“I want to write, but I don’t have the time.” I’ve heard many people say this. And I’ve felt that way myself. My answer to this dilemma is a simple piece of advice from my mama: Prioritize.
I’ve enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember, but it was when I was thirteen that I began to get more serious about it and actually consider writing books. I had plenty of time for writing when I was thirteen and fourteen. It was when I was fourteen that God laid it on my heart to write Do Justly. When I started writing that book, though, I had no idea the twists and turns life would take—like two big out of state moves. I knew God wanted me to write this book, but when life was so crazy, I had difficulty finding time to write. So, I learned to prioritize. I learned what was most important in my life and could not be let go of—that would be Bible reading, prayer, and family. I learned that I must make time for those most important things—starting each day in the presence of Jesus and taking time in my day to drink a cup of tea with my mama and sisters, play with my little brothers, listen to the book Mama or Daddy was reading aloud… Then, of course, there were also responsibilities that couldn’t be let go of such as helping take care of our home and my school work (writing counts for school, of course, but I still had to do math). Then, I cut out time-wasters. The biggest time-waster in my life was Pinterest. Not that Pinterest is all bad, but it’s scary how much time we can waste on it. Then, if I was serious about getting this book done, I decided that would also mean cutting back some other things that were good, but just weren’t a fit right now, such as some of my additional hobbies—knitting, sewing, and such. After getting all these things in order, I had more time to write. But, there were still times when, after cutting out all unnecessary things and time-wasters, I still didn’t have time to write. So, I finally accepted the fact that sometimes there are seasons of life when writing’s just not an option. Sometimes, God will have us take a break from writing because there are other things He wants us to focus on. However, I knew God wanted me to write Do Justly and, after we were getting settled in our new house after our second move, I decided, “It’s been three years since I began this book and it’s time to write the final draft and publish it.” It took me about three months to write the final draft and most of it was in the morning before breakfast. I found that was the best time for me to write. I would get up earlier, and, after spending time in prayer and the Word, I would write. So, here’s my advice to you: get your priorities in order and if God wants you to write right now, He’ll provide the time for it. Maybe getting up earlier and writing in the morning would be helpful or carrying a notebook with you to jot thoughts down when you have a moment. Don’t worry or fret about it. I’ll say it again: get your priorities in order and if God wants you to write right now, He’ll provide the time for it.
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Hi! I'm Savannah Jane...I'm the author of several books for children and young adults with a passion to encourage young people to live for Jesus. The third born in an amazing family of seven children, I was homeschooled all the way through. This is where I share encouragement for Christian girls, updates about my books, writing tips, book and movie reviews, and assorted other tidbits. Archives
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Quote"When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds."
-Corrie ten Boom I'm on GoodReadsFollow my family's writing, illustrating, and publishing business/ministry.Follow my blog on Bloglovin' |