I Don't Have Time to Write, Part 2 by Angela Arndt

Last week’s post was about time-stealers: the things people will do instead of writing. And I love that yesterday’s post was Nine Tips for Finding Balance from Kimberly Rose Johnson, who somehow published nine books in 2017. Can you imagine having that much time? 

Handwriting is a hard way to write a book.

I hope today's list of tools, apps and/or programs will help with that and finally put an end to the excuse, “I don’t have time to write.” 

Dictation

Wouldn’t it be great to have a personal secretary to dictate your novel just like all those authors in the movies? There are a few programs that can do that. However, in order to save time, you're going to have to invest it first. 

Did you know your computer may already be set up to take dictation? Most computers have accessibility settings to handle speech-to-text. I don't need to post it here, because someone's already written anything you want to know about speech-to-text here. 

Sometimes There Are Distractions

Distraction-Free Writing

Do you ever wish for a simple program for writing? TextEdit is always available, but it's hard to write with all the dings, rings and pings. Then there's Solitaire, Friends with Words, and Candy Crush calling to you when you're stuck.

Is there a program out there to help you focus? Yes, there are several. 

A minimalist writing program has a simple screen with little distractions. Some reward you with typewriters clicks for each letter, another lets you write to the sounds of a coffee shop. If this sounds like it would be helpful, check the links below or Coffitivity for writing in a coffee shop.

• 9 Apps for Distraction-Free Writing, or 
• 5 Best Distraction Free Writing Apps

Keep Your Notes in One Place

Have you ever had a notebook overstuffed with pieces of paper, envelopes, and sticky notes? Is your computer filled with chapters, scenes, research, and images related to your latest book? How can you keep them organized?

Too Much Information

Note-taking apps are great because you can take a photo of that article you see in the doctor's office and email it to an app. Take notes in a new document in the app or take a screenshot and import it. This post lists the app, price, and platform in an easy-t0-read chart.

The key to saving time is knowing what you need. You may not need to download a distraction-free app if you work from home in a quiet office. This afternoon, take a look at everything you accomplished today, identify your obstacles and figure out what you need to let you create more easily.

I hope these posts have helped. If you've used any of these programs and liked them, leave a comment and tell us how it helped. I'd love to hear from you.

Angela Arndt is a team member for Seriously Write. For more posts by Angie, click here.

About the Author

Angela Arndt

 Angela Arndt is Jesus-follower and God-lover. She loves to write women’s fiction with a thread of romance and tell stories of strong, independent women in difficult situations. Her biggest hope is that she will encourage others to overcome their own “back roads” to find their joy in the Lord.


She and her husband, Charles, live on a bee farm in the middle of a big wood with their three furbabies: Beau, Harley, and Buddy the Wonder Dog.


She's also team-member of Seriously Write. Click here for more posts by Angie. By the way, she'd love for you to join her on herwebsite, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. 

God's Two Incompatible Tasks

Peter Leavell

Her hands shake. Black, swollen eyes are covered by hurried strokes of makeup, and I worry she’s been beaten. I ask. She says, ‘God told me to write. Then He gives me four kids and a husband who doesn’t earn enough for me to stay home. I’ve no time to write.’ It rips her heart into six pieces.

At the same conference, I discuss the problem with a man. His arms are crossed, and his fingers work as if squeezing a stress ball. ‘If I don’t write, I die. But I can’t get a moment to myself.’ He hunches over and his face contorts. He cries.

These are writers. They care little for being published, for fame, for perceived money. They must write. But there is no time to set aside.

We’re in the trenches. This is war.

We can’t be normal writers. No one will give us time to write, so we take it from the day’s hands like an open knife from a toddler. When we do, fifteen minutes opens like sunshine through a misty morning. We snatch our laptop and write. Five sentences, and it carries us through to our next fix.

Our families are our life. They are the few humans who try to understand us. So we bask in the love of our people. Quality minutes. Quality hours. And when they lay their heads down on pillows, we write as if Satan were on our heels and the click of the keyboard is the shield that keeps the devil from ripping our hearts out.

While other writers suffer from writer’s block and low energy and broken self-esteem, we suffer from fits of jealousy that someday we might have battles so time consuming ourselves. God reminds us it’s all wasted emotion, and we wonder what our characters would do when as depressed and frustrated as we are, because our characters are heroes. We listen to our imaginary friends and we take their advice, because it is good advice. They read their Bibles more than we do,

Credit: PhotoDune

so they know…

And our phones are connected to social media 100% of the time, because publishers and God want us to talk about our adventures, and we do, and we answer our fans and their questions, but we do it in the bathroom (don’t judge), or walking across the street (walk around us, please), but never driving, because we’re not stupid.


We’re not locked away in a study typing all day, and we’re doing all we can to not destroy our family’s lives by writing—but we know this is God’s calling. And we're learning that God has not abandoned us by giving us two incompatible tasks—life and writing—but we're learning our writing reflects life. Because we’re living our lives to the fullest. And one day, despite swollen eyes and stressed bodies and fragile minds, we wake up, look at our lives, and realize we have become a spokesperson for our God.

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Peter Leavell is an award winning historical fiction author. He and his family research together, creating magnificent adventures. Catch up with him on his website at www.peterleavell.com, or friend him on Facebook: Peter R. Leavell. 

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