Writing Anywhere, Anytime

A skill that is important for writers to cultivate is the ability to write anywhere, anytime. Often writers feel conditions have to be perfect for them to write. The stars must be aligned. The muse must be calling. It must be perfectly still. They must be perfectly comfortable, and they must be inspired. As a result, these writers often get little or no writing done because it's impossible to achieve such conditions of perfection. Life is full of distractions and imperfect conditions; and if you let them detour you from your goals, you will never be a productive writer. It is important to simplify the writing process so that you don't have to have your computer in front of you to write. Work on being able to write with just pencil and paper. Learn to write on your lap instead of on a desk, to write on the go instead of being stationary, to write in little segments of free time instead of long blocks of it. Make your craft mobile and flexible so that you can do it anywhere or anytime the opportunity presents itself. This will allow writing to be integrated into your daily life instead of being a separate formal activity you do only in certain places at certain times. Writing in this stream-of-consciousness manner will enable you to write in a more focused way because you are teaching yourself to regularly tune out the world and tune into your writing. It also allows you to capture those spontaneous bursts of creativity as they occur instead of waiting for a more ideal time when the thought and the inspiration may be lost. Instead of trying to set aside time to write, try making writing a natural part of your daily life, and reap the rewards of more creative and productive work.