Author Helen Noble reflects on how we make the time for writing...

 

Excuses for not writing – I’ve heard them all, and I have, on occasion, used a few of them myself. 

The most favoured must be:·       I haven’t got the timeGetting back to basics, consider there are 24 hours in a day. You will need to sleep for between 6 and 8 of those, so let’s add them to the total number of hours needed to complete life’s other necessities such as eating, washing, chores, allowing an average of four hours per day and subtracting from 24.You work? Subtract another 6-8 hours per day depending on your contractual obligations.Allowing the maximum, you will probably find yourself with a residue of about 4 hours out of 24 on an average working day.What about travelling or relaxing with the partner/children/family?  I hear you asking.At this stage you have a choice. Well, actually you’ve always had a choice; life is a series of choices. You’ve perhaps just not thought of it in those terms…Writing is a great way to spend your time when travelling or waiting around for public transport. Always carry some paper and a pen, and/or lap top or tablet.If you’re driving, why not dictate your thoughts and ideas to write up later? There are a number of affordable digital dictating machines available; obviously not to be used at the expense of road safety. You can record your stream of thought. Sometimes it's good to hear your own thoughts spoken aloud. Who knows, it might improve your sense of rhythm and confidence for public speaking.Spending time with family and friends shouldn’t preclude the writing process either. I get some of my best ideas when out and about in a group, or up close and personal with another. I find that the best ideas always find their way into my writing at a later date. My brain recognises their significance and stores them safely for future reference. Neither does the process interfere with the quality of time spent with my loved ones; I believe it actually serves to enhance the experience, although this may not apply to you if you are creating a specific, academic text.I'm too tired after work to write - strictly speaking this is a separate excuse but just as easily dealt with here. It's back to choice. When we want something badly enough we will try to achieve it despite the circumstances. Personally, I find that writing energises me, leaving me with a sense of achievement, of buoyancy.It might suit you to think of spending your holidays in a different way, one which allows you time/space/quiet/noise whatever you feel that you need in order to write. If you know any, why not choose to spend your time with other writers? Spending time with like-minded people enhances the fun aspects of the process.If, like me, you have tried to set aside a block of time to attempt an unrealistic number of words in one sitting, only to fail miserably, don’t waste any more time testing out that format. Be flexible. Give yourself space. Take hold of the time available to you and use it to your advantage. If you feel comfortable doing so, why not involve others in the process? My children constantly ask me what I’m writing, often trying to sneak a peek at the text if I leave the work lying around. You might be surprised at the source of your inspiration, amazed where you find ideas, and of course if you are writing about people you have a ready-made subject base for observation and speculation.It is an exciting era in the neuroscience of creativity; it is well-known that both sides of the brain are involved in creative pursuit, yet the analytical aspect is not one to be underestimated. If you believe that the unconscious is a law unto itself, at least take control of the external details, they are easily within your grasp.  New behavioural innovations will soon turn into habits and eventually become integrated into your very nature.If all this fails, ask yourself what is that you really want to be doing with your life.I guess there’s a fundamental difference between being a writer and doing some writing.

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