This is the biggest question of all. How to find time to write. I have to be very clear about making it a priority in my life. I can’t afford to wait until I feel like it. But I’ve also got to be careful to honour the times when it’s just impossible to write. I’m a full-time teacher and sometimes that means life is very busy and demanding. In term 4 of last year (2025) I didn’t have time to write at all. I was writing school reports every night and on the weekends, and focusing on meetings with parents. All my time and energy had to be on that. And so I didn’t write. But I kept the story alive by listening to a playlist of songs I’d created, and making little posts for Instagram sharing little glimpses into the story. That kept me excited about the story. During the summer holidays (mid-December to the beginning of February here in New Zealand) I was able to focus on finishing the first draft. Then at the beginning of this school year in February (2026) I was expecting to continue my usual schedule of writing in the morning before school (5-6am) but the year started with a hiss and a roar of challenges with the class and I had to focus on that. It’s now April and I’m on holiday for two weeks and can finally get back into revising my story. I’m not expecting it to be so time-consuming at school from now on. Yes, it’s a demanding and time-consuming job but I still have time around the edges to write. And that’s where I have to turn up at the scheduled time and write. Jessica Brody has been a mentor for years and I’m part of her Writing Mastery Academy. She’s got excellent tips for creating a productive and effective writing schedule. I followed her advice and have tweaked it to suit my own lifestyle and it really works.