Last updated on March 9th, 2024 at 10:15 pm

Being a part time writer isn’t easy – if I say that, it will most definitely be an under statement. If you’re not one, this was the quickest way I could tell you about the lack of time, fatigue, accountability, responsibility, commuting to and fro and other problems which a part time blogger faces.

Very often you apply layman tricks to combat part-timing and fail utterly. The truth is, it must be dealt with quite professionally and for this, you need training. Here I try to optimize your performance as a part-time writer.

I’m going to share with you a number of tips which

• Are so immediately actionable that you start adopting them before you complete reading this post
• Will be so easy to incorporate in your lifestyle that you feel they have been your old habits and you have only been reminded of them and
• Nothing but your results only can convince you how effective they indeed are.

But to get to correct answers let’s first ask the right questions.

I mean, we are going to enumerate the problems first.

1. Finding Time

This is by far the most common and nagging problem with every part time blogger or writer. Being a part time writer you need to find ways to effectively create  30 hours within the 24 hours of the day. Surprised? You’ll soon see how to do that.

2. Getting Drained With the Full Time Job

“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” The higher you rise through hierarchy the more exhausted you return home from your day job. The pains of responsibility and accountability are made worse by regular and periodic doses of office bossism and office politics.

3. Household Problems

I am quite sure you ask any par time blogger why he wants to succeed part time and his reply would be he wants some extra income so his family will be comfortable. So in course of your blogging journey it’s neither possible nor advisable to leave aside your family’s interests. It’s a different aspect that household matters are equivalent of another full time job apart from your routine day job.

4. Demand of Quality Material on Internet

Being a part time writer is not only about filling pages. A click-and-fly surfer is not going to stop at any damn thing. Also, a would-be successful blogger or one pretending to be so won’t value your post unless you create  some value for her. If you write bla…bla…anything ……bla…she will be vroom…vroom….. next website…So being a part time writer or blogger you don’t get any relaxation to compromise with quality. Besides, your content must be immediately  actionable too.

The quality of of your blog post is indispensable. But the irony is it’s directly connected with the health of your mind a part of which in turn depends on the amount and quality of leisure time it gets. And by the way how much time a part-timer’s brain get to relax?Remember, a mediocre piece of content is sure to bite the dust and keep lying in a lonely corner of the blogosphere.

5. Requirement of Extra Money

Your part time blogging requires money but it won’t immediately bring an income for you. It will initially siphon out a small part of your full time income. Mind that it’s a business and every business requires expenditure.

Now that we have the main questions ready let’s search for the answers:

1. Let the Clock Tick as You Like

It’s very important to dictate terms with your surroundings in respect of time. Else your situation and the people around you tend to gulp down all the available time. But how? Like any other skill you need to learn this art religiously.

• Be ready with a beaming ‘No’

This is a tool you must keep sharpened. Whenever you see a potential danger approaching you with  a party or picnic proposal use this weapon. A beaming but firm ‘No’ has the ability to save some hours to the entire day. 

• Use a side chunk of time

If your full time job allows you to choose any working hours during the day you will perhaps be best with either 8 hours in the beginning (say 8 to 4) or the last 8 hours (say 2 to 10), not somewhere in between (say 10 to 6). This I prefer because you can schedule the rest of the day as per your part time need.

• Use Pomodoro

Pomodoro is a time management technique developed by Francesco Cirillo . In this , you work in short bursts, for 25-30 minutes with all your focus and energy. Then relax for a short gap and come back for another burst. Apply this productive technique to your writing and stun yourself with productivity.

• Make your leaves and holidays work for you

Observe this calculation:

Time available for part time writing on week days (a typical day) = 24 hours-[8 duty hours+2 commuting hours+ 3 hours for daily chores+ 7 sleep hours +1 hour for unforeseen works]= 3 hours.

Therefore, total time available on week days= 5X 3 hours= 15 hours.

Total time available for part time writing in the weekend= 2X (8 duty hours+3 hours as on weekdays+ 2 commuting hours)=26 hours.

Even if you plan to relax for 3 hours each day in the weekend you are left with 26-2X3=20 hours which is still more than the time on the weekdays.I believe this is more than enough to understand why weekends and holidays are important for a part timer.

2. Quality – No Relaxation, Only Relaxing

Think internet surfers know you’re a part timer and so will give you a relaxation to write an inferior quality post? It’s your duty to be in the best frame of mind to contribute the best quality content. I am speaking about the importance of relaxing after your full time quota.

• Hand free exercises

Apply Pranayam, Yoga, Aerobics, Meditation and whatever else you find yourself comfortable with. There are some office exercises too which help you to come out less tired at 5 from your full time.

• Read to relax

Before you start applying your thought muscles for writing you may find some time to read a new viral post from a famous blogger of Neil Patel or Carol Tice calibre. Reading and appreciating is a matter to enjoy–you’re relaxing.

• All in the mind

It’s an art to be carefree during your full time hours in spite of however big office load you are entrusted with. Try to learn this art. Effectively, you have to ignore the pain and tiredness and maintain an easy to work , relaxed, pleasant and comfortable environment and attitude.

3. Practice Being Productive

• Mind the rust and focus on writing only

Don’t let writing-rust accumulate on you and do away with it ASAP. This is one of the biggest enemies of a part time blogger or writer. However writers’ block is such a frequently discussed issue that I’m currently blocking elaborating on it.

You also need to isolate your writing time from research time, reading time and other invisible distractions while writing. Here I recommend you gem of an article by Ellen Croteau on THE WRITE LIFE website. Here it is:

How to Become a Better Writer: Do This (And Only This, Seriously) For 1 Hour

• Treat your blog post jobs section wise

This means you are doing your blog posts by dividing them into a number of jobs and then doing similar jobs for different posts together.

For example you need a snap or two for each post. So if you have 5 posts at hand and you have already decided their subjects you may at a time sit to work on their snaps. Batch process them at particular span of time as per your convenience. 

This way you will be able to save small bits of time. For instance if you get 15 minutes every day before sleeping you may photoshop one pic at least everyday. Being accumulative in approach you may create 5 images for 5 posts and be ready to publish in the weekend.

4. Automation – the Mother of All Ideas

Ever since I read “4-Hour Work Week” by Timothy Ferris I was fascinated by the way he has presented his techniques of life automation. How he had even outsourced saying a sorry to his wife was just amazing.

Being a part time blogger, thinking holistic is what your concern should be. Nothing at this point will be better than citing an example.

My son was to appear GRE last year for an MS outside India. We had to a make a visit to Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta) for a marriage proposal and a land deal was also to be finalized two months later.

I planned it this way: Of the 3, GRE date, marriage date and land deal date, the most prior was the land deal date because it was to be fixed by the seller. He fixed it for November. I enquired my son. He also agreed since he needed some time to prepare well for the exam. Marriage proposal could be discussed in November as there were some auspicious dates in the month.

It turned out that everything could be finished within a week if November had to be the reckoning month. Since still 3 months were left my booking agent got me good offer tickets for flight to Kolkata.

There was good enough time to prepare for the marriage proposal and the actual marriage, I handed it over to my uncle and aunt since they had a vast experience on the issue and I couldn’t have relied more than them on anybody else. My son underwent a coaching in the remaining time and fared well in GRE.

With this setting I availed marvelous opportunities to write my posts.

This all was made possible by one automation mantra inscribed on the right.

5. For Extra Money

If you don’t want to use any part of your full time income for blogging you may go for some immediately paying writing or related jobs. Though I’m not going to elaborate much on this (Since internet is already brimming with such information) yet I’ll make a mention of some of them.

The low paying among immediately paying jobs might be

• Writing for content mills on the internet
• Writing for websites like Hubpages, Triond, Helium etc.
• Working on 5$ jobs for Fiverr
• Editing
• Copy writing

High paying ones could be

• Writing guest posts
• Ghost writing
• Writing for magazines and tabloids

So….being a part time writer how exactly do I write that blog post?

Now over to the plan for writing a quality blog post on a typical Wednesday:

• While commuting to the office by your daily conveyance :

Work on your blog idea, headline and subheadings. Concentrate on one post only-the one you’ll write tonight. Remember thinking is equivalent to working for a writer. When you are nearing your office, save your work in your cellphone or tab.

• During lunch (Not binding):

Work on images, videos and formatting for your would-be-blog post (Even when your mind is not giving its 100% it can work well on images, videos etc.).

• While commuting back home:

Try to meditate and relax mentally. No pondering over your post at this moment please. This is very important for quality. Without a relaxed mind it’s difficult to deliver the A-1 quality blog post you’re looking for.

• At home:

1. Once you are home, take a snooze for about an hour after a light meal, may be tea and snacks. This is further relaxation in progress. I reiterate quality is binding
   

   

   on you and so is relaxing because quality has often a secret deal with relaxing.

2. Having rested you are ready to write. Go for a 10 minute walk and start writing after coming back.
3. Since you  are ready with the main idea, headline and subheadings, and the spots on the net from where to choose the multimedia components for your post it’s not very difficult to fire up a quick, quality post.
4. Don’t attempt a long post. Rather concentrate on writing a 500-700 word, straightforward, purposeful but simple and succinct post. Bear in mind that at this point you need to write only. Promotion may be attempted at a different time.
5. Write straight into your blog editor. After a revision or two garnish it with a quote or survey result, at least one image and one chart or table. That’s it. Your post is ready to publish.

 

 

In Your Court Now

Now it’s your turn.

Are you a part time writer or blogger? Do you think you gained anything new from this article? Please do share if you have any extra tip up your sleeve in the comments.