Procrastination is the biggest barrier to writing. Overcoming the ‘p’ word is harder than finding time to write. As with many things in life, if you really want to do something you’ll make time for it. Like most writers I have to earn a living, so my writing has to be fitted around my full-time, paid work. I’m a fairly organised sort of person and I’ve found it best to actually ‘diary in’ my writing slots each week and then treat them like any other appointment and turn up. And these appointments are a minimum. I frequently do more than the booked in time. But having the slots set aside means I keep up the momentum when I’m working on the novel,  and/or that I can meet deadlines for articles and competitions – and, indeed, do regular postings on  the blog.

In an average week, I aim to do one to two hours on two evenings, and to do four hours minimum at the weekend. And I’m very fortunate being a teacher, as this means I get a lot of holiday time when I can up the work rate considerably. But even when school’s out, I still stick to the usual set aside times and view everything over and above that as a bonus. That way I don’t feel guilty or panicky about having some down time in the holidays.