” You look around at the carefully crafted environment you spent months arranging to trigger your inspiration. Reaching eagerly forward you place your hands on the keyboard or grasp the pen or pencil, and… Nothing happens.

You look around the room again, out the window, sip your coffee, cross or uncross your legs, finger your lucky charm, reach forward and… Still nothing

What in blazes is wrong? You know you are full of inspiration; you can feel it! Why the ideas were flowing like a deluge just this morning, last night, or yesterday. Frustrated, yet determined, you try several more times to get the words out, but to no avail. “Good pen name, ” you think,” Noah Vale.”

So what’s the problem? How can you feel all primed to write, sit in your favorite environment with everything just perfect and still nothing comes?

Perhaps the problem is not where you are trying to write, but when!

Each of us has a creative time of day and a logistic time of day. Never heard of this? I didn’t discover it until quite recently myself. As a writer, I always thought creativity came and went with the Muse, sometimes bringing inspiration, sometimes spiriting it away. Like most writers, I had found that creating a quiet refuge, a creative sanctuary, increased the frequency and intensity of visits from the Muse. What I didn’t know was that the Muse keeps a schedule: she comes and goes like clockwork.

Here’s my scenario and see how it might apply to you… I’ve always felt guilty when I write – guilty that I’m not out cleaning something, building something, visiting someone, or even just getting out in the real world and living a little. But writing always draws me back. I find it therapeutic, cathartic, invigorating, stimulating, and, well, just plain fun. Sometimes… no, make that ALL the time, it’s as good as… no, make that BETTER THAN sex! And food! And earning a living! I often feel (when writing) like that rat with the wire connected to his pleasure center who kept pushing the stimulation button until it starved to death because it forgot to eat!

Well, the urge to write is there all the time. But, because I feel guilty I try to get all of my chores done I the morning, clearing the way to spend the afternoon or evening writing guilt free. But then I sit there watching the sun go down, full of the desire to write but completely unable to do so.

Recently, however, I had the good fortune of actually finishing all my chores the night before. I found myself with the whole morning free and guilt-free as well! At first, I was just going to goof off, do some reading, watch some TV, but then that old Writing Bug took a nip of my soul and off I was to my study to pound the keys. And you know what? The words just spilled out like secrets from the town gossip! This was wonderful! What an experience! I was pelting out the thoughts without the least guilt and without the slightest hesitation. I was flying through my own mind and playing it out on the keys! It felt very much like when I play music.

But why was this happening? I was truly afraid the feeling would go as quickly as it came and I would be lost in the creative doldrums again. In fact, it did fade with time – not abruptly, but gradually… slipping away until it was no more. But it did not leave a vacuum. In its place was a rising motivation to clean something, build something, visit someone, or get out in the real world and live!

Then, it hit me… Perhaps my creativity does not spring from where I write, but when! Perhaps the morning is my creative time and the afternoon, my practical time! I experimented. Try to write in the afternoon, the evening, at night, the morning. Quickly I discovered that if I felt free from the guilt of non-practical activity, I could write in the morning as if I were designed to do nothing else! But no matter how many chores I might accomplish in the morning, by the time the sun dropped below the horizon, my inspiration dropped away as well.

In fact, my creative time seems tied to the sun. For me, it brightens in the morning, peaks around noon, and fades away to nothing at dusk. Interestingly, I recently moved to the mountains and dusk comes early here in the canyon this time of year – far earlier than when I lived down in the flat lands of the city.

Looking back over the years, I could see that my daily creative cycle depended upon the direct rays of the sun, not the time of day. And all those years I tried to get the practical stuff done in the morning to avoid guilt didn’t help my creativity but hindered it!

Lately, I just know that when the sun goes down it’s time to get practical. As a result, I know in the morning that I’ll accomplish real world logistic things later in the day. That eliminates guilt because the work part is already scheduled. And, that frees my mind to play with words all morning long.

When is your creative time? Just being a “morning person” or a “night person” isn’t enough because that only determines when you have your most energy. But what KIND of energy? Perhaps you are more energetic when you are working on the practical, so you think that just because you get your greatest energy at night you are a night person. This is not necessarily so! Suppose your creative side is NEVER the most energetic part of you, but is strongest in the morning. Then you are a Practical night person and a Creative morning person.

Your Creative Time might be any span of hours in the day. Or, it might even be more than one time. For example, you might be most inspired from mid-morning until noon and again from mid-afternoon to dusk. Everyone is a bit different. The key is to find your Creative Time and then adjust your daily schedule to fit it. It is important to remember to avoid guilt feelings while trying to determine your Creative Time. To do this, don’t just focus on when you are going to try writing, but make sure to also schedule other time to concentrate on chores. This way your “reading” of the level of your creativity will not be tainted by negative feelings of guilt, and you should arrive at more accurate appraisals.

After a week or so of trying different combinations, you should be able to determine the best creative and most practical times of the day. From that point forward, you will almost certainly find inspiration is present more than it is absent, and writing becomes far more joyful a process and less like work.

But there is a little bit more… Our lives are not just creative or practical. In fact, there are four principal emotionally driven aspects to our days: Creative, Practical, Reflective, and Social.

We need our Reflective time to be alone, to mull the events of our life over our minds eye, to let our thoughts wander where they will: to daydream. We need our Social time to recharge our batteries in the company of others, to express ourselves to our friends, to de-focus from our own subjective view by standing in the shoes of those around us.

I’ve found for myself that Saturday is a Social day for me, and that Sunday a Reflective day. I don’t do much of either on the weekdays at all. Whether this is nurture, nature, or something else altogether I can’t say, and to be truthful, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that I have come to recognize it.

When is your Reflective time? Do you have some every day, just on weekdays, only on weekends, or some combination of these? How about your Social time? Do you ever feel guilty wanting to be alone? Do you ever feel deprived because you ARE alone? Part of these feelings may come from trying to do each of these activities in times that (for your) are actually geared toward the other.

Once you have mapped our your Creative, Practical, Reflective, and Social cycles, you’ll find that you get so much more accomplished, and with so much more fulfillment. All four aspects of your life will improve, and the improvement in each will remove emotional burdens and therefore increase the energy in each of the other three!

In short, you can be in phase with your emotional cycles, or out of phase. The more you schedule your activities to match the flow of your feelings, the more your life experience will buoy itself higher and higher with less and less effort. And best of all, the more inspiration you will find when you sit in your tweed jacket and reach for the keyboard.

In the next installment we’ll look at a good way to prepare before any writing session, but you can continue with that step right now with the interactive online StoryWeaver App.

Check out the 14 day free trial at Storymind.com/free-trial.htm

Melanie Anne Phillips Creator, StoryWeaver