3 Steps for How to Find Time in Your Schedule for Writing

Sometimes we can have all the creativity in the world but feels as if there’s no free time for us to get our ideas down on paper. You may be finding that you have less time to write than you thought this month, but never fear! Novelist Sagan Morrow is here to help us get a writing schedule ready to go:

Just because you want to write a book, doesn’t mean it’s easy to find the time to actually do it! We all have busy, hectic lives… so, how can you carve out time in your schedule for writing? 

As a productivity strategist and romance novelist, I get this question a lot from my clients and aspiring authors. It comes down to learning how to stay disciplined, and also putting together strategies that are the right fit for your unique situation and writing style. 

Here are three actionable steps (plus corresponding pro tips!) you can implement today to find time in your schedule for writing.

1. Create a plan of action. 

Look at your upcoming schedule for the next few weeks and/or months. What non-negotiables have you already scheduled? What tasks can you shift around, to make more room for writing? Make a note of which days you’ll spend writing, and set deadlines for yourself in terms of when you’ll complete each draft. 

If you don’t know your writing pace, try using a time-tracking software like Toggl to track where your time goes and calculate roughly how long it takes you to write 500 or 1,000 words. That will give you a more accurate idea when setting your timelines.

Not sure what this plan of action could look like for you? Here’s an example of a step-by-step process I used to write my first romance novel in less than two months. 

Tip: Be honest and patient with yourself! Everyone writes at a different pace, so honour what that looks like for you.

2. Build habits and routines. 

Now that you’ve chosen which days you’ll work on writing your book, you can also take a look at what time of day you’ll write. Block that time off in your schedule. 

Building habits and routines around your writing time can also help “prime” you for it: for example, if you have a particular playlist you always listen to, or if you know that your writing time comes after you’ve made coffee and done yoga first thing in the morning, then the habit and routine of it will make it that much easier to get into writing mode on a regular basis.

Tip: Ground this in energy management. When you identify your most creative times of day, you can use that time to your advantage! You’ll write faster and produce higher-quality work when you write according to your energy and creativity levels.

3. Document your progress.

Motivate yourself by documenting the progress you make! I like using a word count tracker spreadsheet to organize this. This is a great way to stay on track with your writing goals, and to keep yourself accountable and inspired to keep moving forward.

Tip: Make your writing goals manageable. Rather than trying to write 2,000 words every day, aim for 400 words, for example, or set a timer to write for 15 minutes. Every bit counts!

Get more time management tips—and learn how to save 10 hours each and every week—when you grab my time-saving tips cheatsheet at SaganMorrow.com/savetime.

Happy writing!

Sagan Morrow is a romance novelist and shares about her writing journey in the Indie Author Weekly podcast. 

When she isn’t writing romantic comedies in her Polyamorous Passions series, Sagan teaches online courses at SaganMorrow.com to empower other solopreneurs as they grow their own successful businesses. She specializes in productivity and time management for multi-passionate creatives. 

Learn more & connect with Sagan: 

Indie Author Weekly podcast Sagan’s business books & romance novels @Saganlives on Twitter & Instagram

Top photo by RODOLFO BARRETO on Unsplash