Julia Galvao asked Rick Riordan:

What are your recommendations for people who want to write a book but struggle to find the time on top of their current career (I'm in science, but I love writing, I just struggle to find the time)?

Rick Riordan I mean, that's the challenge for everyone who wants to write! I wrote my first eight novels, including The Lightning Thief, while being a full-time classroom teacher and raising two young boys with my wife (thank goodness for her!). Writing meant getting up extra early before I started my work day, like 4 or 5 A.M., and doing an hour or so or writing before work. I also used late nights to work. I basically stopped watching TV or seeing movies during the 1990s because I didn't have time if I wanted to finish my books. I'm also an extreme introvert, so going out with friends, having dinner parties, and otherwise socializing has just never interested me, which was helpful in preserving time. And social media wasn't a thing, so that time-sink didn't exist either.

But was writing easy? Absolutely not. If you're driven to write, you have to find the time. I don't have any secret tips. Just look at how you are spending your time, and try to find an hour you can cut out every day for writing. Good luck!

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