How to Make Writing in Time and Space Less Wibbly Wobbly by Suzanne Brahm
How to Make Writing in Time and Space Less Wibbly Wobbly
Tips and tricks for writers on how to balance work, life and creativity by Suzanne Brahm, OddRocket co-founder and published Young Adult writer
Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep everybody away from it, even the people who are most important to you. – Zadie Smith
It's 5:30 in the morning and the house is quiet. I'm not a morning person, but here I am, up with the sun and my computer hoping to squeeze a few solitary writing moments out of a soon to be busy day. I'm a writer and a publisher. If the list stopped there, I might be blissfully asleep right now, but I'm also a mother, a partner, a sister, and a daughter with a day job. There are simply not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything on my list and it's easy to find myself sliding into a kind of fearful paralysis filled with self-doubt. I know I'm not alone here. So, how does a creative person find time for their art without becoming a sleep deprived stark raving lunatic. Full disclosure. I do not have all the answers, at least not yet. I have found a few ideas that have helped me make progress on my personal manuscripts without losing my marbles and feeling like I'm competing for the worst mom at daycare award.
1. Find one day that is yours My day is Thursday. Part of that day is always mine. Thursday's I'm in a coffee shop as close to 5pm as possible. I have two hours before my critique group and I write. Sometimes it's the only time I have to write and I'm learning to accept that this is okay. Sure, I grab more hours if I can, but carving out one night for myself makes a difference. I've found that when I consistently make this creative date happen, my story gets louder and it gets easier to crank out those pages on a weekly basis. 2. Don't beat yourself up over word count. A book is written page by page. The days of me spending blissfully uninterrupted hours at a coffee shop with nothing but the internet to lure me away from my plot are over. This is okay. I can't write as much as I used to, but I can write and I've found when I do I move consistently towards the finish line I get there one word at a time. 3. Build yourself a creative playlist If you are like me you don't have extra hours to leisurely transition your brain into creativity. I use my alone time during the commute to work my story. If you're in a car, on a bus, walking to work, or waiting for your rocket ship countdown, listen to that playlist of music that transports you into your character's world. I have found this time preps me for my writing and sometimes inspires a frenzied bit of note taking that helps a later chapter. 4. Be kind to yourself. Say goodbye to guilt and most importantly, tell your inner critic to shut it. We can't bend the laws of space and time, but we can fight for our creativity and inch towards that finish line. Remember first and foremost that you are not alone, you are brave, you are doing your best and you deserve applause for having the courage to share yourself with the world.
And it's 6:25, I hear a door click open…..and the pitter patter of little feet. Game on. Wish me luck.