"I travel alone. It's best that way."

These words, uttered by the tenth Doctor (my favorite!) in Doctor Who, have resonated with me for years. Though I’ve done some traveling by myself and it can be liberating, I do actually prefer to travel with companions. Why then does this phrase stick with me? Because I apply it to writing.

I started writing when I was six years old. So you can easily imagine that through the years that have passed since I transitioned from child into adult, I’ve experienced many different living situations. I’ve lived at home with many siblings running about. I’ve lived with roommates. I’ve lived with romantic partners in environments running the gambit from studio apartments to small (very small) houses. And I’ve lived alone.

Okay, perhaps never truly alone. My daughter has always been with me.

But through these various stages of my life, I’ve learned one fundamental truth. If you can’t carve out time to BE alone, where your thoughts can flow uninterrupted by the constant demands of other people, household chores or outside employment, then it will be darn near impossible to accomplish anything in the writing arena. I excel at multitasking but I can’t write if I can’t hear myself THINK. Through trial and error I’ve come up with ways for busy people to circumvent this obstacle.

FIRST AND FOREMOST, ALWAYS CARRY A NOTEBOOK. This can be anything from a small notepad to a full size composition book or anything in between. The reason being, you never know when that creative lightning might strike. Oftentimes I’ve kicked myself for not engaging in this practice I’ll think of something I believe to be brilliant…just to forget it when I try recalling it later on. You can’t always drop what you’re doing to develop an idea that hits you. However it takes just a moment to jot down the seed. This makes it much easier once you have the time to sit down to get the juices flowing again instead of wracking your brain in frustration trying to remember what it was.

WRITE IN SHORT BURSTS ON YOUR BUSIEST DAYS. This can be in the ten or fifteen minutes you have between your kids leaving for school and heading to work yourself. It can be whipping out that trusty notebook on your lunch break. It can be during rides on public transportation. A space of time between helping with homework and making dinner (this one works best if you have a writing space in your home where your can close a door for quiet and your family respects these boundaries.) The point is, any moment you can glean is valuable. You don’t have to do your most thought-provoking work during these times. But it’s great for hammering out rough drafts that you can revisit later.

SET YOUR ALARM AN HOUR EARLIER THAN WHEN YOU NORMALLY RISE. This one can take some getting used to, especially if you’re not a morning person. If you’re not an early riser by nature, I suggest approaching this incrementally. It can be very easy to just roll over and go back to sleep if you try jumping right in. Start by setting your clock just ten minutes earlier for a week. This will help your body adjust to the change. The following week set it another ten minutes earlier. Continue doing this, rising ten minutes earlier than the week before until you achieve that hour. It’s amazing how much can be done in the sixty minutes prior to when you HAVE to start doing other things. The nice thing about this is eventually your body’s circadian rhythm will eventually change and you’ll find yourself waking more often than not at that designated time without even needing the alarm.

CONVERSELY YOU CAN GO TO BED LATER AS WELL. Once dinner is done and the kitchen is clean, the kids have been tucked in and the dog let out for the last time of the evening, you can set yourself up to get some work done. This one requires a little more balance than rising earlier however and depends in part on your relationship dynamic. Personally I find this time more difficult to write in. It’s tough to ignore a nagging guilt that your significant other may feel neglected. If they’re supportive of your endeavors then writing during this time shouldn’t present as an issue as long as it’s in moderation as opposed to every single night of your life. If, as I once did, you live with a narcissist who believes your every waking second should revolve around him (or her)…well best of luck to you because I learned the hard way it’s impossible to write under those circumstances regardless.

IF YOU CAN’T FIND PEACE AND QUIET IN YOUR HOME, SEEK REFUGE ELSEWHERE. My favorite weekend go-to during times in my life when I couldn’t have a moment alone to think has always been my local library. No matter what time of year it is, the door is open and everyone is welcome. Of course you can go wherever you are most comfortable.a local park, on a dock by a lake, a sheltered grove in the woods. Heck, I’ve even been known to seek peace in cemeteries. The library is the best option though for the extreme heat of summer and the frigid chill of winter when spending time outdoors may be less than an ideal prospect.

Experiment with what works best for you. Get creative. I’m sure there are a ton of other ideas out there. These just happen to be the ones that have worked for me. Feel free to email me your own ideas. I’m happy to hear your thoughts and will include them here to help the writers of the world find their own solitary travels!