How Do You Find Time To Write?

In service to answering more post-MFA student questions…this one I’ve gotten several times, some variation of “How do you find time to write/submit/read after you get out of the MFA?”

So, in answering this question, I’ll mention that I went to a low-residency MFA while working part-time and/or as a freelance writer, so my practices before, during, and after the MFA didn’t really change all that much. I write a couple of hours each week – and that’s creative writing, not including blog-writing or freelance assignments or reviews. I spend another couple of hours working on book manuscripts, submissions, connecting with other writers, publisher research, etc. But beyond the time spent writing, there are other ways to spend your time I recommend that will help give you the energy and inspiration to create.
I’ve been a big reader since I was a kid, and I haunt bookstores and libraries with as much joy now as I did when I was in fifth grade. I read a lot, probably an average of three books a week and a bunch of journals/magazines/essays/poems. I think that’s important for writers, and not only reading to your own interests and genre, but far outside each as well – your inspiration-catcher will work better if you’re piling in disparate and interesting information. Squeeze a little reading into the every day spaces – waiting for a dentist appointment or at the DMV, in between loads of laundry, in the car while you’re waiting to pick someone up. But going to museums, concerts, readings, hiking a mountain, even watching television – these can all be sources of inspiration for you too. Stay attuned to your personal resonances – and take yourself somewhere inspiring once a week. Note that it doesn’t have to be anything fancy – sometimes a grocery store can be really inspiring. (It worked for Ginsberg!)
Also, I think it’s really important for each person to pay attention to what, for lack of a better word, I’ll call bio-rhythms. You know, when you’re at your most creative or your most sleepy, when you’re better at detail-oriented work and when you tend to daydream. For me, my most creative time has consistently been past 10 PM at night – and, ahem, often until 2 or 3 in the morning. (I’m a night owl for sure.) I want to fall asleep at 4 PM, and in the mornings I’m pretty bleary. So, I save my writing/teaching “business” work – submissions, filling out forms, studying journals, making lists -for the early afternoon. I do errands, which don’t require too much mental acuity, for the 3-5 PM time frame. If I’m teaching, then I like to do grading at night as well (which is probably why I don’t write as much while I’m teaching – I use the same prime “brain space” for both.) So my advice is – make your writing time a priority, keep it at the same time of day, and see how you do. If it doesn’t seem to be working, switch it up – you may be a person who writes best in the early mornings, or during a lunch break you absolutely must jot your ideas down. Find what works best for you, and stick with it.
Having a schedule and following it consistently – this may because I’m a Taurus and we love routine – is really important for me. It might be for you too. Try to follow a “habit” of reading, writing, exploring other art forms, putting your work out there, going to readings, getting together with other writers. The MFA may have provided that structure for you, but you can also re-create it at home. Significant others/children/bosses/family/dogs etc can be trained to understand when and how to leave you alone. I used to have a boss at a company with the initials “MS” that IMed me at midnight or one in the morning, even on weekends. I “trained” him to stop doing that simply by stopping myself from responding to these IMs. My husband notes that when I am writing I cannot hear him call my name or hear the phone ring and do not respond to other stimuli. This is true. I do get a little “zoned out.” But if your loved ones understand and support your decision to be a writer, a little of that won’t hurt the relationship. Hey, this gives your loved ones time and permission to go play Guitar Hero or watch “South Park” or learn to cook a traditional cassoulet or whatever it is they do for fun.
The real point of all this is, create a time and space for you to be creative. Make it a priority and a habit. Don’t stop reading and writing. Don’t stop sending out your work. Don’t stop going to readings, buying books, volunteering for local literary magazines or conferences. Make “being a writer” part of your daily life. I can’t promise wild success, money, or prizes. But at least you’ll be honoring the part of you that wanted to be a writer in the first place.