Writing hacks for the time poor

I wrote my first novel XX in short bursts whilst working-full time. If I’m honest, I was a little self-congratulatory about my discipline, setting myself a mandatory minimum writing stint of 30 minutes per day, however tired or distracted I was. Most evenings I managed an hour or so, which was enough to ensure I had a first draft within a year.

XX was sold shortly before I went on parental leave. I imagined my productivity would only increase thereafter – I had a whole year ahead of me, and newborns slept around 20 hours a day, right? Wrong. Or maybe they do, but only if they are in your arms.

Fast forward a year and I was back at work, mother to a baby who was still waking up two or three times a night, and was desperate to maintain momentum in my writing career. I quickly had to learn to shed habits that weren’t serving me. Here’s what I learned:

1.     Don’t fixate on numbers

Before I had my baby, I always used to schedule a 30 minute slot each evening for writing. Usually, once I got started, I’d find my flow and want to continue on for maybe an hour or more, depending on how tired I was.

Once I became a working parent and the amount of free time available to me diminished, I found that often I was skipping writing stints altogether, because I had, say, only 18 minutes available to me.

If that sounds familiar to you, my advice is use the 18 minutes. Or 10 minutes, or whatever is available to you on any given day. Just four minutes considering a thorny plot point can move your novel forwards, so learning to take what you can, when you can will help enormously.

2.     Cull any rituals that don’t serve you

Whenever I became stuck with a work in progress, I’d either spend time with pen and paper, considering my themes and making loose notes as to how I might explore them further. Or I’d go right back to chapter one and edit everything I’d written thus far to help reconnect myself with the story.

Both of these can be incredibly helpful and they absolutely have a place in my writing process. But the more time poor I became, the more I realised I was also using these tactics as a form of evasion.

By all means, go over your chapters and write your notes. But be honest with yourself – are you doing it because you need to, or because it feels easier than writing a new chapter?

3.     Let go of superstitions

I used to believe deeply that writing every single day was the only way to preserve the integrity of my story. If I held on to that belief, I’d never finish another novel again.

4.     Place your phone out of reach

I’ve saved the most obvious until last, because protecting yourself from digital distractions has the potential to make the greatest difference to your writing. I turn off all notifications, and place my phone far away from my desk. Otherwise, it’s simply too easy to pick up when I’m struggling.

Similarly, I write on an ancient laptop that doesn’t connect to the internet, ensuring I can’t be tempted to check email, or engage in research that quickly deteriorates into mindless surfing.

I hope these insights were helpful. Now, back to work!