I was recently talking with a friend about how to write a book on the weekends. We were fantasizing about the ideal writer’s life. We both had this romantic vision of having lots of free time during the days to sit in a cafe writing, drinking coffee, and discussing intellectual and creative ideas.
Throughout history, the only writers who have ever been able to live like this belonged to one of two categories: those who had wealthy sponsors and those who lived in material poverty from lack of a steady source of income. I’m guessing for you the first option is not available and the second is certainly not desirable, especially if you have a family to support.
What happens is you end up stuck in the middle: needing to earn a living but also wanting to create your art. This has always been the eternal struggle of the creative soul. You need both money and self expression to survive yet it’s hard to make both happen sometimes.
Writers in today’s world are burdened with more responsibilities, more distractions, and less time to write. You must be super efficient in order to finish a book and get published.
So if you’re one of the many weekend writing warriors out there, here are some tips to help you find your focus and get into your creative flow so you can write more and write better with the time you have.
How to Write a Book on the Weekends
1. Get very clear on your ONE idea, ONE audience, and ONE purpose. If you’re like most writers I know, you have many ideas for multiple books. You can only be effective though if you’re focused on one book at a time. Remember weekend writing warrior, time is a limited resource. You CAN write all your books if you follow the theory of ONES.
2. You have to decide that you really want it. Desire is the first step to manifesting anything. Desire is an energy that builds momentum. The more you actively choose your desire and feel it in your body, the more likely you are to follow that feeling with action.
3. Create an environment that inspires you. All artists have keen senses and the environment can either enhance or detract from your creative process. One of my favorite places to write is a cafe out in the desert with reclaimed wood interior, overstuffed velvet couches, and classic rock music playing on the speakers. Find what works for you with my Write Like a Pro Cheat Sheet.
4. Write in microbursts. What is this? It’s my method for putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) in short sessions so that I can see progress and feel accomplished. Why do I do this? Because the brain needs little wins in order to stay motivated otherwise you’ll feel overwhelmed and quit. You can download my template for this below.
As a weekend writing warrior you are different from those who have already transitioned into full time writing or entrepreneurship. The biggest key to your success will be to not compare yourself to others and not overburden yourself with this process. Slow and steady wins the race. You will finish your book if you stayed tuned to the four steps above: focus, desire, environment, and microbursts. I’ll go so far as to add a fifth step here – celebrate! As each weekend comes to a close I encourage you to celebrate any and all progress.
You are on a path few dare to enter and armed with this knowledge of how to write a book on the weekends, you can stay on the path and become a published author. Go for it, weekend writing warrior!
