Like anything else that is worthwhile, writing a book is a challenging process. You must commit your time, effort, and a whole lot of energy to a writing schedule if you want to get anywhere. Assuming you have other daily activities that take up time throughout your days—your job, your family, your social life, and your hobbies—it is quite common for writing to be put on the backburner.

To escape the downward spiral of either forgetting to write or being too exhausted by the time you start writing, you need to establish a writing schedule and commit to it. Whether it is daily or weekly, you should set aside some time when you know you will be able to write. If you have a job that consists of various shift times, then determine when your mind is most active outside of work. This could mean waking up half an hour early and dedicating that time to writing, or if you’re not a morning person, it can be the last half hour before you go to bed.

If you have a busy schedule, you need to set up an appointment with your book, just like you do with other meetings or events. If your house is full of distractions, then you might even need to arrange a date with your book. Take it out to your local coffee shop or the library. Make sure your distractions are kept to a minimum, because the time you spend with your book is precious and should not be interrupted. Allow yourself a set amount of time for each session so that you can create a “new habit”. If you are able to commit to 500 words a day (30-60 mins a day) and you have a writing plan, so you know what you are going to write, it is possible that you could complete the first draft of your book in 90 days (45,000 words). If you don’t have a writing plan, it often takes a while to get your mind into the flow of where you should begin or get back to where you left off from last time. In this situation you should not really set a time limit for yourself unless absolutely necessary. Once you get into the flow of writing, there’s a good chance that you won’t want to stop. This is where most writers experience “writer block” though, and if you can do all the planning upfront, this will not happen.

During your writing times, you need to disconnect yourself from Wi-Fi and noisy surrounding areas with distractions such as children or television. Momentarily disconnect yourself from friends, family, and other personal relationships. Put down your mobile phone, because all those apps you never use will seem considerably more interesting when you’re trying to be productive. Only play music if it is instrumental or helps you concentrate—a lot of music with lyrics can be distracting while you are thinking about how to word your sentences. Just focus on what you want to put onto your pages. Everything else will wait for you while you write and will be there when you’re finished your session.

This is an excerpt from the E-Book “Everything you ever wanted to know about publishing your book” by Amy O’Hara. The content is inspired by the InspireABook® program which helps the writer develop a writing plan for their book. To receive a free copy of this E-Book register for our Free webinar or sign up for our newsletter Here