Five Peaceful Writing Time Tips

Every morning, no matter when I wake, my family sweetly sleeps. They sleep while I shower. They snore while I run the hair dryer. They snooze when the microwave beeps: the coffee is hot. They peacefully slumber while my computer loudly strums the start-up cord. This is the big difference between the only morning person in a house of night owls.

BUT 

When I walk to my workspace and raise my fingers to key the FIRST word of the day, they suddenly awake, bubbling with great stories that must be heard at that very moment. How do they do that? Shhhh...I am sneaking in this post before they notice.

Let's talk about ways to have some peaceful writing time. Here are some tips I found:

1. Bob Hostetler gave a great tip for this very issue at a recent conference. Ah, the stories of writing at home that he shared. We laughed. Bob said he used a signal that communicated, "I am writing, do not disturb." 

The idea is simple. He wears a special sports coat when writing. The family knows, do not disturb Dad when he wears the sports coat. The advantage to this signal over...say...a closed door, is he can pace about the house maintaining his writerly mode. I like that. 

2. If the household is quiet, but your spirit is not in the mood to write, Pepper Basham plays themed music that matches her story. A great way to kindle the words. Pirates of the Caribbean sound track is great for adventures. Italian dinner jazz is great for romances. You know best what would work for your story. Hop over to Pandora, You Tube, or others and play a tune to set the mood.

3. Angie Dicken and Krista Phillips suggested a trip to a favored coffee shop. Choose a comfy place to sit, perhaps by the fake fireplace, and cue your characters to take the stage. Angie and Krista make an appointment for the trip once or more a week so the family knows mommy is going to work. When the money is tight, the same appointment can be at the library...or even at home when they are at school/events.

4. Ashley Clark says she writes for an hour or two after the family falls asleep.

5. We all have a lot that happens in our day. Somedays we simply hurt. Oddly enough this too is a good time to write. Our passions are stirred and we can better understand what our characters are experiencing. In moments of rejoicing write. Your characters have moods too! As writers, we are putting them through a whole heap of trouble...yet...as we know...they survive in the end.

And so will we. So good friend...go...write...and be peacefully blessed.

~Mary Vee
Photo by Mary Vee
#TipfulTuesday #Peace #Writing #Time #TimeManagement #WritersAlley 

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Mary Vee -Rock climbing, white-water rafting, and hiking top Mary’s list of ways to enjoy a day. She was homeless for a time, was a teacher, a missionary, and married an Air Force vet. Mary has been a finalist in several writing contests and writes for her King.

Visit Mary at her Website, Blog, and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter