Written by Martin Wiles

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Let’s face it—not all of us have the luxury or opportunity to write or edit full-time. I’m one. 

Five days each week, I teach writing, grammar, and editing skills to almost one hundred rambunctious, less-than-focused, head-in-the-clouds middle schoolers, most of whom would rather be elsewhere. Over the past decade, I cannot calculate how often I’ve been asked, “Why do I need to learn this?”

On Sunday mornings, I travel thirty minutes to a small country church where I pastor bi-vocationally. Although I am only “part-time,” I still must do the typical pastor things: prepare sermons, contact the sick and shut-ins, visit the hospital, teach Sunday school, and keep things running smoothly.

Presently, I also serve as managing editor for two websites and host a personal one. Did I mention that I write regularly or monthly for quite a few places and am a contracted writer for a few more annually?

And did I reference my wife, who also thinks she needs my attention and time? We may be married, but she still wants to date. Our kids are grown and gone, but we keep up with them and our seven rambunctious grandboys, several of whom always want our presence at a ball game an hour away. This can make for long days and short weekends.

Far be it from me to brag about how much I can do in a day. In the past, that led to a bleeding ulcer. I do have a Type-A personality, which helps with organization, but that doesn’t mean my plate can’t get overloaded quickly. In fact, it’s more likely to.

Well, I am quite out of breath, but I have a feeling many who read this have too much on their plates too. As with any diet, we must reduce our intake and be more mindful of what we eat to ensure we consume healthy foods. And hopefully, we have too much on our plates because we have more food choices (writing or editing opportunities) that we can accept.

1. Get adequate rest and identify productive times.

So, how do I make time to write, edit, and do life? Well, my sleep numbers suffer. Since I’m not a night owl, I’m in bed by 9:30 but up at four. Not everyone can do the morning thing, but do whatever works for you. For our eyes to see what they need to see through our writing and editing—and for our brains to recall all we must remember (CMOS, CWMS)—we need adequate sleep as well as other periods of downtime. The early morning hours provide this for me.

2. Learn to say no.

I’ve also learned, through trial and error, to say no. I wish I could say yes to every writing and editing opportunity—especially those that pay well—but I can’t. None of us can. Trying to often entails missing sleep and rest, neglecting our families, avoiding serving opportunities, and skipping out on time with God and other believers.

3. Remember why you write and edit.

Most importantly, we should always remember why we write and edit. God has gifted and called us to this profession, full- or part-time. Writing or editing for people or publications that pay nothing helps us maintain our perspective. I’m paid for about one-half of my writing and editing assignments; the remainder are freebies. But I figure if I do this for the right reason, God will take care of the bread and bills. And it just might be the free ones that land in the hands of those who need to see them the most.  

As you carve out time to write and edit, remember not to skip sleep, overload your plate, or neglect God.

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