We all have lofty goals, don’t we? But we’re all a bit tight on time, even during this pandemic #amIright? Somehow, it seems like you don’t have any time when you should have more than enough. (Social distancing, anyone?)

I’m a stay-at-home mom during non-pandemic times, so I know all about distractions and feeling like time is God’s most precious resource.

It’s a dilemma, isn’t it? We all have the desire to accomplish a lot, but we get distracted by things or else we have a day job or something that keeps us from putting down the words that we want to write. Or else, we think we’re going to have all this time to write in self-quarantine, and yet something like a couple of kids keep you pulling your hair out. Or maybe you’re just too distracted with the state of this world to focus on writing.

But thankfully, there are ways to accomplish your writing goals when you’re tight on time or even when there are things that should be distracting you. Here are 10 things that have helped me.

 

1. Write down your goals.

For heaven’s sake, you can’t accomplish your goals if you don’t even know what they are. So keep track of things. Use a journal (digital or physical) to write down your goals. These could be 10-year goals, 1-year goals, or 1-week goals. But try to aim for at least a week out. And then write down what you have to do to accomplish them. I like to use either a physical notebook or else a digital one.

Tip: it also helps if you prioritize them in order of urgency. If you have a hard deadline for something, put that goal first. If it’s flexible and not that important, then push it down the list and move it upward as necessary.

 

2. Break your big goals into smaller goals.

I like to set goals—even when I don’t meet the majority of them. But setting a goal and breaking it into smaller daily goals lets me chip away at an enormous task and get it done.

For instance, if I want to publish a novel, I’d break it down like this: 1. outline/plot 2. write first draft 3. let manuscript rest while getting cover ordered 4. revise manuscript 5. share with trusted beta readers 6. revise according to feedback 7. copyedit 8. format 9. publish

Each of those things could really be broken down further as you see fit into daily goals. i.e. write 500 words a day until your draft is finished.

You might break your goals down differently based on how you work, and that’s okay. Whether it’s writing out a paragraph summary or writing a 50K outline summary before you write your novel, find what works for you and work on it—daily.

Tip: get organized first and keep a running to-do list. Keep track of the projects you’re working on, track it, and make sure you’re making regular progress on your prioritized items.

 

3. Work in the margins of life.

Can you write something in 5 minutes? I wager you can. I do it all the time.

With the advent of smartphones, it’s even easier.

But even if you don’t have a smartphone, I bet you can still squeeze in writing throughout the down time of your day. (Pocket notebooks anyone?)

Find a method that lets you work when you have a free 5 minutes. If you might have 5 minutes while waiting for a doctor appointment, then make sure you have access to your files or notebook while in the waiting room. Sure, it might take planning ahead a little, but it’s well worth it when you’ve pounded out an extra 5-10K a month because you have your novel/blogs/writing at your fingertips whenever you want them.

Tip: I use these apps, but not every one of them every day: Scrivener for iOS (and Mac), Google Drive, iCloud, Pages/Word on iOS and Mac, Notes for iOS, GoodNotes, Evernote, Noteshelf, OneNote, Just Press Record, Dropbox, Voice Dream, Adobe Acrobat, Kindle, and Apple Books.

 

4. Teach your children to self-entertain.

I’ll be honest here…children are the biggest (and best) distraction ever. They can be great inspiration, a laugh, a terror…and you can enjoy every second with them (probably not), but in almost all cases, at some point if you work from home or have deadlines to meet, you’re going to have to tell your child to go entertain themselves somehow (preferably not in front of the TV, because, ya know).

Tip: work on having your children self-entertain, starting in small doses. 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there, take note of what interests them, whether it’s drawing, painting, reading, playing dolls/cars, etc. Then maybe take those things away until you need a break. Give them back to your kid and take advantage of that silence and self-entertainment to write.

 

[Need help editing your book? We can help.]

 

5. Word sprints.

There comes a time when all the planning isn’t enough. You have to actually sit down and write the words. A reader doesn’t read an outline after all, they read a manuscript. So you have to (somehow) write that manuscript.

When I’m facing a deadline, one of my favorite ways to accomplish this (after breaking down into smaller daily goals), is to use word sprints. If you haven’t done word sprints before, start with 5 minutes, then work up to 15 or 20 (but don’t do more than 30, as productivity wanes).

Tip: During a word sprint, set the timer, then put your phone out of reach, turn off your internet, and keep your fingers on the keyboard and moving. Even if you get stuck, just put something down. You can always go back and edit later, but don’t let your inner editor get you doubting your words or your story.

 

6. Taking a day off a week.

This is one thing that I’m really working on doing consistently, but I’m trying to give myself one guilt-free day off of writing a week. Why? Because if I don’t, I end up burned out for weeks at a time. And when I do, that means I get nothing done for weeks and feel absolutely guilty about it. (Well, by “nothing” I mean about 15% of what I *could* be doing.)

Tip: divide your work week into 5 or 6 days. Don’t let yourself work on the day off. Even if your fingers itch to do it, the most you should let them do is scribble down the bare minimum so you don’t forget an important idea for later. Instead, let those ideas fester and brew and when you finally sit down to write, you’ll have a lot more ideas and words flowing from your fingertips than you thought you’d have.

 

7. Write out of order.

Even doing all of the above, sometimes you’re still going to get stuck on a project. That’s okay. That’s why I believe that you don’t need to write everything in perfect order. Sometimes a certain scene is really on your mind, sometimes you know the end and are excited to write it.

So if you find yourself stuck on a certain scene, just write a different one.

Tip: if you have writer’s block on your novel, try writing a scene of your novella or editing a short story or outlining the next scene of your novel. Any work is forward progress. Don’t let a block on one project stop you from work entirely.

 

8. Enlist a group of helpers–beta readers, critique partners, etc.

There comes a time when you need someone else’s opinion and maybe even their help.

Critique partners, beta readers, editors, etc., these are all great people to have help you in your time of need.

Tip: Don’t just approach these people when you need help. Make it clear to them that you’re there to help them as well, especially if they’re fellow writers. Reciprocate as much as you are able. Some beta readers (I.e. fans) might be willing to beta read with no reciprocation, but most will be more likely to read if they know they’ll get something in return. Don’t take these people for granted. Do something to show how much you appreciate them.

 

9. Play to your strengths.

What part of the process do you like the most? What feels the most effortless?

Even if it all feels equally easy and tough to you, you should cling to what you enjoy. If you enjoy first draft writing the most, look at how you can delegate some revisions to others (beta readers picking out what needs work, for instance, or hiring a copy editor to edit your novel), to allow your creative juices to flourish.

And if that’s not possible, then maybe look at cycling your work and always working on a first draft of something to keep yourself invigorated.

Tip: what do you enjoy the most? Cling to that. Find a way to work that into your every day writing activity. If you can manage, keep several projects on deck so that you can play to your strengths, writing first draft material, editing, or revising whatever WIP you have every day.

 

10. Start immediately.

Procrastination really is a writer’s worst enemy. We all of us have so many stories in our heads that we will probably die with hundreds of unwritten stories inside us. And while that’s sad, it’s also real life.

But don’t let another day or moment go to waste when you can share that writing with an audience.

Tip: Carve out at least a few minutes a day to work on your WIP. Some people can manage to carve out a career while writing only when “the muse” strikes, but usually it’s the people who make writing a habit that have a successful career. So don’t let another day go by without working on your WIP.

 

 

Kelsie Engen loves to read and started her blog to share that passion with others of like mind.