Christian Speculative Fiction discussion

Dear Writers,
Please share when is your best time for writing; is it morning, evening, only weekends, while commuting to work, etc?

How long, on average, do you spend writing/editing per day or week?

Any tricks or tips you've learned about your time set aside for writing?

What do you do to protect that time?

What do you find yourself having to sacrifice to get writing done?

Thanks for your shares. Appreciate the involvement from all of you.

-Sean

Hello,
Here are my thoughts on this subject. I hope other writers will add to this topic.


I read somewhere a long time ago that a writer should learn to recognize when his writing is flowing, and when it a flatline.

When it's a flatline, focus your energies toward other areas of your writing craft.

*Read a book about areas of writing craft that interests you or will strengthen weak areas.

*Work on a book trailer.

*Work on your book cover.

*Send out manuscripts to magazine markets and/or agencies (if you work is polished and ready for such).


If level 3, in the middle, you might use that time to edit your work. Or at this level, just re-read what you've written recently and edit as you go. Still, you might brainstorm about your story's plot, characters, setting, etc.

When your creativity is at level 5, like a bursting dam, that's the time to let the words flow out of you. When this is happening to you, it's time to sacrifice things to let the words flow (as long as the sacrificing isn't your family, God, or basic responsibilities).

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Having said the above, for the last six months, I've been editing my novel, "The Jesus Boy" and my unpublished novel, previously published, "Shiloh's Rising." It's been almost 80-90% editing every day, and I sometimes use the weekends to write something fresh/new.

As to tips/tricks: I've learned if you tell yourself you'll just work on your project for 5 minutes, you really do feel good when it merges into an hour or several hours of constructive work.

I also redeem the time at my day job: using my lunches/breaks to edit/write. Might not seem like much, but 1 hour at work each day equals 24+ hours of editing/writing per month.

I sometimes sacrifice sleep to edit.

I sometimes sacrifice TV or films (which I love very much). What bothers me about watching a TV show, or reading someone else's book, is that I, as a creative person, want to be the one creating, shaping, influencing people in a good way through my writing.

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Protecting the time? Just do it. Don't let laziness control you. Use your time wisely. Sometimes it easier to zombie out watching TV or playing a computer game...but at the end of that, you've accomplished very little. Don't let things steal your time.

And, if you spend quality time with family, an hour or two playing a board game can create bonding that will last days. Or going out to a park or beach or mountain resort. Spend that quality time with your family. Then, when the right time hits, BE CREATIVE and let the words flow.

And quality time with the Lord. If you have a relationship with Him, protect THAT! From that rootedness in Christ will flow all of the best of life. If you're right with Him in all ways, you'll be better focused on your family, on life happening around you.

Just my thoughts.

Sean

What about you guys?

This is so true! it's so hard to protect your time. As a full-time teacher and soon to be student again, I wonder how I will have time. Time to write and be creative.
Time to edit and be precise.
Time to market and bring awareness.
Time to read and escape into the creative world.
Time to spend with my husband.
Time to spend with my God.
It is a very hard balance to keep, because I also have to make time to:
Study for tests
Write lesson plans
Grade essays, worksheets, and tests
Write essays
And of course for:
Cooking Dinner/Planning Meals/Grocery Shopping
Folding Laundry
Cleaning Floors/Bathrooms/Countertops

And I don't even have children yet....

And to answer your questions:
Please share when is your best time for writing; is it morning, evening, only weekends, while commuting to work, etc?
Midmorning is my favorite time, but I often don't have it.

How long, on average, do you spend writing/editing per day or week?
Usually 1 hour on a work day.

Any tricks or tips you've learned about your time set aside for writing?
Making an appointment in my calendar is the only way. Usually I get up early to do so.

What do you do to protect that time?
Try to ignore social media and other distractions.

What do you find yourself having to sacrifice to get writing done?
Chores and cleanliness in my house -.-

Thank you so much for taking time to share, MH! I love hearing about other writer's methods, thinking, and tips/tricks to getting the work completed. I loved what you wrote! -Sean

I work 12 hr shifts 3-4 days per week at my day job. Virtually no writing gets done on those days unless it's a really slow day. On my days off, I try to alternate a couple of hours writing with a couple of hours doing household chores, running errands, studying to teach my Wed night Bible study, etc. I do better when I have longer periods of time to write rather than a few minutes here or there. I'm not really a morning person so my best writing is done between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M. When I get on a roll, I may go til midnight but I make a lot more mistakes when it gets that late.

Tips/tricks - leave my phone upstairs, organize my chores so that I have fewer interruptions, use the crock pot a lot. NaNo word sprint timers are helpful too. I also use my time away from the computer to think through what I'm going to write when I get the chance. Showers, traffic and feeding babies in the NICU are great times for that.

That sounds great, Reggi. I like the crockpot idea, and leaving phone so it's not near you!

I identify with the "thinking through things" when away from computer/desk.

(MH, maybe you'd consider the crockpot idea too to feed your family (a lot of great recipes for the crockpot).

Thank you for taking time to share your routine, Reggi!

-Sean

1) How long, on average, do you spend writing/editing per day or week?

With most things, I like to have a schedule or routine, but writing just can't have that kind of priority in my life. I end up just tucking it in whenever I have time. I discovered with the famous authors on Masterclass that this is pretty typical of many writers before they become famous.

2) Any tricks or tips you've learned about your time set aside for writing?

I keep my laptop on and open so I can type in between tasks. I may get 30 mins during nap time or a couple of hours at night.

3) What do you do to protect that time?

I don't, so it tends to be the first thing to go when life gets busy. Since I love to write, its what I go to when I get free time.

4) What do you find yourself having to sacrifice to get writing done?

Most of my old hobbies have just disappeared. I used to be a very craftsy person, but I haven't done much with that in years. Part of the reason for that is that I can read on the go or in waiting rooms, and I can write in 30 min spurts. It's hard to do a craft in that time.

I'm not sure I answered this one:
4) What do you find yourself having to sacrifice to get writing done?
Since we've started down this road, we've given up Cable TV, then Netflix. My husband and I were active members of the Civil Air Patrol. We've since let our memberships go in that. I'm not sure if they qualify as sacrifices because we more or less, just lost interest in them.

The amount of time I spend writing varies. Usually not as much as I would like. 'Socializing'--required to market books--tends to eat up a large chunk of my day as I tend to follow rabbit trails I find interesting.

Editing for myself and others can usually take up four to six hours of my day. Actual writing ... some days three to four hours, others, maybe fifteen minutes. I do well writing in spurts. That is: I write a paragraph or two, or a half a page, then walk away, do something else while my mind is spinning. When I am struck by what I need to do next, I head back to my laptop and sometimes can finish several pages before I run out of steam.

That's interesting, Chris! Thank you for sharing how you manage inspiration and how you manage your time.

Shine: Yes, nighttime is a favorite for me, too, though in the past years, I've found it fruitful to go to bed regular time 10:30-11pm, and wake up earlier 7-9am to do a few hours of writing.

Thanks, Reggi, for adding the fourth point. I, too, sometimes will play inspirational instrumental videos on YouTube on my TV. This sometimes helps my creativity. Turning off NetFlix or conservative news or films really helps. (Though some films inspire me creatively.)

Lara, it sounds like you are a juggle master with your schedule--which is surely needed to really be able to get words down on paper/computer screen. Thank you for sharing.

Anyone else? What is your writing schedule like? What do you do to protect that time? What have you sacrificed or what are you sacrificing to get your writing done? Any tips/tricks? -Sean