At every author Q&A, someone asks how they become a writer while working a "real" job & having life responsibilities, etc. Usually the answer is "just do it," "a true writer MAKES time," etc. Fair enough, I guess. I have a better answer but no one ever asks me! ("THREAD")

So here's what I would say (cuz who knows if I'll ever do an "event" again). The way to "make time" is to be OK with doing only a little tiny bit of writing at a time e.g. 20 minutes, 5 minutes, 3 sentences, whatever. People are often resistant to this idea bc they don't think...

...they're capable of maintaining cohesive thoughts in fits & starts. They're over-enamored with idea of "flow." Flow definitely exists but in my experience has little effect on the quality or wholeness of the end product. It's just a feeling of feeling good/productive during...

...the act of drafting. But writing produced during "flow" and writing produced without flow (where every word is a struggle & you hate yourself for even bothering) are indistinguishable after the fact (& indistinguishable to any reader)....

Don't equate the way you feel during the writing with the quality of the output. You'll find your intuitive mind is actually good at seamlessly connecting the work of disconnected writing sessions. (I also like the Hemingway thing of leaving a sentence unfinished each day.)...

Most of my novel was written in pretty short bursts, typically 2 handwritten pages a day, 5 days a week (and this was at my MOST productive). It'd be impossible for me to point out which parts were written on days I struggled & which "flowed." It's all the same....

But maybe I'm wrong and you absolutely need to hold an entire scene or story in your mind & be able to write it in one sitting. Fine! Then I would suggest you let your time limitations determine your form. Write your book in vignettes like Robison, Offill, Adler, etc...

Working a teeny tiny bit a time, it might take you 2 or 5 or 7 years to write a book, but guess what? That's how long it takes most people anyway!

This is all on my mind because I think we'd have way more interesting books if more "working" people felt empowered to write them.

But whatever, who cares what I think!!!