jcatgrl asked: I often hear people say to aspiring writers that they should keep a consistent schedule for writing, but as a high school student, my workload can vary wildly from day to day, both in terms of homework and in chores that my mom assigns me. How can I keep a steady writing schedule when I have no idea how much free time I'll have on any given day?

Deidre: Okay, so you want to be a writer, but you don’t have the time (who does?). Or do you? 

I know exactly how ridiculous a school workload can be (University is the pits, man.) and I’ve found that the best way to make sure that you keep writing — schedule or not — is to keep a notepad or notebook with you. A binder of scrap paper works wonders, too. You have a couple minutes between classes — write a few words! It’s easier than you think. This might not work for everyone, though, so try out a few different things to see what works for you. I’ve known people who have written entire chapters on the notepad in their phone because they found carrying around a notebook too cumbersome. 

The best part about having such a huge workload, too, is that you can use your writing as a sort of reward. A sort of “I’ve worked hard on this rigidly-set-structure biology paper, so now I’m going to let my creativity have a turn!” type of system. Concur? Don’t let your creativity be an excuse to not get your homework finished though! Make it a fair system. Do an hour of homework, then reward yourself with half an hour of writing. At this point in your life (as much as it pains me to say it, despite the truth to it) homework is a bit more important than that fanfiction you’ve been writing and rewriting for the last x years. 

It could even be as simple as waking up ten minutes earlier and writing for those ten minutes while you wait for your tea water to boil. 

It’s not hard to find time to write in a busy day (I write during my breaks at work, even!) but the most important part in making a schedule? Make. The. Time. You can say you want to write until the cows come home, but unless you actually sit down and do it, it’ll never get done. Even while you’re doing your chores (to address the asker directly), think of what you’re going to write! Get excited to write! The worlds will flow out of you if you know what you want to write! (Example? I wrote 15 pages in a little under 3 hours — size 9 font.) 

You can do it. Just stay calm, drink your tea, and remember that five minutes a day really adds up! 

And as always, 

Happy writing! :)