July 8, 2025 • 15 mins
Feel stuck "finding time" to write your novel? You might be solving the wrong problem. Here's what's really going on—and what to do instead.
Why does finding time to write feel impossible sometimes? We blame our busy schedules (and yes, that's definitely part of it). But there's something else lurking beneath the surface that stops your writing progress dead in its tracks. And it has a way of making you feel like you're failing at this whole writing thing. Which is so not true.
In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on why "finding time" is actually making it HARDER to write your novel. Plus, I'm sharing 3 powerful mindset shifts and practical strategies to finally break free from this trap so you can finish your novel with the life you're actually living.
You'll hear me talk about things like:
[02:45] Why the writers who complain most about "no time" often spend hours on writing-related activities (just not actual writing)
[03:15] The hidden truth about "not enough time" that's actually keeping you stuck (hint: it's not what you think)
[05:15] How decision paralysis can waste your precious writing time—and the simple fix that takes 2 minutes
[06:10] Why some writers accomplish more in 20 minutes than others do in 2 hours
[07:25] The mindset shift that transforms time from your enemy into your creative ally (and 3 practical strategies to implement these shifts starting today)
Your story deserves to be told. Not someday when you have "more time." Not eventually when life calms down. But now, with the life you're actually living. The time is already there—you just need to see it differently.
🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:
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👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you're waiting around to find the time to write
your novel, you are going to bewaiting forever, okay, and it's
not because you're lazy, it'snot because you're not meant to
be a writer or anything likethat.
It's because finding time is amyth that keeps you safe from
the vulnerable act of actuallywriting and the writers who go
on to finish their novels.
They don't have more time thanyou.
They don't have fewerresponsibilities, easier lives
(00:23):
or any kind of magicalproductivity powers.
They've just stopped lookingfor time and they've started
making choices about the limitedtime they do have.
Welcome to the Fiction WritingMade Easy podcast.
My name is Savannah Gilbo andI'm here to help you write a
story that works.
I want to prove to you thatwriting a novel doesn't have to
(00:43):
be overwhelming, so each week,I'll bring you a brand new
episode with simple, actionableand step-by-step strategies that
you can implement in yourwriting right away.
So whether you're brand new towriting or more of a seasoned
author looking to improve yourcraft, this podcast is for you.
So pick up a pen and let's getstarted.
In today's episode, we'retalking about why finding time
(01:04):
to write actually makes itharder to finish your novel and
what to do instead.
Now I want you to picture thisscene with me.
It's Sunday night, you've gotyour planner open and you're
feeling that surge ofdetermination.
This is going to be the weekyou finally make real progress
on your novel.
So you start blocking out yourschedule.
You've got two hours everymorning, from 5 to 7, an hour
(01:24):
during lunch and another twohours after the kids go to bed.
You do the math and that's fivehours a day, which is 35 hours
this week alone that you'regoing to dedicate to your
writing.
By Friday, you estimate thatyou'll have written thousands of
words.
Then fast forward to Mondaymorning.
Your alarm wakes you up at 4.45and you hit snooze.
Tuesday, you actually manage todrag yourself to your desk, but
(01:47):
you spend the entire two hoursstaring at a blank page,
completely frozen by thepressure of your quote-unquote
precious writing time.
By Wednesday you're just tootired to write.
And then Thursday becomes acatch-up day for all the life
stuff you've been neglecting allweek.
Friday arrives and you'vewritten exactly zero words.
Sound familiar?
Well, here's the thing, andthis might sting a little.
(02:08):
But you're not struggling towrite because you don't have
enough time to write.
You're struggling to writebecause you're trying to find
time instead of makingintentional choices about the
time you already have.
And if you're feeling calledout already and you want to jump
straight into the solutions, Icreated a free time management
guide with five specificstrategies to help you work with
(02:29):
your actual life and timeinstead of against it.
Just head to the show notes orsavannagilbocom forward.
Slash time to grab it, butstick around, because we're
going to talk about why yourbrain actually prefers this
excuse of not having enough timeto write.
So let me share something I'venoticed after working with
hundreds of aspiring writers theones who complain the most
(02:49):
about having no time to writethey're often the same ones who
spend hours researching theperfect writing software.
They spend hours readingendless blog posts and listening
to endless podcast episodesabout writing and yes, I see the
irony there.
They create these elaboratecharacter questionnaires.
They never actually finish.
They outline and re-outlinewithout ever writing actual
(03:11):
scenes, and they scroll throughInstagram or Pinterest for
quote-unquote inspiration.
And here's what's reallyhappening.
They're not struggling withtime, they're struggling with
fear disguised as a timemanagement problem.
Think about it like this whenyou say I need to find time to
write, what you're really sayingis that writing isn't currently
a priority, and if that's true,that's okay.
(03:33):
But let's at least call it whatit is right.
And the reason I say this isbecause when you say you need to
find time to write, findingtime implies that time is out
there, hiding somewhere likeit's lost keys under your couch
cushions.
If you just search hard enough,reorganize your schedule one
more time or discover that onemagical productivity hack, then
suddenly these blocks of writingtime will just magically appear
(03:56):
.
But time doesn't work that way.
Right Time isn't just found.
Now.
Your brain is incredibly clever.
It knows that saying I don'thave time is a socially
acceptable excuse that not manypeople are going to challenge.
I mean, after all, we are allbusy people, right, we have
responsibilities, obligations,packed calendars, you name it.
But when writers say I don'thave time, it's often code for a
(04:20):
deeper truth.
So something like I'm afraid tostart writing because I might
fail if I do.
Or I'm overwhelmed and I don'tknow where to begin.
I don't know what to do first,second and third, or I'm scared
my writing won't be good enough.
What if I finish?
And it's just terrible?
Or maybe I don't trust myselfto follow through on something
if I start it, or maybe I'mworried about what others will
(04:41):
think, like what happens if Iactually finish it and then I
have to share it with otherpeople?
And it's really bad, right?
There's so many types of fearthat come up when we're trying
to do something like write anovel, and so when you believe
you need to find these hugeblocks of time before you can
write, you're basically givingyour fear the perfect hiding
place, because, let's be honest,it's so much easier to say, oh
(05:01):
yeah, I'll write when I havemore time, than it is to admit
that you're terrified of puttingwords on the page because they
might actually suck right.
Well, here's where it getsinteresting, and this is
something I've noticed a lot.
Sometimes, when writers say Idon't have time, what they
really mean is I don't know whatto do with the time I have.
(05:21):
So picture this You've managedto carve out that precious hour
to write.
You sit at your desk, you'vegot, let's say, 76,000 words
left to complete your novel, butinstead of writing, you
completely freeze up and thenquestions start swirling around
in your head Should I work onthat problematic chapter three?
Should I skip ahead to thescene I'm really excited about?
Oh wait, do I need to figureout my magic system.
Before I start writing, maybe Ishould reread what I wrote last
(05:42):
week.
That's probably a better placeto start.
Actually, maybe I shouldoutline the next few chapters
first, and so on and so on, andthen, before you know it, half
of your writing time is gonebecause it's been completely
consumed by decision paralysis.
So, yes, you've been at yourdesk and you've been
quote-unquote writing for 30minutes, but you have zero words
.
You have nothing to show for it, right?
(06:02):
So without a clear plan, evenabundant time or even having
pockets of time, can becomeuseless time If you think about
it.
This is exactly why somewriters can produce more in 20
focused minutes than others cando in two scattered hours.
It's not about having more time.
It's about knowing exactly whatto do with the time you choose
(06:23):
to use.
So when aspiring writers tell methat they have no time,
typically what I ask them to dois to track what they do every
day for a week, and I'm notdoing this to judge them or
shame them.
I just want to see where theirtime goes, and I want them to
see where their time is going aswell.
And what we usually discover isthat it's not that they don't
have time, it's that they'vecreated these impossible
(06:45):
standards for what that writingtime should look like.
So maybe they believe they needuninterrupted two to three hour
blocks of time, or maybe theybelieve they need the perfect,
quiet environment or the mostclean, aesthetically pleasing
desk, or maybe they feel likethey need the mental clarity and
creative inspiration that onlythe muse can provide, whatever
it is.
So then, when real life offersthem, let's say, 20 minutes here
(07:08):
, 30 minutes there they dismissthese pockets of time because
they think what's the point?
I can't write a whole chapterin 20 minutes.
I need a two to three hourblock of time.
I need X, y, z.
20 to 30 minutes will justnever cut it.
But all this is is really justthat, all or nothing, black and
white, thinking right, and thiscan be a huge time thief.
So what if, instead of tryingto find time to write, you asked
(07:31):
yourself how can I honor mywriting with the time I do have?
And this little reframe canreally start changing everything
.
Because, first, it acknowledgesyour current reality instead of
waiting for some mythical,perfect future that most likely
is never going to exist, right?
Second, it treats your writingas something worthy of a spot of
honor, not something that'sjust squeezed in around the
(07:53):
edges.
And then, third, it focuses onyou taking action over the
perfect circumstances or theperfect block of time.
And the writers who make thiskind of mindset shift and put
these thoughts into practice,they stop seeing time as the
enemy and they start seeing itas just another creative
constraint that will actuallyhelp them write.
So let me paint you a pictureof two different writers.
(08:16):
Writer number one believes sheneeds to find time to write her
novel.
She waits for her schedule toclear, she waits for inspiration
to strike and she waits to havethe perfect two-hour window.
When she does get the time, shespends it trying to decide what
to work on.
Then months pass and her novelremains unwritten.
Now writer number two has madethe mindset shifts that we just
(08:36):
talked about.
She knows that she has 15minutes while her coffee brews.
She also knows exactly whatscene she's working on, because
she spent two minutes yesterdayleaving herself a note.
She opens her document and shewrites 200 words.
They're not perfect words, butthey are real words that are on
the page.
After a week, those 15-minutesessions add up to about 1,400,
(08:57):
1,500 words, and then in a yearshe's written enough to have a
full novel Right?
So can you see the difference?
The difference isn'tnecessarily time.
It's about choice how you'lluse that time and it's about
preparation how you'll getyourself ready to use that time
as wisely as possible.
All right now.
I know we just talked a lotabout mindset stuff and about
time management and shifting ourmindset around time, but I want
(09:20):
to also provide you with somestrategies so you can actually
implement this new way ofthinking, and I have three
strategies I'm going to sharewith you.
So number one is tracking yourtime for, let's say, one week.
For one week, I want you tonotice every time you think to
yourself I don't have time towrite, or I wish I had more time
to write.
And then I want you to thinkabout what you've been doing
(09:40):
that day or that hour, whateverit is, and ask yourself what did
I choose to do with my timeinstead and the goal is not to
judge yourself or feel bad oranything, the goal is really
just about awareness.
So I want you to see whatyou're spending your time doing,
and you might discover that youhad more time than you thought.
You just spent it differentlythan you would have liked to.
All right, so that's strategynumber one.
(10:01):
Strategy number two is to thinkabout your minimum viable
writing session.
So I want you to decide on thesmallest amount of writing time
that quote-unquote counts.
Maybe for you it's 10 minutes,maybe it's five.
The goal is to make it a smallamount of time so that you can't
use the I don't have timeexcuse.
I think most of us can findfive to ten minutes, and so the
(10:22):
question becomes are you goingto choose to use those five to
ten minutes or not?
All right, so decide on aminimum viable writing session.
I recommend five to 10 minutes,and just see what you do with
those five to 10 minutes thatyou set aside.
And that's strategy number two.
Strategy number three is toleave yourself a note at the end
of each writing session.
So, no matter how long or shortyour writing sessions are, I
(10:45):
want you to leave yourself anote at the end of it about what
you want to do next or aboutwhat comes next.
So something like tomorrow I'mgoing to write the scene where
Sarah discovers the letter fromher mother, or tomorrow I'm
going to write chapter seven,whatever it is.
This will really help cut downand hopefully eliminate that
sense of decision fatigue andhelp you dive straight into
(11:05):
writing when you sit down nexttime.
All right, so strategy numberthree leave yourself a note for
your next session, and youdefinitely don't have to do all
three of these things.
You certainly can if you wantto, but I recommend just picking
one, seeing how that works outfor you.
If it works out, great.
If it doesn't, that's okay too.
Just try another one next week.
All right, now to recapeverything we talked about, I
(11:26):
want to leave you with a littlebit of an uncomfortable truth,
and that uncomfortable truth isthat if you're waiting around to
find the time to write yournovel, you are going to be
waiting forever.
Okay, and it's not becauseyou're lazy, it's not because
you're not meant to be a writeror anything like that.
It's because finding time is amyth that keeps you safe from
the vulnerable act of actuallywriting and the writers who go
(11:48):
on to finish their novels.
They don't have more time thanyou.
They don't have fewerresponsibilities, easier lives
or any kind of magicalproductivity powers.
They've just stopped lookingfor time and they've started
making choices about the limitedtime they do have.
So they've stopped saying I'llwrite when my desk is clean, or
I'll write when I have two hours, or I'll write once I figure
(12:09):
out that plot hole, whatever itis.
And they've started saying I'mwriting now even though X, y, z,
so, even though I haven'tfigured out that plot hole, even
though my desk is messy,whatever it is and here's the
crucial part Most of them knowwhat they're going to do before
they sit down to write.
All right, so you have twooptions from here.
Option one is you keepsearching for those elusive
(12:30):
blocks of perfect writing time,staying safely in the planning
and dreaming phase where yournovel can't disappoint you.
Or you can go with option twoand you can accept that your
time isn't out there hiding fromyou.
You don't need to find it andstart honoring your writing with
the time that you do have.
If you're ready for option two,then go download my free time
(12:50):
management guide.
That includes five specificstrategies to help you work with
your actual life and timeinstead of against it.
And these strategies are notabout finding more time.
They're about making the mostof the time that you choose to
give your writing.
So head over to the show notesor go to savannagilbocom.
Forward slash time to downloadthe free guide and you'll learn
how to use small pockets of timeeffectively and, yes, even 15
(13:13):
minutes matters.
You'll learn how to work withyour natural energy rhythms
instead of against them.
You'll learn how to createsustainable writing habits that
fit your real life, how to stopthe perfectionism that's
stealing your writing time andhow to build momentum even with
the busiest schedule.
All right, so one more time.
That's savannahgilbocom forwardslash time.
(13:37):
And, last but not least, ifyou're ready to go beyond time
management and if you want acomplete roadmap for actually
finishing your novel, make sureyour name is on the waitlist for
my Notes to Novel course,because doors are opening again
very soon and in that course, Iteach you exactly how to
brainstorm, outline and writeyour story, even if you only
have 30 minutes a day, all right.
So I'll put the link to that inthe show notes as well.
You can also go tosavannahgilbocom forward slash
(13:58):
waitlist to get your name on thewaitlist for my Notes to Novel
course, which will be openingagain very soon.
All right, so that's it for thisepisode of the Fiction Writing
Made Easy podcast.
Head over to savannagilbocomforward slash podcast for the
complete show notes, includingthe resources I mentioned today,
as well as bonus materials tohelp you implement what you've
(14:20):
learned, and if you're ready toget more personalized guidance
for your specific writing stage.
Whether you're just startingout, stuck somewhere in the
middle of a draft, drowning inrevisions, or getting ready to
publish, take my free 30-secondquiz at savannahgilbocom forward
slash quiz.
You'll get a customized podcastplaylist that'll meet you right
where you're at and help youget to your next big milestone.
(14:41):
Last but not least, make sureto follow this podcast in your
podcast player of choice,because I'll be back next week
with another episode full ofactionable tips, tools and
strategies to help you become abetter writer.
Until then, happy writing.
If you're waiting around to find the time to write
your novel, you are going to bewaiting forever, okay, and it's
not because you're lazy, it'snot because you're not meant to
be a writer or anything likethat.
It's because finding time is amyth that keeps you safe from
the vulnerable act of actuallywriting and the writers who go
on to finish their novels.
They don't have more time thanyou.
They don't have fewerresponsibilities, easier lives
(00:23):
or any kind of magicalproductivity powers.
They've just stopped lookingfor time and they've started
making choices about the limitedtime they do have.
Welcome to the Fiction WritingMade Easy podcast.
My name is Savannah Gilbo andI'm here to help you write a
story that works.
I want to prove to you thatwriting a novel doesn't have to
(00:43):
be overwhelming, so each week,I'll bring you a brand new
episode with simple, actionableand step-by-step strategies that
you can implement in yourwriting right away.
So whether you're brand new towriting or more of a seasoned
author looking to improve yourcraft, this podcast is for you.
So pick up a pen and let's getstarted.
In today's episode, we'retalking about why finding time
(01:04):
to write actually makes itharder to finish your novel and
what to do instead.
Now I want you to picture thisscene with me.
It's Sunday night, you've gotyour planner open and you're
feeling that surge ofdetermination.
This is going to be the weekyou finally make real progress
on your novel.
So you start blocking out yourschedule.
You've got two hours everymorning, from 5 to 7, an hour
(01:24):
during lunch and another twohours after the kids go to bed.
You do the math and that's fivehours a day, which is 35 hours
this week alone that you'regoing to dedicate to your
writing.
By Friday, you estimate thatyou'll have written thousands of
words.
Then fast forward to Mondaymorning.
Your alarm wakes you up at 4.45and you hit snooze.
Tuesday, you actually manage todrag yourself to your desk, but
(01:47):
you spend the entire two hoursstaring at a blank page,
completely frozen by thepressure of your quote-unquote
precious writing time.
By Wednesday you're just tootired to write.
And then Thursday becomes acatch-up day for all the life
stuff you've been neglecting allweek.
Friday arrives and you'vewritten exactly zero words.
Sound familiar?
Well, here's the thing, andthis might sting a little.
(02:08):
But you're not struggling towrite because you don't have
enough time to write.
You're struggling to writebecause you're trying to find
time instead of makingintentional choices about the
time you already have.
And if you're feeling calledout already and you want to jump
straight into the solutions, Icreated a free time management
guide with five specificstrategies to help you work with
(02:29):
your actual life and timeinstead of against it.
Just head to the show notes orsavannagilbocom forward.
Slash time to grab it, butstick around, because we're
going to talk about why yourbrain actually prefers this
excuse of not having enough timeto write.
So let me share something I'venoticed after working with
hundreds of aspiring writers theones who complain the most
(02:49):
about having no time to writethey're often the same ones who
spend hours researching theperfect writing software.
They spend hours readingendless blog posts and listening
to endless podcast episodesabout writing and yes, I see the
irony there.
They create these elaboratecharacter questionnaires.
They never actually finish.
They outline and re-outlinewithout ever writing actual
(03:11):
scenes, and they scroll throughInstagram or Pinterest for
quote-unquote inspiration.
And here's what's reallyhappening.
They're not struggling withtime, they're struggling with
fear disguised as a timemanagement problem.
Think about it like this whenyou say I need to find time to
write, what you're really sayingis that writing isn't currently
a priority, and if that's true,that's okay.
(03:33):
But let's at least call it whatit is right.
And the reason I say this isbecause when you say you need to
find time to write, findingtime implies that time is out
there, hiding somewhere likeit's lost keys under your couch
cushions.
If you just search hard enough,reorganize your schedule one
more time or discover that onemagical productivity hack, then
suddenly these blocks of writingtime will just magically appear
(03:56):
.
But time doesn't work that way.
Right Time isn't just found.
Now.
Your brain is incredibly clever.
It knows that saying I don'thave time is a socially
acceptable excuse that not manypeople are going to challenge.
I mean, after all, we are allbusy people, right, we have
responsibilities, obligations,packed calendars, you name it.
But when writers say I don'thave time, it's often code for a
(04:20):
deeper truth.
So something like I'm afraid tostart writing because I might
fail if I do.
Or I'm overwhelmed and I don'tknow where to begin.
I don't know what to do first,second and third, or I'm scared
my writing won't be good enough.
What if I finish?
And it's just terrible?
Or maybe I don't trust myselfto follow through on something
if I start it, or maybe I'mworried about what others will
(04:41):
think, like what happens if Iactually finish it and then I
have to share it with otherpeople?
And it's really bad, right?
There's so many types of fearthat come up when we're trying
to do something like write anovel, and so when you believe
you need to find these hugeblocks of time before you can
write, you're basically givingyour fear the perfect hiding
place, because, let's be honest,it's so much easier to say, oh
(05:01):
yeah, I'll write when I havemore time, than it is to admit
that you're terrified of puttingwords on the page because they
might actually suck right.
Well, here's where it getsinteresting, and this is
something I've noticed a lot.
Sometimes, when writers say Idon't have time, what they
really mean is I don't know whatto do with the time I have.
(05:21):
So picture this You've managedto carve out that precious hour
to write.
You sit at your desk, you'vegot, let's say, 76,000 words
left to complete your novel, butinstead of writing, you
completely freeze up and thenquestions start swirling around
in your head Should I work onthat problematic chapter three?
Should I skip ahead to thescene I'm really excited about?
Oh wait, do I need to figureout my magic system.
Before I start writing, maybe Ishould reread what I wrote last
(05:42):
week.
That's probably a better placeto start.
Actually, maybe I shouldoutline the next few chapters
first, and so on and so on, andthen, before you know it, half
of your writing time is gonebecause it's been completely
consumed by decision paralysis.
So, yes, you've been at yourdesk and you've been
quote-unquote writing for 30minutes, but you have zero words
.
You have nothing to show for it, right?
(06:02):
So without a clear plan, evenabundant time or even having
pockets of time, can becomeuseless time If you think about
it.
This is exactly why somewriters can produce more in 20
focused minutes than others cando in two scattered hours.
It's not about having more time.
It's about knowing exactly whatto do with the time you choose
(06:23):
to use.
So when aspiring writers tell methat they have no time,
typically what I ask them to dois to track what they do every
day for a week, and I'm notdoing this to judge them or
shame them.
I just want to see where theirtime goes, and I want them to
see where their time is going aswell.
And what we usually discover isthat it's not that they don't
have time, it's that they'vecreated these impossible
(06:45):
standards for what that writingtime should look like.
So maybe they believe they needuninterrupted two to three hour
blocks of time, or maybe theybelieve they need the perfect,
quiet environment or the mostclean, aesthetically pleasing
desk, or maybe they feel likethey need the mental clarity and
creative inspiration that onlythe muse can provide, whatever
it is.
So then, when real life offersthem, let's say, 20 minutes here
(07:08):
, 30 minutes there they dismissthese pockets of time because
they think what's the point?
I can't write a whole chapterin 20 minutes.
I need a two to three hourblock of time.
I need X, y, z.
20 to 30 minutes will justnever cut it.
But all this is is really justthat, all or nothing, black and
white, thinking right, and thiscan be a huge time thief.
So what if, instead of tryingto find time to write, you asked
(07:31):
yourself how can I honor mywriting with the time I do have?
And this little reframe canreally start changing everything
.
Because, first, it acknowledgesyour current reality instead of
waiting for some mythical,perfect future that most likely
is never going to exist, right?
Second, it treats your writingas something worthy of a spot of
honor, not something that'sjust squeezed in around the
(07:53):
edges.
And then, third, it focuses onyou taking action over the
perfect circumstances or theperfect block of time.
And the writers who make thiskind of mindset shift and put
these thoughts into practice,they stop seeing time as the
enemy and they start seeing itas just another creative
constraint that will actuallyhelp them write.
So let me paint you a pictureof two different writers.
(08:16):
Writer number one believes sheneeds to find time to write her
novel.
She waits for her schedule toclear, she waits for inspiration
to strike and she waits to havethe perfect two-hour window.
When she does get the time, shespends it trying to decide what
to work on.
Then months pass and her novelremains unwritten.
Now writer number two has madethe mindset shifts that we just
(08:36):
talked about.
She knows that she has 15minutes while her coffee brews.
She also knows exactly whatscene she's working on, because
she spent two minutes yesterdayleaving herself a note.
She opens her document and shewrites 200 words.
They're not perfect words, butthey are real words that are on
the page.
After a week, those 15-minutesessions add up to about 1,400,
(08:57):
1,500 words, and then in a yearshe's written enough to have a
full novel Right?
So can you see the difference?
The difference isn'tnecessarily time.
It's about choice how you'lluse that time and it's about
preparation how you'll getyourself ready to use that time
as wisely as possible.
All right now.
I know we just talked a lotabout mindset stuff and about
time management and shifting ourmindset around time, but I want
(09:20):
to also provide you with somestrategies so you can actually
implement this new way ofthinking, and I have three
strategies I'm going to sharewith you.
So number one is tracking yourtime for, let's say, one week.
For one week, I want you tonotice every time you think to
yourself I don't have time towrite, or I wish I had more time
to write.
And then I want you to thinkabout what you've been doing
(09:40):
that day or that hour, whateverit is, and ask yourself what did
I choose to do with my timeinstead and the goal is not to
judge yourself or feel bad oranything, the goal is really
just about awareness.
So I want you to see whatyou're spending your time doing,
and you might discover that youhad more time than you thought.
You just spent it differentlythan you would have liked to.
All right, so that's strategynumber one.
(10:01):
Strategy number two is to thinkabout your minimum viable
writing session.
So I want you to decide on thesmallest amount of writing time
that quote-unquote counts.
Maybe for you it's 10 minutes,maybe it's five.
The goal is to make it a smallamount of time so that you can't
use the I don't have timeexcuse.
I think most of us can findfive to ten minutes, and so the
(10:22):
question becomes are you goingto choose to use those five to
ten minutes or not?
All right, so decide on aminimum viable writing session.
I recommend five to 10 minutes,and just see what you do with
those five to 10 minutes thatyou set aside.
And that's strategy number two.
Strategy number three is toleave yourself a note at the end
of each writing session.
So, no matter how long or shortyour writing sessions are, I
(10:45):
want you to leave yourself anote at the end of it about what
you want to do next or aboutwhat comes next.
So something like tomorrow I'mgoing to write the scene where
Sarah discovers the letter fromher mother, or tomorrow I'm
going to write chapter seven,whatever it is.
This will really help cut downand hopefully eliminate that
sense of decision fatigue andhelp you dive straight into
(11:05):
writing when you sit down nexttime.
All right, so strategy numberthree leave yourself a note for
your next session, and youdefinitely don't have to do all
three of these things.
You certainly can if you wantto, but I recommend just picking
one, seeing how that works outfor you.
If it works out, great.
If it doesn't, that's okay too.
Just try another one next week.
All right, now to recapeverything we talked about, I
(11:26):
want to leave you with a littlebit of an uncomfortable truth,
and that uncomfortable truth isthat if you're waiting around to
find the time to write yournovel, you are going to be
waiting forever.
Okay, and it's not becauseyou're lazy, it's not because
you're not meant to be a writeror anything like that.
It's because finding time is amyth that keeps you safe from
the vulnerable act of actuallywriting and the writers who go
(11:48):
on to finish their novels.
They don't have more time thanyou.
They don't have fewerresponsibilities, easier lives
or any kind of magicalproductivity powers.
They've just stopped lookingfor time and they've started
making choices about the limitedtime they do have.
So they've stopped saying I'llwrite when my desk is clean, or
I'll write when I have two hours, or I'll write once I figure
(12:09):
out that plot hole, whatever itis.
And they've started saying I'mwriting now even though X, y, z,
so, even though I haven'tfigured out that plot hole, even
though my desk is messy,whatever it is and here's the
crucial part Most of them knowwhat they're going to do before
they sit down to write.
All right, so you have twooptions from here.
Option one is you keepsearching for those elusive
(12:30):
blocks of perfect writing time,staying safely in the planning
and dreaming phase where yournovel can't disappoint you.
Or you can go with option twoand you can accept that your
time isn't out there hiding fromyou.
You don't need to find it andstart honoring your writing with
the time that you do have.
If you're ready for option two,then go download my free time
(12:50):
management guide.
That includes five specificstrategies to help you work with
your actual life and timeinstead of against it.
And these strategies are notabout finding more time.
They're about making the mostof the time that you choose to
give your writing.
So head over to the show notesor go to savannagilbocom.
Forward slash time to downloadthe free guide and you'll learn
how to use small pockets of timeeffectively and, yes, even 15
(13:13):
minutes matters.
You'll learn how to work withyour natural energy rhythms
instead of against them.
You'll learn how to createsustainable writing habits that
fit your real life, how to stopthe perfectionism that's
stealing your writing time andhow to build momentum even with
the busiest schedule.
All right, so one more time.
That's savannahgilbocom forwardslash time.
(13:37):
And, last but not least, ifyou're ready to go beyond time
management and if you want acomplete roadmap for actually
finishing your novel, make sureyour name is on the waitlist for
my Notes to Novel course,because doors are opening again
very soon and in that course, Iteach you exactly how to
brainstorm, outline and writeyour story, even if you only
have 30 minutes a day, all right.
So I'll put the link to that inthe show notes as well.
You can also go tosavannahgilbocom forward slash
(13:58):
waitlist to get your name on thewaitlist for my Notes to Novel
course, which will be openingagain very soon.
All right, so that's it for thisepisode of the Fiction Writing
Made Easy podcast.
Head over to savannagilbocomforward slash podcast for the
complete show notes, includingthe resources I mentioned today,
as well as bonus materials tohelp you implement what you've
(14:20):
learned, and if you're ready toget more personalized guidance
for your specific writing stage.
Whether you're just startingout, stuck somewhere in the
middle of a draft, drowning inrevisions, or getting ready to
publish, take my free 30-secondquiz at savannahgilbocom forward
slash quiz.
You'll get a customized podcastplaylist that'll meet you right
where you're at and help youget to your next big milestone.
(14:41):
Last but not least, make sureto follow this podcast in your
podcast player of choice,because I'll be back next week
with another episode full ofactionable tips, tools and
strategies to help you become abetter writer.
Until then, happy writing.
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