10 Ways to Write When You're Stuck Around Your Family
- Nov 12, 2017
- 8 min read
Family is coming around. There's no way around it. It's the holiday seasons and people who like you want to see you. You should be flattered. We all should be.
But, we want to write!
Finding time to write in your everyday schedule can be tricky, but doable. Finding that your spare time is being invaded by do gooders is slightly less doable. You want to tell yourself that the kiddos waking you is great, that your parents who raised you to be awesome are so awesome themselves that they deserve a bit of your time.
Same with the cousins and aunts and uncles you haven't seen in forever - probably since last year's holidays or longer! You want to spend the time there, you love them!
But, you also want to write!
It's not really, but writing never was to begin with.
1. Wake Early
Nothing quite like opening your eyes and greeting the day, right?
Okay, I'll admit, I'm not a morning person. I can be an "up all night and still up in the morning person", but I hate losing out on sleep.
But I really love to write. So sacrifices have to be made. Yes, even to my precious sleep.
The important thing to remember in this scenario, is that this won't last forever. Families love to be around each other, especially have a need of doing so during the holiday season. I'm planning a trip out to New York to do just that this year!
But if you like to write, sometimes the best thing you can di us that you're going to have to create the time. If you're schedule is too full as is, then waking up just 30 mintues earlier can create a small window of time that you can get a few hundreds of words out.
Then, when you're regularly scheduled wake-up hour arrives, you can get up and move on, knowing you have your words for that day done. (Or, closer to done.)
2. Set Daily Limits
Maybe you have the time to write, but don't know how to get from writer to host/visitor modes. Well, simply put, allow yourself to slip into Host/Guest mode and then excuse yourself.
Setting limits and goals ate a great way to keep yourself focuses and writing more.
Limits can be a bit of a challenge, but depending on the limit, it might not be easy to meet. Make sure you set the right ones.
You can limit the TIME or the WORDS.
Time limits should be in short chunks: 15 Mins, 20 Mins, 30 Mins.
Time limits shouldn't interfere with your family time.
Time limits can be at a set time of day - but be flexible. You don't want to miss out on something and then end up an outsider to a new family inside joke.
Time limits should be protected. If there's nothing pressing going on, even small children should be alright for 15 mins on their own. Unless there's something grave occurring, let yourself leave - knowing you will be right back!
WORD limits might be an easier task. If you keep the words to 200 or 500 words, you should be able to maintain a steady rhythm that you'll be able to pick up from when you return from "Family Mode".
3. Sprints!
On my first NaNoWriMo, I learned about Words Sprints. Basically, it's like a running match, but with words.
Gather a friend or more that like to write and a timer. That's pretty much all you need.
The point of a sprint is to write as much as you can for a short amount of time, like 15 mins. You move forward, never back. Don't delete, don't edit. Just write.
If you panic, it's kind of normal to start. Like your mind empties up and can't go, but if you just start, you can usually get a good amount of words in.
If you're more adventurous, you can have the sprints a bit more "themed". A setting, scenario, or even just a word can trigger the words and set you going. As long as you are writing, you are winning!
Some places to find fellow word sprinters:
NaNoWordSprints (Twitter)
#wordsprint (twitter)
The NaNo links are most active in November, but the prompts are there to give you ideas to get you going.
If you have family members that like to write as well, lucky you, then you can challenge them to a word sprint along with you.
4, Drink Fluids
How will drinking fluids help? Well, it's really important. I find a lot of times that people forget to drink enough fluids, water especially. If you start getting dehydrated, you tend to get a bit cranky and you can start feeling hungry too.
Drinking fluids has so many benefits, but as far as getting you to write, you can take a leaf out of my own personal favorite activity: tea and writing.
Make a big pot of coffee or tea, and surely it will bring others to gather around. Some fresh cookies and other treats, and you've got yourself a great family evening. And that's when I will pull out a tablet or notebook and, every so often, I'll look away from the conversation and immerse myself into my writing once more.
And when the tea's done? Put away your writing and get back to ... whatever else you were doing. This is how I get the kiddos to settle. This is how we share our days. This is a warm hug on the inside. What better way to get some fluids and words done than in comfort and peace?
5. Limit Caffeine
Please, don't all panic at once!
I'm not trying to come between you and your coffee, but I'm sure you've heard it all before: Caffeine isn't really good for you.
I am not a doctor, nor a coffee addict. I haven't had coffee since I was 8 years old. (We Hispanics start young! Lol) But, I have heard enough reports and read enough to at least advice against too much of it.
There are certain dietary conditions that do recommend limited caffeine, or total avoidance. But my main purpose here is to make sure you're not overdoing it.
It's easy to indulge in things when you're around certain people. At least in my household, late night treats are accompanied with un cafecito. Coffee is constantly brewing when there are people gathered. I'm used to the scents and can find them soothing, but I don't drink it.
With too much caffeine, you know you're going to be up at odd hours. Unless you want to be, don't do this to yourself!
Be good to yourself, and the rest will follow. And hopefully, that'll include amazing writing!
6. Plan Ahead
Hear me out even if you don't like to plan ahead!
If you know you're going to be too busy to write, you have to know where you are to be able to pick things right up.
We can all attest to how horrible it is to lose your train of thought when you're writing, right? Or at the least, how horrible it is to lose THE GREATEST IDEA OF ALL TIME because you didn't write it down.
Write. It. Down.
I mean it. Even a sticky note! One line that tells you where you're headed in the story so you know to pick up right there when you start up again. And when you finish for the day make another sticky note!
Planning keeps your momentum going. Trust it, if even just for a few days, so that you don't waste your limited writing time.
7. Find a Buddy
My Buddy is my sister. Or my niece and nephew. Sometimes, my mother.
A buddy is someone who knows that you write, knows that you rather be writing, and will help you find that time to write.
My sister is good at just ignoring me and telling people that I'm off in my own world. The kiddos are really good at getting coloring books and sitting quietly with me, reading quietly beside me, or writing quietly beside me. They're also really good at asking to read my stuff and asking questions and generally interrupting my writing time, but I don't usually mind it. We have to inspire the next generation or writers somehow, am I write?
And my mother, she's likely to try and get me to stop writing "for just a moment", but she's also very supportive and understanding about the whole thing. Mostly. As an introvert, I don't always want to be around everyone. Small doses work best for me, even with the people I love. (She's good at making up excuses to get me out of things too!)
Find your buddy, and let them be a buddy! And treat your buddy well!
8. Tape Recorder
Or a voice recorder, whatever you want to call them. Use them. Voice notes. Voice to texting.
This is for when you have to get an idea out, but you can't get to your writing stuff. You know you're not going to remember that perfect line your MC needs to tell to seem totally badass ever again if you don't WRITE IT DOWN RIGHT NOW!
You know that's true.
Having a voice recording device of some sort is crucial.
Heck, if you use a speech to text system, you won't even have to write it out later!
Give importace to your writing, or you'll never get anywhere with it. And if you seem like a crazy person to your relatives, I'm sure they probably already knew that about you.
9. Sleep Later
If you're not a morning person (like me!), then you probably balked at the first tip. Well, sleep in you little night owl, because the next best thing is staying up late.
All the cool kids are doing it!
Actually, I have no idea what all the cool kids are doing. I was never one of them. I knew a lot of them, but, that's another story.
I've always been a little weird, some might say, and one of the things that kind of tilted me that way was the way I've always been much better at getting things done when the moon was out.
There's just something about late nights and everyone being asleep that had me wanting to go and do things. Now, I wouldn't recommend losing too much sleep, you do need your rest after all! But if you can find a way to sleep away as everyone else is getting ready for bed and maybe an hour longer, Go For It!
But use your time wisely! This isn't the time to check your Facebook feeds or Instagram. And for the love of God, don't go anywhere near Pinterest! You'll be there for hours and completely skip sleep and get nothing done!
When it's time for you to write, Write!
Which leads me to the last bit...
10. Never Give Up!
There comes a time in a writer's life when everything is pointed against you. Your computer crashes. Your notes get stolen or left behind. Your dog urinates on your notebooks. Your kid rips up something.
Or maybe, life just isn't working out for you. Maybe someone has told you to stop being so foolish and stop writing. No one will ever read it, they say.
When it comes right down to it, you have to write for you. You have to believe in your story and give it life.
Think about whoever you need to think about, look up whatever quote you need to look up, read whatever it is you need to read - but realize that in the end, you have to be the motivated factor.
You Can't Give Up, or it's all done and over with. Ciao. Sayonara. Adios. Au Wiedersehen. Goodbye.
I wish you all the words in the world! Good luck.
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