Motivation for writing: How do I write a book when I'm busy?

Time. That precious resource we are often chasing each day. On top of everything else, how do we make time to write a book?

Like all goals, this one is much simpler to approach when we unravel it into concise steps. The key is having a clear step-by-step plan, which you will have with all my writing courses. Then, instead of asking, ‘Do I have time to write a book?’ you will ask yourself whether you have a few hours this week to work on something that you’ve wanted to do for months or even years.

We then make that time count. We treat those few hours like a meeting with a new client that we would only miss if a water pipe explodes, our car breaks down, and we suspect our beloved cat, Mr Paws, has swallowed a washing tablet…again.

Once that time is viewed as something precious, we can move on to ensuring that it is proactively used. Check-in with yourself before each writing session. How tired am I? Are there other things floating around my mind that I can’t clear? Or am I rested and ready to write? We then adjust which of the three writing processes we do that day, depending on our state.

Most people who stop writing will do so not because of time constraints but because they become stuck and are so close to their work that they cannot view it objectively. Their intuition tells them something isn’t right, but they aren’t sure what to alter. In this case, their work would benefit from an alternative objective viewpoint.

Another thing to consider is momentum. This needs to be a project that is often in your thoughts rather than something that can be easily pushed away and forgotten. We need to keep your writing present and prominent, and this can be aided by having regular, scheduled meetings about it. Together we can work on your book and become excited about its direction.

Because that is key with writing, it must excite you. All the clients I work with love what they are writing about, and so do I. It is the book that they want to read, and they know that they are the only ones to write it. That excitement is what carries them through. It’s also helpful to become used to talking about your work because once you publish it, you will have to talk about it all the time!

Even half an hour could progress your book if used in the most productive way. I can help with this, and am always devising new ways for even the busiest clients to build writing time into their lives.