6 Unusual Ways to Find Time to Write

Who has time to write? We all have busy lives filled with much higher priorities than writing, right? And how can we write if we’re away from our keyboards?

Social media yanks on our earlobes and shouts like a devil, “C’mon! Do a little scrolling. Check out what’s trending on Twitter. Watch a quick video. Go down the rabbit hole on TikTok. You deserve a break!” And you wondered why your ears were ringing.

Think of how much time we waste. My phone’s data can be alarming. 

But you can do this. You got this. When you’re taking a break, only you are in charge of you.

Do you listen to music? Podcasts? Watch videos? Then you may have more time than you think, and your phone can be a useful tool.

Yes, the very same instrument of the devil can save your writerly ass-ignments.

We aren’t always sitting at a keyboard, but we almost always carry our phones.

Many times, a brilliant idea has popped into my pointed head, but I didn’t always take the time to write it out. Days later, I wracked my brain but couldn’t remember. Now, I type ideas into my phone.

Note to reader: All of my forgotten ideas were brilliant, I’m sure of it.

Here are 6 unusual ways to carve out time to write!

Stuck waiting for an appointment?

I wrote the inspiration for a 360-page book while waiting for a haircut. The same scene appears in the climax of my novel. I never know when an idea will flash in the dim light of my imagination. Truthfully, my imagination is a pretty wild place. That incredible feeling of excitement never lasts, so type it into your phone no matter where you are.

It’s a great way to bide the interminable time for doctor’s appointments too — When I finally sit on the cold examination table in my backless gown, I continue to tap on my phone.

Warning: You might be in a spacy state of mind when the doctor finally arrives and interrupts your scene, where your heroine is about to parachute into a dark fortress to rescue her bridge club held captive by a maniacal travel agent. 

Do you hike or take walks?

I hike on trails with my dog to let my brain percolate. If an idea comes into my muddled mind, I stop to make a note or record a voice memo — hiking and typing can lead to tripping and falling.

Stuck in rush hour traffic?

Dictate your ideas with the microphone, PLEASE! Do NOT type them. 

Chilling after work, a workout, or playing too hard?

Tell yourself that you have one minute to write something on your phone. Add a few plot points or whatever comes to mind. Stream-of-conscious writing is a real thing. Unless it’s a grocery list — that doesn’t count. I bet you write for at least five.

Camping out to get the best seats for a Billie Eilish concert?

Record your new scene in a selfie video. When your book hits the shelves, post it on Instagram.

At a Bronco game?

While waiting for a TV timeout, pull out your phone and type a sentence or two. Any progress is progress.

Anytime you listen to music, a podcast, or click on social media du jour is the perfect time to write, even when you aren’t at home. Jot down YOUR brilliant ideas, or revise a plot hole or that awkward sentence that has been on repeat in your head since you woke up this morning.  

You can carve out time. Flick the devil off your shoulder once in a while. You will be surprised by how much you accomplish. You might even look forward to your next doctor’s appointment.

Tick Tock!

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Writing or revising a book? Have trouble writing a grocery list?

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Why NaNoWriMo Works and It’s Not Too Late to Join