If one is to write, really write, to a goal and a finished product not only does it take time and energy, it also takes commitment. Not a word people take seriously enough. It is more than being married to a project or on boards with a goal, it is a true daily, hourly scheduled in the real world mission to develop, grow and produce a finished project. A commitment.

Time is an elusive partner to a writer. Some days there is never enough time, others there is far too much time spent with no words on a page. Needing time to write is as important as needing that place to write and the passion to write. Without time driven passion and the most inspirational desk space is wasted.

Time is one of those things that a writer has to make a deal with. First and foremost a writer must decide exactly how much time they need to write. If a goal of a large word count, or chapters, or projects is on the horizon break that down into how many hours in a week you will ultimately need to attain your writing success.

It truly is necessary to take a week long snapshot of your life, all the elements that take up your time, and block it off on a daily calendar allowing for true writing time. Not checking email time, opening mail time, pitching query time, doodling time, daydreaming time, reading your horoscope on facebook time, but true writing time.

For myself I ultimately want more than 60 hours a week to write. I realize that to not set myself up for failure a realistic goal of 30 hours each week of pure writing time around my hectic life and all the tasks I tackle daily is probably more doable. I had to do an honest assessment of what takes up my time to get a picture of how many hours a day can I realistically write in reasonable blocks of uninterrupted time. Knowing my goal was 30 hours and knowing that I am a neat freak around the housework, a laundry-a-holic, cook real meals, need my evenings of down time relaxing with family, and run a seven-day-a-week year-round antique store with very little staff, do all my own accounting and also freelance magazine write as part of my income, there was not a lot of space to find 30 hours in a week.

I did it, it is on a schedule, highlighted, colour coded and achievable, eventually. It will take some time to get used to the dedication, and some time to train myself and people in my life that this is what I do and I am not just sitting at my desk waiting for their call or email. As my writing projects develop the passion of the research and the story lines draw me more and more to the process and the time is easier to dedicate to. The time spent is necessary for the result, the vision, and the journey starts with the commitment.

Be it 10 hours a week or 50 hours a week writing has to start with a commitment. Being realistic of that block of daily time over the week, with consideration to your success is the start of an exciting process. The necessity of making your job as a writer as important as your job as a parent, partner, homemaker, provider, career, friend, and everything else you tackle will finally sharing equal billing and come into your reality.

It will only transpire when you pay attention, dedicate part of your world to writing, and make a true commitment daily to sit still and write. That does not mean you have to write every day, it means you have to schedule realistic writing time into your weekly schedule as you do all your tasks. Work towards meeting your schedule on a regular basis, but more importantly do not give up when you do not make a daily scheduled block, because it will come around again tomorrow and you get another chance at carrying on back on schedule.

Start today, make your commitment to yourself, realistically schedule your daily weekly time and honour yourself with keeping your commitment to your writing life.

“Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!”  Anthony Robbins