Finding a Quarter of an Hour in the Couch Cushions

One of the most common reasons I hear people give that they aren't writing daily is that they just can't find the time. "I have a job," they say. "I have school." Or, "My children all have dysentery." 

To these people I say, hush your infernal excuses! Never mind your hovering boss or the children spewing partially digested chicken noodle soup from both ends simultaneously. There's always  time.

Let's take a look at my schedule, shall we? I am taking 14 credits this quarter, plus doing 2 hours of lab with 2 hours of prep time at the local high school, and working 14/23 hours a week (depending on whether or not it's my weekend on), as well as staying on top of every last shred of homework because I absolutely cannot afford to get any less than an A in my classes if I want to stay in my program, working on my novel every single day, and also maintaining some semblance of a relationship with the people around me. And now, blogging daily. 

If I can find time, you probably can, too.

You don't need an hour set aside. You don't even need half an hour. Just make a commitment to find 15 minutes a day to write something other than your grocery list (although your grocery list might count if you make it rhyme, or write every item as a riddle). Just the way that there's always spare change between the couch cushions, there is always spare time in the day. All you have to do in know where to look. Sitting down at the end of a long day to watch a little Breaking Bad? Put it off for just fifteen minutes. Turn off the TV, turn off the noise, and turn on the writer brain. Type the alphabet over and over if that's what it takes at first, just train your fingers to write letters.

Every writer, from the lowliest fanfic fanatic to Stephen King or Shakespeare, has this in common: they made their fingers write words. 

So that's my challenge to you today: find those 15 minutes, and just do it.