How to fit your writing into a busy schedule – NaNoWriMo 2017 18
How’s the week gone for you guys? Did you write all of the words? Yesterday I spoke about how important it is to protect your writing time, today I shall be talking about how we can try and fit writing in around a busy schedule. Finding time to write when working a full time job, blogging and generally trying to have a bit of down time is pretty hard, so I hope these tips might be able to help some people.
How to fit writing in
Now these tips can apply to you whether you work full time or study full time, in University or in School.
Attach a notebook to yourself
We all know inspiration can hit us at random, and often inopportune, moments. The best thing you can do is to keep a notebook with you where you can jot them down. Whether it’s during the night, in the middle of class, in the middle of a social engagement, jot. it. down.
It doesn’t have to be a physical notebook, it can be on your phone or laptop or anything (though please use your judgement and don’t be rude to who you’re with at the time).
Writing on your breaks
Now that you’ve been jotting down these ideas, what next? Use them. Instead of scrolling through social media or playing candycrush, write some words on your breaks. It adds up!
Time your writing well
Okay so a lot of people have things they need to be working on throughout NaNoWriMo, like essays and day to day work. An idea you can use is to take breaks from your work work and fill that time with your writing instead.
Feeling restless and need to stop writing your essay for a bit? Write some words of your novel then get back to your essay.
Super productive on both parts!
Writing on your commute
If you’re lucky and you take public transport – WRITE WRITE WRITE.
It’s the perfect opportunity to write in time that you otherwise just waste by scrolling through social or staring out of a window.
If you’re like me and you drive every day, you can try some sort of dictation program. I’ve done it before with memos on my phone – that method is a bit harder as you’ll have to transcribe it later but it’s free where a lot of dictation programs cost a lot.
Find what works for you
Doing all of these things may be quite difficult, so ultimately do what works for you. Let me know if you’ve tried any of these and if they work for you!
Word of the Day : November 19, 2017
fervid
1 : very hot : burning
2 : marked by often extreme intensity of feeling
Did You Know?
The Latin verb fervēre can mean “to boil” or “to glow,” as well as, by extension, “to seethe” or “to be roused.” In English, this root gives us three words that can mean “impassioned” by varying degrees: fervid, fervent, and perfervid. Fervid and fervent are practically synonymous, but while fervid usually suggests warm emotion that is expressed in a spontaneous or feverish manner (as in “fervid basketball fans”), fervent is reserved for a kind of emotional warmth that is steady and sincere (as in “a fervent belief in human kindness”). Perfervidcombines fervid with the Latin prefix per– (“thoroughly”) to create a word meaning “marked by overwrought or exaggerated emotion,” as in “a perfervid display of patriotism.”
Examples
“Here at the Toronto International Film Festival, there are posters for an upcoming Guillermo del Toro-curated exhibit called ‘Influences’ that will let you sample the movies and books and music that fed the director’s fervid imagination.” — David Edelstein, Vulture, 14 Sept. 2017
“The travellers set forth on horseback, and purposed to perform much of their aimless journeyings under the moon, and in the cool of the morning or evening twilight; the midday sun … being still too fervid to allow of noontide exposure.” — Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun, 1860
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7 Comments
LOL my friends already know that I’m likely to whip out a notebook and start writing mid conversation! Thank goodness they love me.
That’s awesome! Don’t let them go haha
I have a special note on my phone dedicated to my current WIP. If I’m ever out I type it in real quick. However, it’s getting a bit long, and messy now.
What do you use to write? Scrivener is what I use and I have it on my phone too so I can have my WIP with me all the time 🙂
This year I’m using Google Docs. Usually I use Word but Google Docs is easier to edit on.
Have you heard of scrivener? Definitely look into it if you haven’t it’s amazing!
I’ve heard of it but never thought about using it. I’ll definitely check it out!