Time used wisely.

   One question most people ask writers is, Where do you find the time?

  For most of us, we do not have the choice if we want to work or write. We must work, we need to pay bills. If given the choice we would take writing as our job. Others of us are students, working hard, attending classes and enduring the stress of exams, papers due plus a job on the side.

  But those of us that have the need to write, find the time to do so. Best way is to set aside a block of time each day, be it 30 minutes of butt on the chair writing whatever comes to mind or 2 hours of planning.

  A new writer should sit down, plan out their day see they have 30-60 minutes before bed or at lunchtime or between classes. The only tools a writer truely needs is their creative mind, pen or pencil and paper, no fancy laptop is really needed, no special books on how to plot. Just pen on paper getting your thoughts out, writing up a character profile, drawing a map of the characters world or doing plot points. Many new writers get caught up with thinking they need to take a class or have certain writing software when all they really need is words on the page. Taking a class might help but unless you know in what areas you are weak, the lesson probably will not sink in or be as effective.
There is a reason why many writers workshops ask the attendees to bring a short story of the first few chapters of their novel in progress.

  So this week, I'd ask each of you kiwi writers, to sit down and write down what you do each day during a normal week. Classes, work, kids activities, volunteer events, walking the dog, cooking dinner, showering. All the normal chores you complete on an average week. Find that 30 minutes or 45minutes, can you eliminate something to give you time?

  Then when you find that time be it every day, three times a week or once a week. Sit down and write no excuses. Just write the words that come to mind for that whole time. Then the next session, edit those words. Write more, edit again.  This way you are learning as you go, if you normally can find time each day to write, you can choose to write one week and edit the next. Or write one month, then edit what you did the next. Once you see how you are writing THEN you can tell what areas you need to educate yourself on.

Go find your writing time.