Professional book editor in the UK reveals 5 effective ways to finish writing your novel even with a full-time job or a busy schedule!
As we all know, earning money from writing books is tough unless you're Stephen King or Margaret Atwood, so most writers and indie authors have to work a full-time job to pay the bills and save up for the nice things in life.
Nonetheless, the tedious 9 to 5 shouldn't stop you from chasing your author dreams, but I understand that it can be challenging to fit crucial writing time into your busy schedule. Trust me, I feel your pain.
Before I launched Stand Corrected Editing, I worked in the library service for five to six days a week, so finding the time and energy to escape into my stories was difficult. Even now as a book editor, it sometimes feels as though I have even less time to work on my own manuscripts, so I take pleasure in plunging into my clients' novels instead!
Although finding the time to write when you have a full-time job is tricky, it IS possible if you're serious about finishing your book.
Throughout this article, I will share 5 tips on how YOU can fulfil your writing passion while working the boring 9 to 5.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you decide to make a purchase through the products and services I recommend. I only recommend things that I truly love and use, so I hope I can recommend something to you that you can love too! :)
1. Write in the Morning or at Night
Believe it or not, some writers and part-time bloggers purposely wake up an hour or two earlier than they need to so they can get a few hundred words down. I know, people willingly drag themselves out of their cosy pit to write before they go to work!
However painful waking up early seems, doing so on a regular basis is a great and reliable way to keep on top of your writing. But if you're like me and the idea of an early start make your eyes even heavier, an hour or so in the evening may work better for you!
Related Post: Why Money Shouldn't Drive Your Writing Career
2. Write on Public Transport
If you're like me and you rely on public transport, your morning and evening commute is as precious as The One Ring! Put your earphones in, get your notebook or phone out, and get writing - you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much you can write in a 30-minute bus or train ride, 5 days a week.
If, for example, you're able to bang out 200 words in half an hour, that's 500 words a day, and 2500 words per week (if you work the standard Monday - Friday). Just think about it, you could write 50,000 words in five months, and that's just in your hypothetical 30-minute commute, there and back. Miraculous, right?
3. Write in Your Lunch Break
Most employees only get 30 minutes to an hour for lunch, but this peaceful alone time away from your colleagues is a brilliant opportunity to get a few pages down.
However, after you've actually finished your lunch, you may only have about 15 minutes left, but don't be put off by that because everything you write adds up, even if you only manage a few sentences.
4. Write in the Bath
After a long day editing manuscripts or writing blog posts or the one thing I look forward to is a lovely warm bath. Sometimes I blast my favourite tunes, sometimes I listen to a podcast or a useful YouTube video, and other times, I use the time to write.
So, why not dedicate an hour to write each evening in a blissful bubble bath?
Perhaps you find it difficult to motivate yourself, or maybe you have young children who are great at distracting you, so make this time yours by locking the world out to write your book!
5. Write on Your Days Off
Telling you to get some writing done on your days off probably sounds obvious, but it's really not for some people, even me sometimes. After a long, busy week, the last thing most people want to do is more work.
However, a lot of people subconsciously convince themselves that they have to sit down and write all day, or as much as possible to avoid "wasting time", but this way of thinking can do more harm than good to your writing schedule and motivation.
Instead of guilt-tripping yourself into not wasting your day off, set yourself a reachable goal. For example: On Sunday, I'm going to write for an hour - this type of goal is excellent if you want to avoid burnout and writer's block because you'll actually stop at 1 hour and feel like you have done something, and therefore, not wasted the day. And it doesn't matter if you've written 200 words or 1000, the point is, you've written for one hour and achieved your goal.
Final Words
As we discussed in the introduction, writing and finishing your book when you work full-time is challenging and tedious at times, but with these five tips, you can totally get that book written and move onto the editing stage!
Even if you can't do all five of the things I have suggested, implementing two or three of them into your daily work schedule will still help you to finish your manuscript!
Anyway, thank you for reading this article on how to finish your book when you have a full-time job! Don't forget to click the heart below to show your support, comment and share it with your writer friends! :)
- Chelsea x
ABOUT CHELSEA
Hey! I'm Chelsea and I'm a professional book editor at Stand Corrected Editing, my editorial business in the UK. If you need professional book editing services and are currently looking for a manuscript editor, please get in touch and we can get started today!
With my book editing and proofreading services, I hope to spread my knowledge and expertise on how to make your novel a success, and be a mentor to others who desperately want to pursue a fruitful career as an author!