Snow Day

I am just beginning Day 9 of my quest to write a book in 50 days. So far, I am making decent progress. There is still a mind-bending amount of work to do. But I've managed to do a lot more than I expected. That's especially true over the past couple of days, in part because we have a snow day. True, the storm was not nearly as severe as they predicted. But it did mean cancelling and moving some appointments around. The net result is that I found myself with some extra time on my hands--and that meant a chance to write.

As I described in an earlier post, one of the real challenges most working writers face is finding time to write. This is especially true if writing is not your full-time job. Often, people who write have other full-time jobs, either at home or out in the workforce. Having blocks of time is often not very realistic. Learning to use bits of time is the only way most of us get anything done.

But then there are those miracles of time that occur almost at random. A cancelled appointment, a delayed flight--a snow day. If you want to write, try to be prepared for when those moments strike. Bring whatever it is you are working on with you wherever you go, and have it in a workable form. This could be print or electronic. Just make sure that you can actually do something with it.

I think you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish in these odd moments of time if you are ready to go. In fact, you may even start to look forward to delayed appointments, inclement weather, and time spent waiting. These "inconveniences" will become your opportunities. While others complain, you will recognize them as a blessing in that they grant you the miracle of a block of time to write.