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Mini writing workshop: Can you write if you don’t have time?

Hourglass

Thank you for checking out the mini fiction writing workshop. In this series I share small, actionable tips for writing fiction. Whether you’re a seasoned or developing writer, hopefully you will find some useful information.

This workshop session is about determining where and how you might fit writing into your life.

Let’s explore this!

Hourglass

Image source: Pixabay image by annca

Writing for the time challenged

I have no time. I’ll just put that out there. But there’s a well-known expression that if you want something done, give the task to a busy person. Busy people tend to find a way to add something extra to a full schedule.

I had to figure this out. I spent a lot of years wanting to write and being too busy for it. Then I realized that time wasn’t going to magically appear. I wish I had figured this out sooner, because I would be much further along in my writing career than I am now. If you feel like you’re just too busy to write, maybe there’s a way to fit it in anyway.

I have a few tips to share.

Writing in the nooks and crannies

Some of it may be about mindset. If you think you need a solid stretch of time to write, think again. Maybe you can get something done in an hour. Try it.

And a piece of advice to go along with that. Try to let go of the notion that you can only write under certain conditions, whatever those may be.

Perhaps you need a cup of coffee next to you, and to be in a perfectly quiet place. Or maybe you only write when your wife and kids have taken off for the park on a Saturday. Those kinds of things will hogtie you. Try to get into the habit of writing wherever you are, whenever you can.

Writing on your phone

I know this is not ideal in any way. But if you have Google docs or another cloud-based program where you can write, use that when you don’t have time to sit down at a computer. I have been known to voice text ideas and even scenes into Google docs while driving or cooking dinner.

Later, when you do have a little time, you can sit down and work on the snippets or vignettes you sketched out. But that way, you will instantly have something in front of you to work with.

Writing micro-fiction

If you are in a particularly busy period of your life, another option is to write very short fiction. Not only is it a great way to do regular writing practice, but there are markets out there for micro-fiction. Also I run a weekly micro-fiction writing contest, and you’re welcome to join. Check out my blog for the weekly #microfiction tag.

In addition to running the contest, I also use the prompt to write a micro-fiction story each week. This keeps me in the habit of writing, no matter how busy life can be. You can see my latest one here: Fear of Heights.

How do you find time to write when life gets in the way? Please share your ideas in the comments.

The writing workshop collection

You can browse my collection of writing workshop posts in the links below.

Mini workshop series

Short posts on specific writing topics:

Mini workshops within 50-word prompt posts

Brief workshops, typically 3-5 paragraphs, at the top of 50-word short story challenge posts:

In-depth workshop posts

The original writing workshop series:

Keep writing!

About Jayna Locke

Jayna Locke is a Minnesota writer who has had a lifelong love of fiction. Her short stories have appeared in a range of literary journals, including Great Lakes Review, Portage Magazine, and Bright Flash Literary Review, as well as several anthologies. Her collection of short stories, Somewhere in Minnesota, is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kirk House Publishers. She is reachable through her contact form at bit.ly/ContactJayna or on X at www.x.com/@jaynatweets.