by Angela Hunt
No matter what you write, no matter where you write, no matter how you write, you struggle with the same thing I do: time.
How do we find the time to create great works of literature while juggling all the other things we have to do? And to top it off, once you realize that your LIFE consists of a finite number of minutes, how do you use those minutes wisely?
The older I get, the more I realize that my most valuable possession is time. My expiration date is drawing closer (and no, I’m not ill, it’s just that we’re all using up our allotted minutes), and I truly want to make my remaining time count. So how do I do that?
First, I do the things that are important to me, and I make time for them. For worship. For serving my community of believers. For learning (just signed up for a Hebrew class!). For practicing (I’ve gone back to the piano—not because I’m good, but because my Messianic synagogue doesn’t have anyone else to play their baby grand). For spending time with my grandkids—I want to make sweet memories for them to revisit. For spending time with my mother, because her number of remaining minutes is probably less than mine. For spending time with my husband. For reading. For thinking. For praying. For studying the Word. And for the second job that helps with the mortgage payment. I ought to add “for exercise,” but so far I haven’t managed to fit that in.
I’m sure you have a similar list of time demands. So how do we manage it?
You may have your own method, but I value routine. So every morning I get up, feed the chickens, eat breakfast, practice piano, take the dogs out, clean the house, handle the email and Facebook page, etc., It’s usually lunchtime before I’m finished with those things.
Then I tackle the work in progress—by doing on a few pages at a time. In the first draft, naturally, I’m not dealing with pages, but word counts, and I try to toss at least 3,000 words into the computer every day. I used to do 5,000 words a day, but in those days I didn’t have the second job, the grandkids, the piano, or the chickens.
After that first draft (admittedly thin—usually half of what the finished book will be), I print out a copy and start assigning myself a number of pages per day. I usually edit/rewrite about 14 pages . . . and that’s what I do through drafts two, three, four, and five. My current book is going to need six drafts, because I can tell it’s not polished yet. I have a larger cast of characters than usual, and more plot threads.
I think it was Ann Lamott who asked, “How do you eat a cow? One bite at a time.” That’s how I do most things—in bite sized pieces. Maybe that’s a good way to do life.
So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry about doing things in chunks. Instead, give yourself permission to tackle bite sized pieces. And you’ll have eaten that entire cow before you know it.
~~Angie
Angela Hunt is the author of more than 165 books for children and adults. You can check out her work at angelahuntbooks.com. When she’s not writing, she’s caring for her hubby, dogs, chickens, and grandkids . . . not necessarily in that order.
Comments 3
I love this. Thanks for sharing!
Great article. Thank you. I have a very similar, almost identical, list of “most important items.” Except for the chickens which our HOA will not allow. They won’t let me have goats either. And I add some online ESL corporate execs.
I get to the writing between 1 and 2. I did not, however, include a word number goal per day. You inspired me to add that. I don’t stick well to a hard agenda, but you have inspired me to do so. How much do you read per day?
Thanks for the encouragement.
Excellent advice, Angie! When I first started writing, I had small children. I could write only in small snippets of time. So I would snatch five or ten minutes here and there—in the pediatrician’s office, at gymnastics and ballet classes, and even at red traffic lights. When I wrote at the latter, the driver behind me always let me know when my time was up. 🙂