Writing Saturdays- Writing Boxes

For some of us Saturdays are days to rest, for others they’re the busiest days of the week. Continuing with the theme of keeping writing through challenging periods, I’d like to look at Writing Saturdays.

First, as always, I’d like to recognize that some things are more important than writing. My wife, and our toddler are much more important to me than writing. However they are one of the reasons that I continue to write now.

Because of that, as well as my love and passion for writing, I want to fit writing into an appropriate corner on Saturdays. If it helps, think of your writing on Saturdays like the closet under a set of stairs. It holds value, but it’s tucked into its corner until the appropriate time.

First, you would look at which pattern for writing Saturdays works for you. There is the early morning risers, where you get up early and write before anyone else is up. Some days this will mean you have thirty minutes, or on other days maybe two or three hours.

Either way, you need to have an idea of where you want to get to by the time your finished. Whether it’s a number of words, a finished post, a chapter etc, have an end goal in mind. It can be different for different pieces, but this way you’ll have a satisfaction point when you’re done.

If you’re not a member of the early risers club, take a quiz look at your schedule. Maybe you have evenings free after everyone is in bed. Set a goal of writing 500 words, something that can be built on later. Another thing you can do is to craft a character, there individual story to wrap into a later larger piece. It helps flesh them out, and let’s you see how they fit into your story.

I have one character now that is somewhat larger than the story I was trying to use him for. He was alluded to in another story, and I thought I want to reuse him. So far though he’s too big for the story I had planned for him. He’s in a digital drawer until the right time.

For some neither one the scenarios I described works for them. You may be busy from sun up to bed time. If that’s the case an alternate scenario for you is to create a writing box. Some will have a literal box, others will do this digitally, but it’s fun to do. One Saturday you could fill the box, and the next you could work the box. Or you could fill boxes for a few Saturdays, and work them at another time.

To craft a writing box, whether digital or physical, have five envelopes. One should be theme, another plot, genre, character, premise. Write something for each and put it in the box. If you do several you’ll forget what you had created.

When you empty it, you have to at least begin some writing piece with all of them. It will spark your creativity, as well as to give you some guidance on those days when you don’t know what to write. Writing boxes are a little work, but wonderful ways of making writing Saturdays special.

A little extra effort will make a lot of difference to your writing any day but especially on these days. Writing Saturdays should be special, because they are those days when we’re reminded why we write. It’s not more important than the time with your loved ones, but something you can take time to do for your loved ones.