Time to Write - Wendy H. Jones

 

I don't know about you but I'm finding the hours and days are just flashing past at twice the speed of sound. You would think with lockdown everything would slow down and I'd have lots of time on my hands. Wrong. Like my picture, I find time slipping through my hands faster than a snowball in the sun. My days are filled from dawn til dusk and before I know where I am it's time for PJ's and teeth brushing. Where did the day go, I ask myself?

I know many, if not most, readers of this post will be nodding their heads here. They are probably sympathising and saying, "I just don't know where time goes." 

Time, our most precious commodity, seems to be frittered away each day with narry a care. Now for the most shocking part of my tale, none of it seems to have been spent writing. Perhaps I should have warned you about that part so you could have the smelling salts ready. Again, I am sure you identify with this. So, I have some tips for how time can be utilised more fully on what we all really want to do - write.

I am now going to challenge you. On your phone or tablet you will be able to look at the statistics for screen time. Now, I realise you may use a screen in order to write but I can safely place a bet on the fact that you are probably not doing that on your phone or tablet. Take a look at your screen time per day and you will be shocked. We spend hours on electronic devices each day surfing the net or on social media. Social media is a time suck and steals many hours from not only your day, but your writing. I appreciate that you, and indeed, I, use it for promotional and networking purposes so it is essential. However, we can do it in a lot less time. My first tip is set aside times in the day for your promotional activities and stick to those times. In addition, set aside time to use social media for pleasure and stick to those times. The time you have freed up can be used for writing. 

My next tip is to look at what you do in your day and which tasks are actually essential. I know cooking, drinking and eating are essential but many other things that fill up our day are not. What can you give up that will allow you to free up writing time. Once you have cleared things out of your day, add writing time to your diary and make it sacrosanct. You are your own employer in terms of writing and what other employer would accept excuses day after day as to why you haven't done your job.

Another tip, which works for me, is to set yourself a goal for the number of words you want to write before you can do something else. Give that something else a finite number of minutes and then return to writing. Rinse and repeat these steps throughout the day. You will be amazed at how many words you get written. 

I hope this has given you food for thought. It's certainly clarified things in my brain. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to do a spot of writing. 

About the Author 

Wendy H Jones is the Amazon #1 international best-selling author of the award winning DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries. Her Young Adult Mystery, The Dagger’s Curse was a finalist in the Woman Alive Readers' Choice Award. She is also The President of the Scottish Association of Writers, an international public speaker, and runs conferences and workshops on writing, motivation and marketing. Wendy is the founder of Crime at the Castle, Scotland’s newest Crime Festival. She is the editor of a Lent Book, published by the Association of Christian Writers and also the editor of the Christmas Anthology from the same publisher. Her first children's book, Bertie the Buffalo, was released in December 2018. Motivation Matters: Revolutionise Your Writing One Creative Step at a Time, was released in May 2019. The Power of Why: Why 23 Women Took the Leap to Start Their Own Business was released on 29th June, 2020. Marketing Matters: Sell More Books was released on 31st July 2020. Bertie Goes to the Worldwide Games and the third book in the Fergus and Flora Mysteries will be published in 2021. Her new membership Authorpreneur Accelerator Academy launched in January 2021.

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