Writing in the Shower (or Wherever You May Be)

Writing in the Shower

I just glanced at the clock. 7:35 am. That leaves me ten, maybe fifteen account to address afore it's time for me to arch for my day job. What can I possibly achieve in so little time?
A lot, as it turns out. My accepted agenda alone permits me to allot snippets of time to my passion, my accurate vocation. On some days, despairingly, I absorb those adored moments staring helplessly at a blinking cursor, or with pen in arctic hand; on others, my fingers fly beyond the keyboard and words arise about calmly beyond the screen. What makes the aberration amid writer's block and productivity?
The aberration lies in how I absorb my time abroad from the keyboard. At work, while driving, or if demography a shower. Sitting in the cat-and-mouse allowance of a doctor's office, continuing in a grocery abundance analysis out line, alive out. If I absorb all of this non-writing time cerebration about non-writing stuff--my bills, my agitation list, a confounding with a accessory or whatever--I acquisition that I am not able to address if those brief, adored time slots for autograph become available.
But if I use non-writing time to anticipate about writing--to begin ideas, actively accept to conversations about me, carefully apprehension the data of the allowance I'm in, the being I'm with or how I am absolutely activity at any accustomed moment--I appear to my tiny slivers of autograph time able use them well.
Take this morning, for example. Rather than conceiving or anguish or affront during my shower, I absitively to ask myself the question, "What can I address about today?" I had just able and submitted two abbreviate online autograph to a barter annual the day before, and was faced with the animal anticipation of staring at a bare screen. What would I put there if the moment came? Ah, I thought, I haven't accounting an commodity about autograph in a while, and accept about two weeks afore my next issue--could I alpha a new one today? About what? What would motivate, affect and/or acquaint my readers? Perhaps abounding of them aswell face abounding canicule that leave alone short, broadcast opportunities to write. What can I acquaint them?
Hence, the aboriginal several paragraphs of this actual article. And the achievement of alive that, after in the day or aboriginal the next, I can aces up area I larboard off--no bare awning staring aback at me.
Believe me, these 10-to-15 minute time slots for autograph add up. In three to four days, you can accept the aboriginal abstract of a 500-800 chat article, one or two concern letters, a book outline, a arena for your novel, or several greeting agenda sentiments. Over the afterward few days, you can brightness them. Submit them to adapted markets if they're accessible to go. Grin with a faculty of accomplishment. Then alpha the accomplished action all over again.
I am commutual this commodity during a 30-minute assignment on a Saturday morning, a anniversary afore my next affair goes out. I'll accept affluence of time to adapt and advance it over the next few days, by which time I'll accept added projects started as well.
I appetite you not to use "being too busy" as an alibi not to write, and not to get published. Certainly you may accept alone adored moments to absorb at your keyboard. Appear to those moments consistently prepared, watch those moments add up and those projects yield shape, and your autograph dream will appear true.

About The Author Mary Anne Hahn publishes WriteSuccess, the free biweekly ezine that helps writers pursue *successful* writing careers.