How to write and have a full, productive life

A big problem that I often hear in talking to writers is how to combine writing with a busy life schedule. Here are some tips that I have found helpful:

1. Set up a place to write and only write there. I find I don't write well where I pay my bills or where I play games with my family. I'm not sure of the reason, but I need a space that is dedicated only to writing.

2. If possible, make that space as full of inspiration as possible. I am lucky that we have a half room off of the bedroom. I have put up posters, sayings, thought-provoking bits of information or questions. I also have a sound system in there, so when I'm stuck, I can lose myself in different kinds of music.

3. Establish a schedule and stick to it as much as possible. I used to get up to write in the morning, but my current schedule no longer permits that. I then switched to writing on the weekends, but that too got swallowed up. Now, I write when I can after work. Although this is more difficult than the other two times, I find the writing more productive. The key here is to know your own patterns and account for them.

4. Recognize what feeds your art. Do you like to attend concerts, poetry readings, football games, the circus? Where ever you draw your inspiration, make time to attend the events that float your boat.

5. Don't turn this into a drudgery. If you have lost touch with the fun that you had writing, switch projects.  Write in verse. Do some writing exercises. Join a writing or critique group that stretches you out of your comfort zone. Take a break from writing. Critique someone else's work. Review your rejection letters (I have learned more from my rejections than anything else). Change whatever you need to so that you are reinvigorated.

6. Work out life obstacles through writing. I have often thought about how one of my characters would deal with whatever issue I'm dealing with at the moment. This not only allows me to over come the blank screen with the lonely flashing cursor, but in some cases has given me a solution I wouldn't have happened upon otherwise.

I hope that some of these suggestions are helpful. Please feel free to add your own.