Time Line

Time Line

Purpose:

A common difficulty faced by the majority of writers is how to find time to write. As individuals, we each have many demands placed on our time. This exercise should help you discover what activities and functions in your life consume your time. It is the first step you should take towards maximizing your writing time by developing you very own PERSONAL WRITING PLAN.

Materials:

One sheet of unlined 8.5 x 14" paper, a ruler and a pencil.

Instructions:

1. Turn your blank piece of paper sideways and draw a straight 12" line across it. This line will represent a block of time - one day. Each one-half inch equals one hour. One-quarter of an inch equals half an hour, etc.

2. With each of the following, determine the average amount of time you spend, each day, on this activity and measure the time off - work from left to right. Determine the amount of time you sleep. Is it an average of 8 hours a day? 6? If you average 8 hours a day, that is one-third of your day - 4 inches. 6 hours would be one-quarter of your day - 3 inches. If there is an activity you do on a weekly basis - ie: you go tho the gym three times a week - that works out to approximately half an hour out of each day, so mark off one-quarter of an inch.

3. How much time do you spend each day, on average, actually preparing and eating and cleaning up from meals?

4. If you work, mark off the average amount of hours, including travel time.

5. If you do write on a consistent basis, estimate the average amount on a daily basis.

6. How much time do you spend on personal grooming - showering/bathing, applying make-up, etc.

7. How much time do youspend on housework/chores/errands?

8. Shopping - groceries, drug store, cruising the mall?

9. How much time do you spend on hobbies, physical activities?

10. How much time do you spend with family activities - driving children somewhere, supervising homework, watching tv?

11. How much time do you spend on community activities - attending meetings, choir practice, church, etc. ?

12. How much time do you spend on social activities - movies, dinner with friends, chatting on the phone and /or visiting friends?

13. What other activities or commitments require your time?

Don't be surprised if you discover there is very little time left over for writing.

Your next step is to look for places where you can free up time. Priortize those responsibilities and/or activities that are absolutely essential and those that aren't. Be brutal - YOU have to take control of your time - or everyone else will. Delegate a responsiblility to someone else, cut back on the time spent on non-essential activites, buy quality frozen dinners, decide not to answer (or unplug) the phone when you are writing, invest in an answering machine or voice mail, practice saying 'no' to requests for your time, co-op childcare arrangements with family or friends, etc.

Give yourself permission to write. Give yourself permission to claim time - just for you. No one else will do it for you. Schedule your writing time - if possible, at the same time each day. Set a writing goal that is achievable in the time you have available. To be a writer, you must write - whether it's one paragraph or one page.

Make the commitment to write - and have your loved ones recognize, and endorse, your commitment and writing schedule. Fill out the attached Letter of Commitment, photocopy it, distribute it to your loved ones. Then display it where you and others can see it. Finally, enforce it. If applicable, make a "Do Not Disturb" or "Writer at Work" sign and, when you are writing, hang it in a designated spot. Ensure everyone understands this means you are unavailable, except for emergencies - blood, broken bones or fire.

I remember something I once read in an Ann Landers' column. If you write a page a day - at the end of one year you'll have 365 pages. If you don't, you'll still be a year older.

My personal commitment was inspired by an interview Harrison Ford had with Barbara Walters. She asked him for his response to someone saying, "The Force be with you." He replied, "The Force is within you. Force yourself."

So I did. This is the result ...

THE ROCKY RIDGE MAN by Meredith March

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