Time Management

When you're a teen, there is so much going on. Soccer, dance, homework, etc. It can be hard to find a time to write.

The best way to overcome this is to separate a time for writing each day. During this time you do nothing but write. Schedule it around your soccer practice and study time. Adjust it to fit your schedule.

I might be able to write from 4:30-5:00 everyday, while someone else might not be able to write in that same amount of time. And that's okay. 

Maybe when you get home from school you start your homework  right away, and then you write for a half hour, and then you go back to finishing homework. It's whatever works for you. You may want to schedule 15 minute intervals when writing. This way, you can have fresh eyes for both your writing and that Social Studies essay due tomorrow.

Ex:

3:00-3:15-Homework

3:15-3:30-Writing

3:30-3:45-Homework

A lot of people talk about writing, and read about writing, and think about writing, but never actually write. Don't fall into that trap! Schedule time for yourself! You deserve it.

Distractions

Do you remember the dog Doug, from the Pixar movie Up? Remember when he would be in the middle of a sentence squirrel! That happens a lot when we write. We are about to finish a chapter, verse,  or line, when BAM! Our squirrel comes along. WHAT did she just post on Instagram? That episode's tonight!?! Pinterest...Pinterest...Pinterest... They're endless.

My common squirrel is my mother, or more specifically, the chores my mother gives me. Dishwasher, counters, vacuum, sweep, cat food, litter box, dog food, animal's water, etc. That and the new puppies that just entered my house.

In case you wanted to see the cuteness overload :)

Anyway, distractions are inevitable. It's all in the way you handle them. Whenever I hear the word distraction, I often think of the word procrastination.

pro·cras·ti·na·tion

prəˌkrastəˈnāSHən,prō-/

noun

1. the action of delaying or postponing something.

   
   

   (Thought I'd save you a trip to the dictionary. Thanks Google!)

   
   

   I have an acronym for procrastination; PTR or Procrastination Takes Rest

   
   

   Prioritize: Not everything NEEDS to be done, what do you absolutely have to complete?

   Time: Time yourself, give yourself 5 minutes to surf Pinterest, in return for 20 minutes of writing

   Relax: Relax! You're only human (remember the song?), give yourself a break if you can't get everything done!

   
   

   Placing yourself in an environment where distractions are limited can also help. In my case, with chores, I have to set said time for chores so that I have enough time to write.

   
   

   What are your squirrels? How do you deal with them?

   
   

Hello There!

Oh! Hello there! My name is Kat, if you have stumbled upon Words At Play, welcome! This will be a blog for writers pursuing their dreams. Let me start by telling you a little about myself, (don't worry, I'll keep it short!), I'm 13 years old, the youngest of 4 kids, love chocolate, and want to be an author after I graduate college, (told you it'd be short!)! I want this blog to be a community for other teen writers filled with inspiration and tips! To start things off, I'm adding a great quote for writers:

(I made this edit myself, thank you very much!) I love this quote because it about sums up the importance of writers in the world. This blog will (for the most part) will be updated weekly, so check back often! Thank you so much for choosing to go on this writing endeavor with me!

 ~Kat