You Have the Write to Remain Writing

by John Zelenski @johnzelenski

As an author, sometimes I am told by fellow writers, “I just can’t find the time to work on my writing craft.”

The truth is, we do live in a society where time is often in short supply.  We have jobs (possibly more than one), families, responsibilities, church, etc. And while the list can go on, there should be a time set aside to work on what we’ve been called to do – write!

It has been said that to become a master of one’s craft, an expected 10,000 hours of practice is needed. That means, even if we wrote for a minimum of three hours a day, it would still take you a minimum of nine years to reach 10,000 hours. I am not sure about you, but unfortunately, I cannot afford three hours a day to write with all the aforementioned responsibilities listed above.  And since what we write about is different and unique each time, how then can we become the best writer we’ve been called to be?

The answer is quite simple, yet complex.  It comes down to one word.

Write.

Yes, that’s it.  Just write.  But you may ask the other side of the coin question, “Where do I find the time?”  Ah, that is even easier.  Let me give you some suggestions.

Since we only have so much time to work with and obviously cannot create additional time (although that would be so nice), we must learn to budget our time. Just like we learn to budget our finances when grocery shopping, the same rules apply to our time budget.  It would be nice to head to your local store and load up on steak, lobster, and the biggest and sweetest-looking cakes and pies. Then, tell yourself your grocery order is done for the week.  First, that would be unhealthy, and second, even if you could afford to do that, would it be practical?  What about the fruits and vegetables, soaps and
shampoos and maybe things that are not the “funnest” things to buy but are necessary for our bodies and lives to be healthy and balanced.

The same can be said regarding our “time shopping.”  Perhaps social media is enticing and fun to unwind with, but do you need to spend an hour or more scrolling through nonsense that really has no impact on your life?  How about good old reliable television?  It’s stated that Americans spend on average THREE hours each day watching the boob tube.  That simply amazes me.

What if you spent at least half an hour each day devoted to writing instead?  You’d be amazed how quickly your story would take shape and how much of a better writer you’d become, even after just a few weeks. What if you make your writing part of your devotional time?  Putting God first is essential in all we do, so during your private prayer time, why not ask God to give you the knowledge to become the best writer you can be?  Perhaps ask him to provide you with the story he knows you will be able to put on paper and change the world for him.  Once you are finished with your devotions, make that your writing time – even if it means getting up a few minutes earlier each day.

Writing, like everything else, takes time, patience, and perseverance.  During the writing process with my third and forthcoming novel, The Fourth Chamber, I learned many things; not only about the craft of storytelling, but I learned a few things about myself as well. More about that in a future post.  Writing to me has always been a reflective glass of one’s soul.  What is buried deep within will eventually come out and shine once enough polish has been applied.

Until next time, remember you have the write to remain writing!

A native of Northeastern Pennsylvania, multi-award-winning author John J. Zelenski has been featured on television, radio, and podcasts to discuss his view of the supernatural. Having experienced real-life paranormal experiences as a child, John began a life-long journey toward discovering the unexplainable. Inspired by those events and a flair for painting a picture with words, Walker’s Vale and its prequel, The Journal of Ezekiel Walker, were born, while Walker’s Vale has been optioned for film development. John’s motto resides in the voice of one of his characters: “Not everything in this life can be explained.”  Visit John on his website.