In 2020, Anne Janzer surveyed over 400 nonfiction writers about their experiences and problems writing their books. She asked writers where they were stuck. One answer stood out. Can you guess what it was?
“Finding time to write” was the biggest challenge by far. Well over 40% of the survey respondents cited it as a “stuck point.” “Getting motivated” was the second most cited stuck point at less than 30 percent. Finding the time to write got more than double the replies for “finding a publisher” and “coming up with something original.” Wow.
That finding didn’t surprise me at all. I’ve worked with nonfiction authors for 20 years, and finding the time has consistently been the problem most likely to derail a project. Part of the problem is that nonfiction authors usually aren’t just authors.
Most Nonfiction Authors Have a Day Job
The root cause of this problem is that most nonfiction authors don’t have the luxury of writing full-time. They’ve got a day job, and, very often, it’s a demanding one. They’re executives, small business owners, and professional speakers. They’re consultants, commercial real estate brokers, and the executive directors of nonprofits. They’re busy, and people rely on them.
I’ve worked with retired people who didn’t have a day job. Instead, they had a full volunteer schedule. Like my other clients, they had a full calendar.
Most Nonfiction Authors Have a Full Calendar
Most of the nonfiction authors I’ve worked with were midlife and mid-career. Many had children at home. Their days and nights were full of the things that go with having a life beyond work.
Many had extensive social obligations. They were active in their church and their communities. They had lots of friends and spent time with them.
For most nonfiction authors, no blocks of uncommitted time are available. To be used for writing. The time will have to take time from something else. But what?
You Must Take the Time To Write From Something Else
You could take time to write from sleep. Some books and articles suggest you should get up an hour earlier or go to sleep a little later, and voila, you’ve found the time. That’s a bad idea. Sleep experts suggest that we need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night. Surveys indicate that 65% of us don’t get it. So, you’re probably already sleeping less than you should.
Taking time to write from sleep may seem like a good idea, but it’s counterproductive. You’re less likely to be creative and disciplined when you don’t sleep enough. Sleep time isn’t time you steal from productivity. It’s sharpening the saw.
You could take time to write from family time. You can probably get some time there. Your family loves you, and they want to support you. The problem is that they’ll support you right up till the time they don’t.
You could take time to write from hobbies and social time. This can work if you do it judiciously. The hobbies can probably wait, but social time is also psychological refreshment, so you don’t want to take too much of it away.
You could take time to write from the time you spend working on other things. That’s what most of my clients have done. They’ve cut down on their paid work and use the time to write a book that’s an investment in their future.
It’s tough to carve out time to write from an already busy schedule. It’s especially hard because of the kind of time you need.
Writing Is Deep Work, and That’s Why the Challenge Is Daunting
Not just any kind of time will do. You need significant blocks of uninterrupted time to write well.
Productivity experts recommend blocks of 50 to 90 minutes to get meaningful work done. Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, specifically suggests 90 to 120-minute blocks. You need enough time for your brain to orient to the project and do significant work before taking a break.
Eliminating distractions and interruptions is crucial. Researchers have found that it takes us 25 minutes or so to reorient to a task after we’ve been interrupted.
Making It Work for You
Every author must figure out their own way to get enough quality time to write. Here are some suggestions based on things that worked for my clients.
Consult with stakeholders. Figure out who will be affected by your writing project. Talk to them about what you want to do and how you need to find the time to write. Make them part of your plan and your support team.
Set a regular schedule for writing. This will be good for your productivity and the people around you. Many clients dedicated parts of their Saturday or Sunday time to the book project.
Put your writing time on the calendar first, then schedule other things around it. If you set a regular writing schedule, it will get easier as time goes by, and others react to your regular schedule.
Life will happen. When it does, go with the flow.
If you intend to write a nonfiction book, finding the time to write will probably be your biggest challenge. You need large blocks of uninterrupted time to write well. Consult with stakeholders. Set a regular schedule for writing. Put your writing time on the calendar first, then schedule other things around it. And when life happens, as it will, go with the flow.