Why I Create 2-hour Blocks of Time for Writing My Next Book

As I have a lot of brands I am trying to build up, my time is at a premium. Not only am I working for myself, but I'm also the Content Marketing Team Lead of a web hosting company. Needless to say, I really don't have a lot of free time for everything I'm trying to accomplish. Regardless of how busy I am, though, setting up blocks of time to write my book has other benefits.

In other words, even if I dropped everything I am doing, I would still maintain a specific block of time for writing my book.

Making the Book a Priority Task

Right now, I am working towards a May 1st release date. This means that my book needs to be a priority if I want to be finished in time. Given the sheer amount of stuff I do, I often forget if I don't have a block of time scheduled in Asana.

This is a self-imposed deadline. I do this to help motivate me to keep pushing myself to go forward. Otherwise, it'll be one of those books that I'm "working on" for the next six years.

Besides, I've been talking about the May 1st deadline with my fans and a lot of people are expecting it now. This is good, though. It adds fuel to the fire under my butt to get this book done.

Anyway, the main point of this is to make the book a priority of all the things I want to accomplish this year. And so far, it's been working very well. I've written quite a bit over the last few weeks because I am reminded to work on it after my client's work is done.

Giving Me Time to Process What's Next

One thing I've discovered about myself is that I often stay more focused and write some amazing elements to the manuscript after taking time to mull over what I want to write. So, a two-hour block of time gives me a spurt of 2,000 to 2,500 words during the day. Then, I can think about the storyline before the next block of time comes up.

In fact, I'll often go over the details of Kingmaker while walking around in the backyard listening to music to get in my daily steps.

During that block of time, I am far less likely to sit at an empty computer screen for 20 minutes. As soon as my block of time comes up for writing, I immediately jump in breaking down the ideas I came up with throughout the "off-writing" time.

I know there are some writers out there who can just crank out an endless stream of words from the get-go. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. Mostly because it's difficult to keep my mind focused on any one project throughout the day. This is part of why I take on a lot more than I can handle sometimes. My mind is usually all over the map.

I Don't Feel Burnt Out

The last thing I want to do is burn myself out before I even get a decent book published. I suppose part of this feeling stems from how my mind works. As I mentioned a second ago, I am constantly bouncing from one thing to the next. It's part of what made me such as success using content mills, as I could seamlessly move on to contrasting topics.

If I focus too much on any one particular thing, I start to feel burned out throughout the day. The task begins to feel more like a mundane chore that I wind up dreading.

Of course, I don't really know if this is the case nowadays. I'm basing the assumption on how I began my career as a freelancer. Since I've been getting older, a lot of things about me, both physical and mental, have made some drastic changes. So, maybe I won't get burned out by putting more time into various projects.

I would just hate to find out I was right all along and start dreading writing my book. Though, I'm not entirely sure that would be the case. I've always been a writer.

A Good Reprieve Throughout the Day

Taking adequate breaks helps keep your mind focused throughout the day. For me, a two-hour block of time postpones actual work while giving me something I thoroughly enjoy doing. Even though I call writing "work" according to my spreadsheet, it's actually not.

That's what happens when you have a career doing something you love.

At any rate, the block of time I set aside from writing gives me a chance to unwind a bit after working for clients. I get to use my creativity and put effort into something I have absolute control over. This, alone, is worth every minute I spend working on my novel.

In a world where you don't have much control, being able to have supreme authority over something is quite therapeutic. It's less stressful and helps give you a sense of purpose.

I Get Excited for "Writing Time"

Much like how school children patiently wait for recess, I get excited about my two-hour blocks of time when writing Kingmaker. In fact, I feel much the same today as I did when the recess bell would ring during class.

That's one of the keys to being successful in any project, really. If you're not excited about the task at hand, it's going to feel more like a chore. This means you're less likely to put in as much effort.

I even notice a major shift in my mood when I know the "writing time" is about to come. I know, I'm a bit of a dork. But it's how I feel when I schedule my day like this.

Keeping myself excited for this particular project is going to help me meet that self-imposed deadline. The end result is having another book with my name on it on the shelf behind me. Not to mention a better chance of being featured within an actual bookstore in the real world.

Every Writer Has Their Processes

These are simply the reasons I prefer to set up two-hour blocks of time for writing my book. Every author is going to have their own processes, thoughts, and daily routines. At this point in time, it's just the best way I can go about making sure Kingmaker is published on time while getting everything else done.

In the end, there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer when writing a book. It all comes down to finding methods that keep you productive. It may take a bit of time to find your groove, but when you do, you'll be unstoppable.