© 2024 Linda Lyle

Imagine, if you will, the perfect schedule for writing. Do you have that image in your mind? Maybe you imagine a distraction-free day with nothing to do but write. That’s a nice dream, but reality has a way of creeping in and overtaking our dreams. So, what’s a writer to do?

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes (make that often) have delusions of grandeur when it comes to what I think I can get done on any given day. I make a list of tasks to accomplish and then berate myself for not completing the list. Sound familiar?

I was gifted a copy of The 12 Week Year for Writers by Trevor Thrall, and it was indeed a gift. One of the best takeaways was creating a realistic schedule of doable goals.

Create a model week that includes all your normal obligations, such as a day job, children’s activities, and chores. Make sure you include downtime for rest, family, fun, and eating (especially eating). Be realistic about how long it takes you to complete a task. If you put down thirty minutes for lunch, did you include time for meal preparation, eating, and cleaning? You also need to schedule time for nothing. You heard me. Nothing. God never intended us to work 24/7.

Are there any chunks of time you can allot for writing? What can you rearrange to create a writing block?

Next, work on your goals. I plan goals I can achieve in twelve weeks given my schedule. Again, be realistic. You probably can’t write a novel in twelve weeks if you only have three one-hour slots each week for writing and other writing tasks to complete. One chapter a week may be a realistic goal, giving you almost half a novel completed in that time period.

On your schedule, assign slots for each task. When you sit down to write, you will already know what you are going to work on, and when the session is over, you can walk away knowing you accomplished your goal for the day.

When you have a realistic schedule with doable goals, you can be productive and still have time to have a celebratory cup of coffee or tea and a little time for nothing to do but imagine what God has next for you.

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Linda Lyle is an author, knitter, and unintentional collector of cats who knits together novels with mystery, humor, and romance. Linda’s current releases are a novella collection A Christmas by Any Other Name and The 5-Minute Prayer Plan for When Life is Overwhelming. You can check out all her work and her blog on her website where The End of My Yarn is just the beginning.