Tip: You Do Not Need One Big Chunk of Time to Get Writing Done

I often find that new writers and pre-publication writers are concerned about the amount of time they have in the day to write. Somehow the myth began to circulate hundreds or thousands of years ago that the only way to be able to write was to become somehow independently wealthy first so you could quit your job and devote eight hours a day to writing.

THIS IS NOT TRUE. First, most writers, even professional ones, can't write more than a few hours at a stretch. Second, as I learned in my experience as a journalist, it is amazing the amount of writing you can get done in an hour if you try. I wrote my first published book in one hour a day at a local cafe I went to before work every weekday morning. It took about a year.

Also, many writers, when faced with the prospect of hours and hours, or pages and pages of solid writing, just flat out panic. It actually helps to break things down into smaller chunks. Another thing to remember is that IT IS OKAY IF THIS WRITING IS AWFUL. It is just your first draft. You can revise it later. Do not get so concerned over making each individual sentence or plot element perfect now that you become paralyzed and can't move forward.

This is what I tell my students: If you can, write everyday for an hour. At the end of two weeks you will be amazed at what you have managed to put down. If you can't write for an hour, write for a half hour. Or twenty minutes. If you can't do it everyday, do it three times a week. Or even twice. Or once. The important thing is to make a habit of it.

Some people do better with quantity. Every day, write a page. If you can't write a page, write a paragraph. If you can't write a paragraph, write a sentence. And DON'T PANIC.

You will soon find that everytime you begin you will find it easier to snap more immediately into your writing state of mind.

Two books that are very helpful along these lines are Natalie Goldberg's "Writing Down the Bones" and Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way." Some of you may find them a bit New Age, but many people have found both these books very helpful.

Loosen up and relax. Writing is supposed to be fun.