So Saturday my newest issue of Writer’s Digest came in the mail, emblazoned with all those catchy headlines designed to attract writers like moths to a flame.  This month’s headlines seem to focus on productivity, encouraging the muse, finding time to write, and making the most out of the time you do find.  Given that I am embarking on the longest writing project of my life and I’m always kvetching about not having time to write, my inner writer was squealing, “Ooooooo, Shiny!”  Of course, since it’s the January issue, its probably just that they know a lot of writers and would-be-writers are doing the New Year’s resolution thing and these types of articles are going to move magazines at this time of year. 

I finally had some time to settle down with an article last night just before bed.  The article I chose was about making time to write.  Pretty much nothing it said was new to me, but it did make something click in my head.  I had the kind of epiphany that makes you slap your forehead and say, “DUH!” Which scares the cat and she gives you the “bitch, please” look but at that point you’re too distracted by your shiny new epiphany to notice. 

And the epiphany is (insert drumroll please) – using little pockets of time, like 20 minutes or less.  The article author refers to them as “mini-retreats.”  The idea is so very simple.  Arrive early for an appointment and write before you go in.  Put the casserole for dinner in the oven and write while it bakes.  On your commute to or from the office, stop in the local coffee shop and write for 10-15 minutes.  What makes this even more of a duh for me is that I used to do precisely this thing back when I was in grad school and working full time.  It was the only way the copious amounts of reading I needed to do ever got done.  I always had a textbook with me and I read everywhere, even at stop lights (yes, I know that wasn’t particularly safe, but I never had an accident).  Now I just need to get back into that habit, except with my laptop/notebook instead of a textbook. 

Now, I know this isn’t my preferred mode of writing.  I like having long stretches of time where I can really shake loose and stretch out.  There’s time to get up and pace while I twist around a plot point in my head.  I feel like I can stare out into space for minutes at a time to find the right word, instead of feeling rushed because I only have 10 minutes and I’ve got to get as much down on paper as possible.  But beggars, or full-time office workers, can’t be choosers.  I have to keep my day job, it’s what pays the bills, so I don’t have the luxury of long stretches if time on a regular basis.  Until I make it big enough in the publishing world I’m going to have to make do with small pockets of time.  Even if I can only write a few sentences here and there, sentences add up to paragraphs and paragraphs add up to pages, pages add up to chapters and chapters add up to novels.  Mini-retreat, here I come…

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