Writer Advice Rebellion: You Make Time for What Is Important

You make time for what is important to you. 

Sigh I can pretty much hear that in my father's voice as I type it. 

"If it is important enough, you'll make time for it." 

What annoys me so much about this is how it is used to guilt writers who are fighting just to keep their heads above water and not drown in the raging sea of writing, editing, promotion, and that pesky little thing called "life." 

First, you don't make time. You get a finite amount of it. 

But, "We all get the same 24 hours. (Super successful person) does (magic writing thing ) with theirs. What are you doing? " 

NO. NO. NO. NOOOOOOOO. 

We don't all get the same 24 hours. My 24 hours as a person who works from home with grown kids and a super supportive husband is VERY different from the 24 hours of a single mom with a teenager playing sports, an elementary schooler doing gymnastics, and an hour commute every day. 

Second, just because writing can't always be in a place of high priority for you doesn't mean it's not "important" or that you aren't serious about it. Sometimes that's not a choice you get to make. 

You know what's most important to me? My family and friends who are like my family (anyone else hear that in Dom's voice from The Fast and Furious? "Family." No? Just me. That's okay.) 

There are people in my life that I would absolutely drop everything and drive across the state for (and remember, I live in Texas) if they needed me at a moment's notice because they are important to me. 

Does that mean I always get to do that just because I miss them? No. Because our priorities are in a constant shuffle of life requirements, free time, and available funding. 

Should you find space in your schedule for writing? Absolutely. 

Does that mean treating writing like a second job? I don't know. Would you take on a second job right? Do you have that kind of space in your life? Is that space from 3:30 to 6:15 am? Because fun fact: exhaustion doesn't equal high levels of productive creativity. Some of y'all need the sleep way more than you need the word count. 

My point is: let go of the guilt. 

Use the time you can and give yourself grace when you can't. 

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