Back on Track!

I have a confession. Until recently, I’ve never had a consistent writing schedule for my fiction. I would write in spurts, usually in long chunks when I had both time and inspiration.

Do you know how unlikely it is that those two would intersect—both time and inspiration?

For the last seven months, free time has been even more scarce, and I reached a breaking point somewhere around February. (It started with those three little words: Present over Perfect.)

I began to take ownership of my time; it is, after all, mine to spend. I choose my yes and my no.

Since then two really cool things have happened with my writing.

First, I determined in my heart that I would follow through with a consistent writing schedule. I set a realistic time and a word count goal for myself, and y’all, it’s been over 30 days.

I’m happy the say the habit has fully formed.

I’ve said before that writing is my hobby, my passion, MY thing. I get to suspend reality for a little bit and get lost in another world.

Second, I threw out all pre-writing plans and plotting and simply started writing the story that’s been in my head.

I had heard successful, award-winning authors talk about writing without a plan, just seeing where the characters take them. I always thought that was preposterous.

Who can write a novel without a plan?

My first novel was carefully plotted, each chapter designed before I even started writing.

I don’t think this was a wrong way to do it, but I’ve found that sitting down to write is far more fun.

I’m not constrained by a chapter plan. I don’t even know what will happen next.

I just start typing and see what comes out.

Writing feels free and exciting. I sometimes laugh out loud as I write a scene, shaking my head at my characters. Who knew he was going to do that?

Although I occasionally groan and don’t want to write when the time arrives, I’ve not once regretted it when I start pounding the keys, and it truly doesn’t take long before I’ve met my word count for the day.

If I keep my schedule, which I hope to do for the rest of my life, I’ll have the first draft of a new book finished by early June. I can’t tell you how good it feels to have my writing career back on track—at least the part of it that I can control, the actual writing.  :)

Friends, do you have a hobby, a dream, something you desire to do but can’t seem to find time for? I encourage you to give it priority. 

We get to say where our time goes. We’re not victims of our daily schedule.

I hope you’ll find freedom in saying yes to the thing you really love to do.