Finding Time To Write

This is part of the discussion I had with the students at Patton and I thought I would share some of theme here.

One item I mentioned to them is that with my busy life, I find it hard to always find time in front of the keyboard (and I really don't write long handed these days) so I tend to "write" in my head when I have the free time.

Now before people start wondering about what's going on in my head (and you may not want to know), by "writing" in my head, I mean I work out the scenes, think out the consequences of plot twists, consider dialogue for the characters, etc. If I can make use of the time standing in queue to check out at the store or when stuck waiting for the car to be services, so much the better. And working on my book, even if only through a thought experiment is personally rewarding.

When I do get time in front of the computer, all I really need to do is replay the scene I devised in my head and type it out. I don't have to spend the time for typing working out those details. It allows me to make more progress than if I had simply stared at the people ahead of me and wondered "why are they buying those things?"

One of my favorite times to work on my writing in this fashion is when I am out hiking. Today I spent the morning in the woods, along a dirt trail, rain threatening at any moment (and me wishing it would come to clear out some of the humidity). It was early enough that we were the first ones out there this morning and the squirrels scattered through the leaves and branches as we made our way along the twisting path. We chased a couple of toads off, hoping they won't come back to the path to get stepped on, and I knocked down spider webs, sometimes with my face. In all, it was a great morning.

For me, hiking in the woods (and mountains when I get the chance) really sets the mood in my head for writing. Of course, I tend to write fantasy with outdoor scenes, so it is natural that my surroundings echo their way into the backdrop of the story I am working on.

Hopefully other people who like to write can find similar places and uses for time away from the computer that allow them to keep working on their story.