Every writer wants to write more. And we’ve all heard that the way to write more is to dedicate writing time. I have a few tricks up my sleeve for that. My favorite is to schedule a meeting with myself for my writing. It works for me the same way signing up for a specific exercise class gets me in the gym. Keeping appointments is something I do well. And so into the calendar my writing time goes with two alerts set: One for the night before to remind me to remind everyone else I won’t be available. And one for an hour ahead of my writing “meeting” to signal its time to pack up my laptop, get to a coffee shop and order a latte, find an open table next to an outlet, and settle in.
Write when you can
Do I do this every day? No. I wish I could. Between family and work and prepping dinner and cleaning the house and walking the dog and checking homework and staying caught up with the news and brushing my teeth and trying to exercise when I can, I’ve yet to find the “write” moment that can become a daily habit. Kudos to you that do. But by scheduling my writing meetings, I find more opportunities to write than otherwise.
I don’t beat myself up about not having a daily writing habit. Instead, I’m always percolating and marinating on my work so that I can make the most of the writing moments I do have.
And the other days, I think. Stuck in traffic? Great time to figure out a plot twist. Doing dishes? Fantastic moment to mull over character motivation. All of those little moments when I’m thinking through my writing add up to my being ready to let the words flow when I finally do have time to sit down and write. So I don’t beat myself up about not having a daily writing habit. Instead, I’m always percolating and marinating on my work so that I can make the most of the writing moments I do have.
Where you write matters as much as when
You know yourself better than anyone. It’s worth taking a moment and figuring out which tricks you can play on yourself to fit your writing time in. But here’s something people often forget to think about. Where you write may be as important as when. Why? Because of the two Ds: distractions and daring.
I’m lucky. I’ve been working remotely with my day job since way before remote work was cool. I have a home office and my wonderful family respects my working space. I’ve positioned my computer in a way where I can focus on what is on the screen. And it is perfect for my day job. And for editing and revising my own writing or writing my blog or doing research. But when it comes to the creative part of writing–getting those first words down on the page–my home office is the worst place for me.
That’s because the distractions seep in: Sitting in the same chair as my day job, surrounded by visual cues of my other work, makes it hard to keep at bay the nagging thoughts of what I need to get done the next day. Being separated by my family by only a door means I hear them talking or the dog’s collar jingle or the clothes dryer beeping. And soon, I’m thinking about my work as Mom.
Telling myself to just focus doesn’t help. Because the reason I’m easily distracted in that moment isn’t because of the setup of my home office or my will to write. It’s because you have to be vulnerable when you write. Its the second D I mentioned: daring–the bravery it takes to go deep with my words, and the fear that comes with that daring–that’s leaving me susceptible to distractions. It’s hard to lay your heart bare surrounded by the sights and sounds of your daily life. And so I’ve found it’s not that I need a distraction-free environment. I need an environment where sights and sounds are working for me, not against me.
Why I love writing in public spaces
No one can decide if I’m an introvert or an extrovert. I’m often quiet and keep to myself and am always comfortable keeping my own company, but I’m also great at hosting events, facilitating meetings, and public speaking. Here’s a secret: I’m an introvert that’s extrovert-adjacent. I find people fascinating, and I love being part of a crowd where I can observe so much of human nature at once. And I’ve learned, to my surprise, that I can be in the spotlight. I don’t crave it, but I can not only do it, I do it well when it is in service of a purpose. Want to share ideas or help each other or make things happen? I’m in. And I’ve learned that comfort with being noticed, in the right conditions, translates to my being comfortable being on my own in public (in safe ways, of course).
Knowing that about me may help you understand why I love writing in public spaces. Here’s why that works for me:
- Accountability–If I’m sitting by myself, taking up a table in a coffee shop or a primo spot in a park, then I feel the pressure to be productive. I pretend the anonymous people around me are telling me to work or go home.
- Just enough noise–Some people need silence to focus, but that’s not me. I’m too comfortable with my own thoughts (that’s the introvert in me) and I need a little bit of background noise to shut out everything else that’s on my mind. I like parks with ambient noise or coffee shops that play music I don’t know the words to. I avoid the spots with random loud noises that can pierce my concentration–construction zones or places where people get together to socialize. I choose the coffee shops where the rest of the patrons are working, too.
- Safety in numbers–There is something about being ignored in a sea of people that makes me feel safe. Not just physically safe, but comfortable being vulnerable on the page. These strangers aren’t going to lean over my shoulder and ask about my writing. They’re too caught up in their own thoughts to care about what’s on my screen. And after going deep, when I need to emotionally come up for air, I have lots of options for using the right kinds of distractions to take a short break. I can enjoy the view, or people watch, or grab another latte, or even change seats. But none of those distractions hold my attention for long, and so soon, I’m right back to writing.
Finding your way to write more
I’ve shared a little bit about me to explain my tricks for writing more. What works for me may not work for you. So take a moment to think about how you work best. The more you consider your personal traits, the easier it will be to find your perfect when and where to write. To get started, try answering these questions:
- What items on your to-do list do you always get done, and why?
- How can you use that “why” to figure out how to stick to your writing time?
- Which distractions do you easily ignore and which pull you away from writing?
- What conditions help you feel emotionally safe enough to be vulnerable when writing?
You may determine you focus best in a silent room. Or, you may find the sounds of everyday life at home help you feel safe enough to be vulnerable. Whatever works for you, go for it! And happy writing.