Screenwriting : Balancing life as a writer by Malaika Eve

It's all about priorities and MAKING time for the things that are most meaningful for you.

I mean, if you care about it, you're going to find a way to keep doing it, even if it's in little chunks. There's also the principle that busy people are actually better at getting things done because they don't have time to procrastinate.

Personally, I'm also a big believer in lean living and adopting the artist's life. That can mean making huge compromises to pursue something that should be more meaningful and fulfilling.

Making your dreams come true takes a lot of hours on the grind. You have to make that sacrifice, just like anyone who works their way to success.

Choose a time slot during the day the works for you the best, No matter if it's two hours, 1 hour, 30 or 15 minutes.

Sometimes we believe that's not enough time but you'll be amazed how much you can get done while managing your time to work for you. It usually works best when you structure out by starting with brainstorming, writing a treatment, outline, then start the actual typing process of writing the screenplay.

Keeping a small notebook on deck is usually a good idea.

Remember, just because you're not pounding away into a laptop nonstop like Jack Torrance doesn't mean your not writing. Makes me think of a recent episode of American Horror Story where a character mentioned screenwriters are just creative typists. (And we are, that's what makes us the most special of all writers!)

You know why?

Screenwriters are architects!

I do the physical writing on the fringes of my everyday life, mostly when the house is quiet at 5:30-5:40 every morning before I get ready for work. I've learned to prioritize what I'm going to write either the day or night before, so I'm wasting the precious time I have. At work, during the day, I'm brainstorming internally. My brain really never stops. I think it's entirely possible to find a set time and stick to it. I wish I could write for several hours at a time (in my single days, I had that luxury), but am truly happy balancing things out. Best of luck!!

WriterDuet (web based) screenwriting software. Speech to text on my tablet. 1hr lunch break (avg 2 pages/day). Editing said pages when I get home. Consistency is the key! This allows me to complete a first draft in about three months. I outline before starting a script which usually prevents me from having to do major rewrites in the middle. But most importantly, it saves time. Which leaves me free to do things like a full-time job, family stuff with my wife and kids, the 'Honey-do' list, shopping, laundry, yard work, killing bathroom spiders and occasionally sleep.

Thank you all for the responses!

At least now I dont feel so guilty for only managing to get 15 minutes of writing done a day.

Will definitely manage my time better and just as it's been said, writers are architects.... sacrifice and occasional sleep makes for a good screenplay!

I definitely feel encouraged to put my ideas to paper and share them with y'all for feedback!

I use writerduet so I can steal minutes. I have trained myself to write in burst. Plus priorities. Writing is more important than ?

You dump the answer to that question and you now have time to write.

It's part cost and part really understanding what's important in life. Once I knew screenwriting was my #1 love, I had to treat it like a child. I feed it in the morning, best time for me to write, throughout the day, between work and friends, I strategize career-wise, at the end of the day I spend a dedicated hour to it again either creatively or business-wise. On the weekend I dedicate 4 hours to it on Sunday. Saturday I take 100% off. When I'm filming one of my projects, it gets tighter 'cause I want to keep my new ideas going while still filming. So I get up at 5am and spend an hour working on a feature or pilot, something separate from what I'm writing and filming, currently it's a comedy sketch series. Basically it's all or nothing. Between all of that, I'm checking friend's birthday's, making sure my 15 year old niece got her monthly uncle allowance so I can remain Best Uncle Ever, and somehow also do my day job as a video editor.

Not sure this helped.lol

As a single mom with two jobs you gotta squeeze it in every little bit counts

I know that I'm just echoing what most people have said already, but you just have to make that time (find it, or just straight up make it). If it matters to you, you prioritize it and find a way to do it. That goes for writing, that goes for learning more & expanding upon your skill set, that goes for socializing, that goes for dropping everything and just being good & still for a sec. I don't think that you can be fully functioning in any of those arenas unless you're finding a way to tend to all of those arenas. Truly.

I know exactly what you mean and I was stuck on when I can write. My coworker kept saying, ONE PAGE A DAY, and it finally sunk in. He said no matter what, write that one page, then it will turn into 2 pages and so forth. One day, I ended up writing 28 pages and was so shocked! Take ONE hour of your day to write, no matter what and see how it works out. Good luck, you got this!

You can always write at work....be "paid" writer nonetheless...

I had a full time job (48 hours usually) and the other stuff, and my goal was to write a minimum of 1 good page every day before work. I set aside the time every day. 1 page a day is 3 screenplays a year - and I did that for 10 years until I sold a script to a company at Paramount.

I second CJ (adopting artist’s life) and add if a writer yields to be vessel/catalyst to a story, the art will out irrespective of personal circumstance. Some only manage to spill words break time in a 9 to 5 job whereas others write 24/7 but its the passion that counts.