Recently I talked about the most unsexy, boring writing advice ever: schedule your writing time. And how scheduling is essential if you want to write a book, so you may as well make it your bitch. BUT… scheduling is completely pointless if you don’t protect your scheduled time.

(Read the recent post here.)

This idea of protecting your time was brought home to me this week by Jennifer Close, author of Marrying the Ketchups. She was sharing tips for writers on The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast, and of course she talked about scheduling her writing time. No surprise. Blah, blah.

But she grouped it with protecting your writing time, which made my little brain ping!

Isn’t that smart!

It’s all well and good to schedule 30 minutes of writing every morning, or whatever you’ve picked, but if you ditch it every time you have a doctor’s appointment, or the kids are running late for school, or the cat pukes on the carpet…

What’s the point?

Why bother scheduling writing time if you don’t keep the appointment? You’re just setting yourself up to feel lousy.

Yes, sometimes we have to switch things up at the last minute.

I mean, if your kid can’t breathe because they’re allergic to peanuts, and who knew peanuts were the secret ingredient to Aunt Marge’s muffins, please don’t make your child wait until you’ve finished your paragraph before rushing them to the ER.

But emergency muffin situations aside, let’s give our desire to write some respect. Treat it as well as your friends, colleagues, or gynecologist—anyone you’d keep an appointment with.

If writing matters, keep your writing appointments. Prioritize and protect them. 

Lastly, remember: if your schedule consistently doesn’t work, it’s not a sign that you suck at this protecting business.

It’s a big, flashing, neon sign shouting, “Try something DIFFERENT!”


A new time. Place. Energy drink. Get creative and choose what you’ll try. Treat it as an experiment.

Wanna hear something silly?

Yesterday, as soon as I heard this protecting advice from Jennifer, I decided to share it with you in this blog. Today, when my son’s school had a special meeting and the delivery guy was dropping something off… I ditched my writing time.

Yeah.

Me. The woman preaching about protecting your writing time DID EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE.

So I am a work in progress. I bet you’re the same.

Let’s make a pact

  • I promise I will try my best to protect my writing time.

  • I promise I will not beat myself up if I fail.

  • I will remember I get to try afresh every day.

Samesies?

Email and let me know if you’re in for a pinkie promise. Let’s try our best to protect our writing time (without getting all strict teacher-y on ourselves).

 

Thanks,

Liz “Don’t Mess with My Writing Time” Green
Editor, Book Coach, and Ghostwriter
Green Goose Writing


P.S. If you’re working on fiction or memoir and enjoy writing inspiration without all the BS, listen to The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast. I’m not affiliated. It’s just excellent.

 
 

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