By Daniel Parsons
Writing around a busy schedule can be tough. That’s why “write a book” is one of the most common bucket list items, yet only a tiny portion of people ever become published authors. The rest are “too busy”. They’ll get to it “one day.”

Well, as we all know, that day often never comes. There’s never a perfect time to write a book. Life doesn’t get less busy. Prolific writers just make time to write, no matter what. At Self Publishing Formula, we’ve come up with a five simple tips to help you make time, even when life might make that seem impossible.

1.Make Writing Your One Thing

People often have several goals. Visit the gym daily. Learn Spanish. Practice the guitar. Write a book. They spread themselves too thin and end up achieving nothing. Try focusing on one thing – your book – until you’ve mastered the writing process. It’s a sure-fire way to make significant progress.

2.Don’t Consume, Produce

There is a clear difference between a prolific author, and an aspiring author. Often, it’s the time they spend consuming versus producing content. For example, struggling writers often consume everything “just in case” they learn something crucial or get inspired. They feel busy, but produce little. Successful writers, however, cherry-pick only the best TV and books, and spend the majority of their time writing. They produce a lot. Assessing how you spend your time can reveal areas where you can improve your productivity.

3.Plan Ahead

Outlining isn’t for everyone but it can help you write faster, as it enables you to jump right into your writing at any given time. Think about it; starting is often the hardest part. If you already know what you want to write in your next scene, you can hit the ground running.

4.Embrace Imperfection

When it comes to writing, many newbies compare their first draft to the quality of edited bestsellers. Of course, this mindset leads to dejection and stifles creativity. The truth is, nobody can write a perfect first draft and you can’t edit a blank page. You can, however, write fast to hit a daily word target, trust your process, and never miss a day until your manuscript is complete. In the words of Facebook’s founder, “Done is better than perfect.” You can always edit it later.

5.Write in the Cracks of Life

Those who say they’re “too busy” to write often don’t acknowledge all the time they’re leaving on the table. Just because you don’t have a dedicated two-hour window where you can write at your desk, doesn’t mean you can’t find pockets of time throughout the day. Sitting on the bus. Waiting for a microwave to ping. Standing in a checkout line. Some writers can churn out a hundred words in five minutes. In a world populated by smart phones and cloud technology, there really is no excuse for not writing. The tool you use doesn’t matter, only the outcome.

Daniel Parsons

Dan Parsons is the bestselling author of multiple series. His Creative Business books for authors and other entrepreneurs contains several international bestsellers. Meanwhile, his fantasy and horror series, published under Daniel Parsons, have topped charts around the world and been used to promote a major Hollywood movie. For more information on writing, networking, and building your creative business, check out all of Dan’s non-fiction books here.