Comments on: Finding Time to Write in High School

By: shane

shane — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:26:56 +0000

i’m writing an article but still sometimes i feel uncontented of what i’m writing…what shall i do?

By: Stephen Thorn

Stephen Thorn — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:46:33 +0000

(Okay, so my math was a little off — I’m a writer, not a mathematician.)

By: Stephen Thorn

Stephen Thorn — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:44:55 +0000

I sympathize with the nameless student. I’m a middle-aged man working three jobs AND trying to keep a household running while trying to have a little time for a social life. Along with that, I’m writing my first novel (75 pages so far – YAY!) and working on poems and short stories as they come to me. No, I don’t have a magical hourglass that lets me stop time and write for six hours a day (but ooooh, don’t I wish I DID!). I write during my lunch hour, or when I can steal a little time aside from that, get about six hours of sleep per night (when nine would suit me much better), etc. It boils down to priorities — you do what is possible to make what you want happen. I give up some things in order to put that time into my writing, and that’s what Nameless Student will have to do as well. Skip 15 minutes per day spent on something else and by the end of the week you’ll have 3 hours + for your writing.

Aside from that, I use some technology to aid me. I have a pocket tape recorder into which I can dictate ideas or stories as they come to me (I usually do this while I’m driving, rather than yammering on my cell phone and asking my friends such vital and timely questions as “What’re you doing?” or “Where you at?”) I bought an old dinosaur laptop that is modern enough to run my word processing program (cost me $50) that I can lock up at my desk at work, then haul it out at lunch time to add a few paragraphs or pages over lunch.

Again, it’s not always easy. There are some current TV shows that I really enjoy but haven’t seen a complete episode of in weeks because I alternate my attention between watching the TV and writing on my laptop. But I don’t feel cheated — I love to write, love to tell the stories that are rumbling around in my head and fighting to get out, plan to be published again (and again and again!), so I’m enjoying what I’m doing. That’s the key — feed your passion with your time and sweat, and the passion will feed you in return.

By: Maeve

Maeve — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:20:22 +0000

John,
Please note that I added an explanation to the post as soon as the omission was pointed out to me. Apologies.

By: Angela Wilson

Angela Wilson — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:03:50 +0000

How I wish I had not wasted all my time in high school and college and just WROTE! Starting good habits young will pay off in life. If you make writing a priority while in high school and during the chaos of college, you will have set a habit that will not be easily broken.

Even if it is a half page per day, right before bed, journal writing, using a blog platform to stumble through a story or your creative muse, just do SOMETHING. You will feel so much better once you get rid of all that guilt about NOT writing.

Thanks for a terrific post! Good luck to the student!