Do any of you wonder how others do it? How do they find time to write? I’m incredibly busy, as I’m sure you are; yet people are successful at writing. How?

Well if you have a question, you should seek out answers right? So I did. I asked friends that still work a full time day job and write, stay-at-home Moms and full-time authors. There responses were enlightening.

Here’s how they responded to the question of how they write with an already busy schedule.

“Verrry carefully. Seriously, it takes a little planning but even more flexibility. I used to think I could plan everything out just so, make sure I had the perfect number of hours set aside in which I could write the perfect number of words. Then…reality set it. If I’m in deadline mode, I try to wake up early to do some writing before work and then I usually write for a couple hours in the evening and 2-3 Saturdays a month.

But more and more, I’m discovering the need to–and fun of–writing in small spurts when I can. I used to wave off little bits of time, twenty or thirty minutes here and there, as useless. But as I wrote my last book, I found sometimes those shorter time periods helped me wordsmith. Sometimes in long bouts of time, I feel pressure to write a BUNCH of words. But when I just have a short time and know from the start that I probably won’t pump out more than a few hundred words, I find I’m more concerned with the words themselves…the sound and feel and rhythm. So that’s been kind of a fun discovery lately.”

Melissa Tagg, Author

“Since I write full time now, it’s just like a job. I usually get up by 5:30 and have my quiet time, then sit down at the computer and work until I have 2,000 words. After that, I write 3,000 words a day until I finish the manuscript. I do try to take a break on the weekends, sometimes writing only for an hour or so.”

Patricia Bradley, Author

“I have a daily word count goal (1,500 words and/or one scene). I plan to write five days a week, for a total of 7,500 words and/or 5 scenes). If I can’t squeeze in my scene for the day, I write two the next, or use Saturday as my make-up day. There have been MANY nights where I’m exhausted and the last thing I want to do is write my scene, but I force myself to. It might not be the best scene ever, but it’s words on the page and I can always fix them later.”

Gabrielle Meyer, Author

“I work full time, so getting writing time in regularly is hard. When I make a writing goal, I usually have to give up watching TV and reading for a period of time until I meet my goal. I take my computer with me when I’m running errands that include wait time, like playing chauffer for my kids activities, and I write while I wait. I also keep a small notebook in my purse, so when I’m at work or running around, I can brainstorm in my down time and jot notes to get me started when I can get to my computer.”

Andrea Nell, Writer

What about you? What creative steps do you take to find time to write?