I was asked recently what my writing schedule looked like. My answer?

“Well, I write when I write.”

The only consistent writing I’m currently managing is blogging. And by “consistent writing” I mean, I post some kind of blog post every week between here and the main blog. They’re not all fantastic, but they do get me typing at my laptop or tablet for a couple hours every Sunday.

Honestly, I wasn’t very happy with my answer to that question, especially since I know I’m capable of more. During the last few months of 2016 I would spend hours every day working on my first novel. I wasn’t working at the time, and I got 50,000 words written in just over a month. Once I started working again at the end of that year, I’d wake up consistently at 5:20am to write for two hours before getting ready for work.

Unfortunately, and even though I’m a solid morning person, getting up that early did not produce solid writing and I quickly lost my characters and myself, and still haven’t finished writing that book. This summer has been full of hints that I should start again, though, but I really want to focus on these short stories.

My dilemma is not that I don’t have time to write, because I certainly have the time, it’s just that I don’t make myself sit down and do it. As much as I want to see the short stories completed, I don’t feel motivated to do them.

My brain is slightly overloaded by human interaction once I get off work, so I have something to eat while watching a show, telling myself I’ll write after, and before I know it it’s 8:30 and my brain is shutting down.

*I like to say that my energy is tied to the sun. When it’s up, I’m alert and properly functioning; when it’s down, my brain winds down and I’m no good to anyone.*

I get my best work done in the middle of the day when I have no time constraints and nowhere I need to go. Unfortunately, that’s also when I’m at work so it doesn’t do much for my creative writing.

So how do I force myself to sit and write? How do I motivate myself to get these 12 (I think) pieces done?

I also want to submit another piece to an online magazine by their September deadline. They didn’t pick up the piece I submitted in April, so I want to try again. I know whatever I submit will have to be written and rewritten a couple of times before I feel it’s good enough. How do I challenge myself to write more consistently?

I’m going to find a way to push myself to write more, and decide on a set of rewards for each time I finish a group of short stories….or something to keep myself motivated.

I’ll let you know what I decide to do and whether or not it works for me.

Happy writing!

-Christine