My work schedule does not leave much time for writing, but I am able to fit in some time each day.

First, I commit to write some every day. Some people will commit to writing at least 1,000 words each day. That establishes the habit of writing, provides practice, and produces a body of material from which useful parts can be drawn. That goal is not possible for me because of my schedule, and so I committed to write 250 words each day with the hope of increasing that later. When I realized I was often writing at least 300 words I made that my daily goal.

I do my daily writing after breakfast in a private blog, for my eyes only. It provides a convenient means to document that I write every day. Because it is online, I can also easily access it from either my computer, my phone, or my tablet if I want to use some of the material in a post on this blog. Sometimes posts in the private blog become the first drafts for posts in this blog.

Second, I keep a notebook which I carry whenever I leave my house. When I am at work I often carry it in my back pocket and sometimes write in it during lunch and break. If I get an idea while I am working I will sometimes use a piece of cardboard from an item I am stocking to quickly write my ideas. Making good time is important in my job, and using a piece of cardboard is quicker than finding the right page in my notebook. I will then enter the ideas into my notebook during lunch or on my computer when I am at home. Sometimes I will also proofread a blog post while on a break at work.

Third, during my days off I will fit in what time I can to write in addition to my morning writing. It often is not as much time as I want, especially if I need to work overtime that week. I wish I had more time to devote to writing, but for now I do the best I can with the time I have.

How do you fit in time to write?