A Time to Write

By Loretta Eidson

God must think our time is extremely important for the Bible to reference it with such repetition. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV), a brief explanation of time is mentioned twenty-nine times, and thirteen of those are found in the first four verses:

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die,
A time to plant and a time to uproot,
A time to kill and a time to heal,
A time to tear down and a time to build,
A time to weep and a time to laugh,
A time to mourn and a time to dance.”

The fact that God, in His infinite wisdom, spells it out with such simplicity is proof that we need to incorporate time management into our daily schedules. Is it possible He wants us to grasp the fact that life on earth is filled with multi-level responsibilities which require us to align our priorities in more time efficient allotments?

As writers, we must learn how to steady our writing time on the balance beam of life. We can become so engrossed in our work-in-progress that time slips away before we’ve had a chance to spend quality time with our families or kiss our kids goodnight.

Writers see the value of devoting every waking hour to complete a project or meet a deadline, but not everyone in our circle of family and friends share the same opinion. Writing is a solo effort when we sit at our laptops and click away on the keys. However, it doesn’t have to be a solo project.

For example, when I began working on my romantic suspense novel, I spent countless hours, days, and months buried in my story. My family joined in the excitement and often asked questions about my progress, all because I included them in the process. How? Since I needed descriptive details for my book’s setting, I invited them to join me on a picture-taking tour of downtown Memphis.

Thanks to camera capabilities in cell phones these days, the four of us began snapping pictures, including my ninety-one year old mother-in-law. We laughed until we cried, and now, two years later, we still talk about the fun we had that day.

Learn to prioritize your writing schedule around your job, family, friends-and life. Always make time for daily devotions, Bible reading, and time with God.

As author Mary Kay Ash put it, “No matter how busy you are you must take the time to make the other person feel important.”

Writing is most rewarding when we know we’ve managed our time in responsible ways.

Time for writers:
A time to read and a time to study,
A time to write and a time to edit,
A time to step away and a time to return,
A time for work and a time to play,
A time to be alone and a time to invest in others,
A time for prayer and a time for meditation…
And the list goes on.

Loretta Eidson writes romantic suspense and is presently working on a trilogy. Her novel won first place in her genre in the 2014 Novel Rocket Contest, placed in the top 10 of 2013 ACFW Genesis contest, and is a finalist in the 2014 ACFW Genesis Contest. She has non-fiction stories published in various anthologies. Loretta is a Craftsman Alumni of the Christian Writers Guild. She and her husband live in Byhalia, Mississippi. You can reach Loretta on Facebook and Twitter (@lorettajeidson).