Master the Margin: Top 10 Tips for Micro Writing

I was talking to a client of mine–a naturopath–about how he was going to make time to do some of the marketing writing assignments I’d given him. He was considering seeing patients one less day a week so he’d have a stretch of time for writing. This seemed at odds with his goal of growing his business–the reason we were doing these writing assignments in the first place.

I asked him if he ever ended up with free time between seeing patients. He thought about this and realized that though some days were entirely full, on many others he could end up with anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours free. I challenged him to sit down during every in-between time and do his homework then. I explained that it might actually be easier to tackle this work in small chunks over the course of his week. Sometimes a big chunk of time can overwhelm us and shut us down.

I know from working with writers and working with myself for the past 20 years that it’s easy to waste a full day set aside for writing. And it can be less confronting to actually fit writing into the margins we already have. This can help us get a foothold into those wider expanses of time, should we be so fortunate to eventually create such opportunities.

I suppose what I’m saying is that I’ve come to see sour grapes as wine. I believe that what most writers are struggling with–having only small slivers of writing time–can actually be the most efficient way to arrive at the whole pie. Because the less time we have, the more compelled we often are to make every minute count. Not sure this could work for you? I have a few suggestions:

Waiting makes the writing grow fonder. Standing in line? Made it early to your appointment? Kids delayed after school? Make waiting time writing time.
Insomnia happens. Barbara Kingsolver wrote her first book entirely in the middle of the night while having pregnancy-induced insomnia. I did, too. I’m not recommending sleeplessness as a life strategy, but when it happens, it could be because you have something important to say that’s trying to come through. Or it could be because you’re pregnant. But that’s another story.
Love the lulls. No matter how hard you’re working at your job, there are always spaces in between the work. Whether it’s lunch break or you’re on the road to meet a client or the computers go down for ten minutes, make that time writing time.
Set the alarm 15 minutes earlier. Yep, that’s it. Just 15 minutes. Protect that time with your life (or at least your pen) and write like mad. Before you do anything else.
Quit something. Whether it’s a committee, a regular social hour, or something you do around the house that someone else could be doing, renegotiate that commitment. Put yourself first. Use those two hours a week for you.
Multitask. I have been walking dogs for the past 15 years. I could look at it as taking time away from my writing life. Instead, I consider that time my most precious idea-generation time. The ideas and images that bubble up grow into blog posts, poems, classes, books. When you’re in the shower, washing dishes, on the treadmill at the gym–pay attention to what moves through you. And make sure you get it down!
Lean into the discomfort. When something is happening that you’re uncomfortable with, put your writer self at the helm. Be curious about the pain, the rage, the blame–whatever it is that’s happening. This gives you a way of transforming the moment into something useful, and sourcing some of the grit of life for your writing.
Make writing your baby. When the baby cries, you don’t tell it, “I promised so-and-so I’d do such-and-such. I’ll be with you in about 15 minutes.” You drop what you’re doing, figure out what the baby needs, and then you do it. What if your writing were that important? What if you sprinted toward an index card every time a powerful image presented itself to you, then took 30 seconds to write it down, no matter how inconvenient it might be?
Be faithful to your muse. This tip completes the thought I started in #8. Once you know you can count on yourself to make space for what’s coming through (and your muse knows it, too), ideas and inspiration will flow more freely. When you have a practice of being accountable to your writing, you can trust yourself and relax into the moment.
Appreciate yourself. No one but you will know how hard you’re working to carve out writing space. So it’s your job to appreciate every sliver of writing time you claim for yourself. Make a chart and give yourself stars, take yourself out for a drink, call your mother and brag–whatever works for you to take a step back and say, “Hey! My actions are in line with my values! I’m discovering ways to write in life’s margins on a regular basis!”

Sometimes, having a bit of structure, good company, and some powerful tools for keeping yourself on track can make the difference between writing and not writing. This is why I teach! If you’re in the Portland, Oregon area, I invite you to join me for a productivity workshop I’ll be offering with literary leaders Christi Krug and (special guest) Laura Stanfill. We’re very excited to help you find—and keep—your writing momentum! Classes meet Tuesday evenings in March. Learn more and register.