Time to Prepare

I've always been a writer, but there was a long time when I didn't actual write anything.

How does that work? Well, during the time when my kids were little, I didn't have...correction, didn't make the time to sit at a computer and force words onto paper (or at least onto the screen). What I did instead was write stories in my head, usually to entertain myself while I ran or when I had a long drive

Maybe it wasn't the most productive writing I've ever done, but in retrospect it helped me a lot when I finally had took the time to make the words shareable with other people by putting them down in a form they could read.

My daydreaming time gave me the chance to visualize what would happen in a scene. I even composed dialogue in my head. When I finally reached the season in my life when I felt I could confine myself to a computer, I was ready. I had plots and scenes and voices in my head. Writing them down wasn't easy, but the stories were there, waiting to come out.

Do I wish I had started putting the words on paper sooner? Absolutely. Do I feel like the time I spent as a non-writing, writer were wasted? Absolutely not.

My point is, if you don't have time to put the words on paper, use whatever time you have to do whatever gets you closer to actually writing. Be observant. Listen to conversations and watch people (note, I didn't say eavesdrop or stalk). Think about how you would describe a person or what kind of stories they might have to tell. Do the same for places and situations. Daydream. Talk to yourself (probably best to keep this one in your head or in the privacy of your home.)

All of these things are important. All of these things will prepare you for whatever time you will have to write in the future. Use and enjoy this time. Just don't let it last forever.

At some point your stories need to make it to a medium the rest of the world can enjoy.