Revisiting Finding Time to Write at Tobias Buckell Online

Journal Entry

Revisiting Finding Time to Write

February 22nd 2006 at 6:43 am

How many of you writers out there have had a 7,000 word day? Any NaNoWriMo participants out there? Now, that’s writing! Or is it?

Let me back up a step or two. I’m an average type guy with a full-time job and a family to take care of. I take classes at night to finish up my degree and also teach some college classes on the side to help make ends meet (almost). And did I mention that I have six kids? Really.

On top of all this, I’m an aspiring writer. You’ve heard of the type, I’m sure. Every one of us has a novel inside screaming to get out. Or not. In my case, I have a thousand little stories, many of them based on something I’ve seen or heard, some of them pretty far out there. I want to tell all of these stories.

As I mentioned in my introduction, I haven’t sold any stories yet. I’ve had a few rejections and expect a lot more, but right now, I’m focused on finishing what I start. Like many other wannabes as well as published writers, I have dozens of stories in various stages of completion, including several just waiting for revision.

The key is finding time to work on writing. For me, that time is early in the morning. I get up at 5:30 and work out for a little bit and then try to knock out a few words, aiming for 500 every day. That’s the ideal, at least. The reality is that I’m not always able to hit that goal due to other priorities (”Daddy, I wet the bed!” or “Oh, crap. I forgot to grade those papers.”)

And the 7,000 word day? I had the opportunity to write a short story as a final project for a class. After not writing at all for weeks, I found myself staring at 2500 words worth of crap about 12 hours before it was due. The only thing to do was start over. Right?

I ended up calling in sick to work (my bosses don’t read this blog, do they?) and typing till my fingers ached. I turned in an embarrassing first draft of 7500 words.

So, what’s the point of bringing all this up? Boasting? No.

The bottom line is that, if you’re serious, you have to carve out some time every day to work on your writing. If I’ve learned any lessons at all, this is the one. There is no greater commandment for those who want to write: you must write every day, even if it amounts to less than a page.

-Ray

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13 Responses so far

1. Hannah Wolf Bowen on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 1:26 pm

you must write every day, even if it amounts to less than a page.

Why?
2. Jay Lake on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 1:48 pm

I recently had a 20K word day…it blew my mind.
3. Steve Leigh on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 2:24 pm

Hannah Wolf Bowen wrote: “Why?”

Because for most people, when something becomes a habit, they tend to keep doing it. When it’s not, they don’t.
4. Ray Dotson on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 2:26 pm

Jay, I thought you were kidding until I checked out your blog. Wow!
5. E.C. Myers on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 2:48 pm

I know that daily word goals work for a lot of writers, but I tend to write short stories in bursts, when I know I have a few hours to work without interruption (or late at night when I can simply decide not to sleep if it is going well).

I’m sure anyone who has participated in a writing workshop like the Clarions or Viable Paradise can easily claim consistent 7,000-15,000 word (or more) days thanks to time constraints.

I suspect if I were working on a novel I would want to get a little writing in each day, just to keep myself immersed in it, but I haven’t started any novels yet.
6. Hannah Wolf Bowen on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 3:22 pm

It was just the ‘must’ I was taking issue with. Writers write, absolutely, but “writers must (or even should) write in this particular way…” That way lies madness, friends.
7. Ray Dotson on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 3:30 pm

I understand, but this is not a legal document. The point I was trying to make was that writing regularly and consistently, building a habit, as Steve says, is important. I don’t think that’s controversial.
8. Hannah Wolf Bowen on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 3:38 pm

Well–but it is, in a way. Or it can be. Lots of writers do well putting words on paper on a daily basis. Lots of writers do well putting words on paper on a regular basis.

But lots =/= all. And lots of writers also drive themselves nuts trying to do what they think they’re supposed to be doing when what they’re supposed to be doing isn’t a thing that works all that well for them.

(I’m not really trying to be difficult, for whatever that’s worth.)
9. Ray Dotson on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 3:48 pm

I really do understand your point, Hannah. From my limited experience, however, I would still contend that most successful writers (success = published) advise that it is crucial for new writers to write every day.
10. Sandra McDonald on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 5:36 pm

I am a big believer in writing every day, and do advise it. Yet I don’t always do it, and don’t beat myself up if I miss a day or two.

I am also well aware that what works for me as a writer may not work for others, and I respect those who are achieving publishing success working at their own rate, on their own schedule, listening to their own creative clocks.
11. --E on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 5:53 pm

From my limited experience, however, I would still contend that most successful writers (success = published) advise that it is crucial for new writers to write every day.

–>I thank you for the “most” in that statement. I think the thought becomes true enough, then.

I get a good pace when I’m writing every day, but I can’t keep that up for more than 4-8 weeks or so. I feel in good company; Lawrence Block has said he writes a whole novel in a burst of 1-6 months, and then takes a month or two off before starting the next one.

I completely agree with your point that people will write if they make time for it. The phrase “I don’t have time to write” really does translate as “I have higher priorities than writing, and they use up my time.” If those priorities are children or mortgage-paying job or similar, then okay. But too many people who say “I don’t have time to write” somehow have time to watch three hours of TV every night.
12. Ray Dotson on Feb 22nd, 2006 at 9:00 pm

Next time I’ll post on something a little less controversial –like abortion. I’m kidding!

I didn’t expect so much of a response to this post, but really, I think it’s great that it did get you all to comment.

Clearly, everyone has a different approach to writing and what works for one may not work for another.

I’m intrigued by all the different ways that we write. I do wish for all of us to have the greatest success, whichever way we go about it.
13. James Stevens-Arce on Feb 24th, 2006 at 12:03 am

But who says writing is limited to putting words on paper?

Thinking about your characters, plot, structure, theme, etc. is, to my mind, also writing, and I do that pretty much every day.

Committing words to paper is something I try to do often and on a regular basis, but even when for some reason I am unable to do so, I still think of myself as having written if I manage to do anything listed in the previous paragraph.

Revisiting Finding Time to Write

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