A prolific novelist is in demand for a huge book tour,
speaking engagements, etc . . . when will he ever get to return home and just
write?
A younger author publishes her third novel. She still cannot
afford to hire a PR firm, so she’s busy planning online Facebook parties,
setting up a blog tour for her latest book, tracking sales (and small
royalties) from her first two books, trying to get the tiny bookshop down the
street to order more copies of her book, etc . . .
An aspiring author stays up late at night, trying to capture
a muse as her head nods and her mind wanders over to what she plans to wear to
work tomorrow. Will she ever finish a manuscript this way?
If every writer struggles with this dilemma, is there an
answer?
I have an answer. I’m not sure it’s the answer, but it’s an
answer. I plan to write when I can. Genius new idea, I know.
I thought about all the time I have each day. There are some
larger blocks of time and then there are all the myriad smaller tasks that
somehow add up to fill a day. But I noticed I had small bits of time “in
between.” Between dropping one child off and picking up another. Waiting at the
Dr. office. Waiting in the carpool line. Waiting for dinner in the oven. These
“in between” times range from 5-20 minute segments. Added up, I might find 1-2
hours in tiny time segments. How would your writing improve if you could
capture even one extra hour in your day?
I hope you noticed two key words in my big new idea: I plan.
This basically mean, I take the laptop along. I keep a craft book/magazine in
the car at all times. I take scratch paper with me (yes, sometimes I write
ideas down with an actual pen). I know that I probably need at least 15 minutes
if I’m going to write brand new words, working on a new chapter in the next
novel is an example of this. If it’s less than 15, I can use the time to edit.
If it’s less than 10 minutes, I usually pick up my Writer’s Digest Magazine (or
some other craft-builder) so even if I’m not writing, I’m working toward
becoming a better writer.
I definitely try to make time for a couple hours of
uninterrupted work several times/week. But changing my habits and planning for
downtime, even in small amounts, has enabled me to capture the space “in
between” throughout the day. Try this “time capture” technique for a week and
see what you can accomplish!
Jennifer Fromke is a lover of books, mother of three and
wife to one extraordinary man. When separated from her laptop, you may find her
teaching Bible study, cooking or (most often) sneaking off someplace with a
good book in one hand and a vanilla latte in the other.
A BA in Literature from Wheaton College shares a decent part
of the blame when it comes to ascertaining how Jennifer turned out this way –
addicted to reading, writing and all things literary.
Her first novel, A Familiar Shore (formerly
Docking) won the 2010 ACFW Genesis competition in the Women’s Fiction
category.
Connect with Jennifer on her website: http://jenniferfromke.com/
