Time

The next few days will be special days for quite a few budding photojournalists. Following the workshop in the Philippines they will be preparing their final submission for Sport Diver magazine. One of them will have their article selected for publication by the editor, Mark Evans.

Unfortunately a few of the workshop attendees dropped out of the 'competition.' The problem? Time - there just wasn't enough of it in their lives for them to organise their photographs, work out what they would include in their article, write it, go through more than several drafts, submit it to me for feedback, re-work it, and then, finally, send it to the editor. Even these steps are just the main topics to consider, there's a lot more detail underpinning all of this that takes at least a day to go through on my workshops.

The challenge? Finding enough time. If you are serious about getting published you have to set aside time to get your work done and trust me, this can be the cause of all sorts of issues in your personal life. You really do need a good support network as the time you create to hide away in your cave and write will be the time that used to be assigned to someone else or another activity.

So - how do you find time?

Some top tips:

Wake up an hour earlier than your loved ones to write (exactly what I am doing now!)

Turn of the TV and write - do you really need to watch all of that stuff?

Create an hour each day of the weekend which is designated as writing time - that way your loved ones will know what you are going to do for that period and can plan to do something else.

Involve your loved ones in organising the photographs to go with your submission while you write.

Finish your day job on time - will you really be appreciated for staying an extra few hours in the office? Although my colleagues regularly work a 50-60 hour week, I've got into the habit of working just 40. If I work 12 hours on one day, on the next I have the freedom to finish early, and I only ever do eight hours as a standard working day. if you have that regime in the back of your mind, you will invariably get your 'stuff' done in that time period.

Can you work variable start times? I sometimes start late, maybe a 12-8 day, which allows me a few hours in the morning to get my writing done without anyone else being around.

If you say to your loved ones you are going to write for an hour, then make sure it is an hour! (my greatest broken rule, the phrase, "Yes, yes, I'm almost done..." is often heard in O'Brien Towers).

You don't have to be at a computer to write - I carry around a small notebook, or I'll find a scrap of paper if I forget it. On the plane, train, in standing traffic, anywhere I am not required to be doing other stuff, I'll scribble down ideas, phrases that come to mind, good words I come across, and then these will litter my 'cave' - it works most of the time, but on occasion I will pick up a piece of paper with something unreadable on it. I hate it when that happens - feels like I have lost something and I can't get it back!

Keep writing...

Brendan