Carma Spence's Blog - Posts Tagged "finding-time-to-write"
You don't need a cabin in the woods
Have you ever seen the episode of the Dick Van Dyke Show in which he takes time off from work and goes to a cabin in the woods to write a novel? As you may guess, it doesn’t go well.
It is a romantic idea – take a week off and cloister yourself in a cabin in the woods to dedicate your time to writing your book.
Honestly, if you’re like me, you just don’t have time to do that. You need to fit writing your book into your day-to-day life.
But how?
Yesterday, I shared one strategy: Recycle content you’ve already created. However, not everyone has the content they need, and others just don’t like recycling content. If this is you, what other options do you have?
There are several, but today I’m going to share two that have worked very well for authors I know.
The first is to write in short bursts of about 30 minutes each day. That’s not a large time commitment and won’t take away from other things you need to do all that much. It also helps you avoid burnout, boredom, and overwhelm. Most entrepreneurs can find 30 minutes each day to work on their books.
And, since that’s not a lot of time, it is easier to pull the plug on distractions during that time. I’m sure your family can give you some peace for the time it takes to watch a sitcom.
Now, not all authors (and potential authors) have the time or the chops to write their own book. That’s where a ghostwriter comes in. This is not a cheap option (if you want a quality book), but it is a timesaving one. And, if you find the right writer, you’ll get a quality manuscript that feels like you wrote it.
And, if hiring a ghostwriter feels like cheating (yep, I’ve heard many people use that term in this context), you can hire an editorial partner who works with you to pull out your best stuff and polish it up so that it is high-quality.
With this week’s tips, it should be easy to step into being the 1% who finish a book. However, there are still some hurdles that potential authors may need to leap before they reach the finish line. Therefore, next week I’ll be talking about four Mind Goblins stopping you from writing a short book, and how to vanquish them. See you next week!
PS: Miss any posts in the series? Find the link list here: https://bit.ly/shortbookpostseries
PPS: Want my help with all this? DM me!
It is a romantic idea – take a week off and cloister yourself in a cabin in the woods to dedicate your time to writing your book.
Honestly, if you’re like me, you just don’t have time to do that. You need to fit writing your book into your day-to-day life.
But how?
Yesterday, I shared one strategy: Recycle content you’ve already created. However, not everyone has the content they need, and others just don’t like recycling content. If this is you, what other options do you have?
There are several, but today I’m going to share two that have worked very well for authors I know.
The first is to write in short bursts of about 30 minutes each day. That’s not a large time commitment and won’t take away from other things you need to do all that much. It also helps you avoid burnout, boredom, and overwhelm. Most entrepreneurs can find 30 minutes each day to work on their books.
And, since that’s not a lot of time, it is easier to pull the plug on distractions during that time. I’m sure your family can give you some peace for the time it takes to watch a sitcom.
Now, not all authors (and potential authors) have the time or the chops to write their own book. That’s where a ghostwriter comes in. This is not a cheap option (if you want a quality book), but it is a timesaving one. And, if you find the right writer, you’ll get a quality manuscript that feels like you wrote it.
And, if hiring a ghostwriter feels like cheating (yep, I’ve heard many people use that term in this context), you can hire an editorial partner who works with you to pull out your best stuff and polish it up so that it is high-quality.
With this week’s tips, it should be easy to step into being the 1% who finish a book. However, there are still some hurdles that potential authors may need to leap before they reach the finish line. Therefore, next week I’ll be talking about four Mind Goblins stopping you from writing a short book, and how to vanquish them. See you next week!
PS: Miss any posts in the series? Find the link list here: https://bit.ly/shortbookpostseries
PPS: Want my help with all this? DM me!
Vanquish the Mind Goblin of Time
I’m going to be honest here: Today’s Mind Goblin haunts me relentlessly. He’s practically my travel buddy sitting in the back seat of the jalopy I’m using to travel on my Author’s Journey. He’s why I didn’t write my first book until I was in my 40s.
So, I think I might just be an expert at vanquishing the Mind Goblin that whispers into your ear, “You don’t have the time for this!”
In Thursday’s post, I shared two strategies for finding the time to write your short book: Writing in short bursts and hiring a ghostwriter or editorial partner.
But I know that busy entrepreneurs and executives often struggle to find the time to write a book while managing other aspects of their business or career, even when they attempt to use either of those strategies.
So here are 5 more ideas:
1. Use time blocks: Block out the time you will work on your book and commit to honoring those time blocks.
2. Create time through delegation, even if it is temporary. Can your significant other or older children do the dishes for a month to give you some extra time? Can you hire a virtual assistant to take some of your tasks off your plate, even for a month?
3. A spin on this concept is to put things off temporarily. I know you love to watch episodes of She-Hulk, The Chosen, or The Last Kingdom as they drop, but can you put that off for a month and binge-watch them as a celebration for completing your book?
4. Leverage technology to make writing easier. Does your phone have an audio recorder? If you have a smartphone (and who doesn’t these days), it should. Talk your book instead of writing. Then use an AI-based audio transcription tool (I use either Happy Scribe or Descript) to turn your vocalizations into text. Then polish the text (which can take less time than writing).
5. A spin on that idea is to turn your short book outline into a series of questions. Then have a friend or coach interview you using that handy phone or Zoom. Get the audio recording of that interview transcribed and edit the text from there. You could probably come up with all the content you need for a short book from one 2-hour interview.
So now that Time has been wrangled, let’s move on to another BIG Mind Goblin that many authors face, whether new or seasoned: Perfectionism or Fear of Failure.
PS: Guess what one of the bonuses is for my forthcoming Authority Building Short Book Jumpstart? You guessed it: Some additional tips and tools to help you find the time to write your book! Don't miss out on this opportunity - apply now before the 25-person capacity is filled: https://authornering.com/shortbookjum...
Missed a series post? Go here for a link list: https://bit.ly/shortbookpostseries
So, I think I might just be an expert at vanquishing the Mind Goblin that whispers into your ear, “You don’t have the time for this!”
In Thursday’s post, I shared two strategies for finding the time to write your short book: Writing in short bursts and hiring a ghostwriter or editorial partner.
But I know that busy entrepreneurs and executives often struggle to find the time to write a book while managing other aspects of their business or career, even when they attempt to use either of those strategies.
So here are 5 more ideas:
1. Use time blocks: Block out the time you will work on your book and commit to honoring those time blocks.
2. Create time through delegation, even if it is temporary. Can your significant other or older children do the dishes for a month to give you some extra time? Can you hire a virtual assistant to take some of your tasks off your plate, even for a month?
3. A spin on this concept is to put things off temporarily. I know you love to watch episodes of She-Hulk, The Chosen, or The Last Kingdom as they drop, but can you put that off for a month and binge-watch them as a celebration for completing your book?
4. Leverage technology to make writing easier. Does your phone have an audio recorder? If you have a smartphone (and who doesn’t these days), it should. Talk your book instead of writing. Then use an AI-based audio transcription tool (I use either Happy Scribe or Descript) to turn your vocalizations into text. Then polish the text (which can take less time than writing).
5. A spin on that idea is to turn your short book outline into a series of questions. Then have a friend or coach interview you using that handy phone or Zoom. Get the audio recording of that interview transcribed and edit the text from there. You could probably come up with all the content you need for a short book from one 2-hour interview.
So now that Time has been wrangled, let’s move on to another BIG Mind Goblin that many authors face, whether new or seasoned: Perfectionism or Fear of Failure.
PS: Guess what one of the bonuses is for my forthcoming Authority Building Short Book Jumpstart? You guessed it: Some additional tips and tools to help you find the time to write your book! Don't miss out on this opportunity - apply now before the 25-person capacity is filled: https://authornering.com/shortbookjum...
Missed a series post? Go here for a link list: https://bit.ly/shortbookpostseries
