Ever wondered how to become a writer while working full-time? Balancing your passion for writing with your job, family, and hobbies can feel impossible and for many it’s a myth they can’t seem to defeat.

I was one of those.

But back in 2022, I grew tired and decided to just give it a try.

And within weeks after I had started to write, I realized how wrong I had been.

Writing while working full-time isn’t difficult. It’s just all about prioritizing your time correctly.

Don’t believe me?

Let me show that it’s not only possible to be a writer while working full-time. It’s actually possible to make great process. Even if you only have a short amount of time available.

Writing with Limited Time: Build Your Writing Routine

When you think about being a writer, you are most likely thinking about the people who release bestsellers are bestsellers.

They don’t work full-time because this is their full-time job.

But find a laptop, go to a nice quiet place. Then you open a document and start typing.

Congratulations, you’re now a writer.

Being a writer isn’t about what you’re able to do, it’s what you’re actually doing.

And while I get where you’re coming from, you need to park that idea.

Because it’s way more important to set yourself up for success at first than anything else.

You want to write because you have a passion for being creative and want to create stories.

And figuring out how to become a writer while working full-time starts here with the decision that your creativity is worth the effort, even if time is tight.

Sadly, all of this usually die if you spend too much time thinking about how you haven’t become a bestselling author after three months.

But if I don’t, how can I justify spending my precious time on something like writing?

If you want to become a writer, especially when time is tight, you need to stop wasting your thinking and start doing.

Sadly, most people underestimate just how much you can actually get done in even a short period of time.

Those authors can do it full-time because they did it part-time at first. Which in the beginning might just be 15 minutes. From there you gradually build up and find your rhythm.

Because at the end, there’s by no specific “you need to do this” to become a writer. It’s all about just getting words down.

Now, how much you’re paid (or how much you have to invest), that’s a completely different question.

Can You Make a Living as a Writer While Working Full-Time?

At this point, I have been on my writing journey for just over 2 years. There have been a few breaks along the way, but I’ve probably been writing consistently for about a year.

In that time, I’ve published two short stories, written three novels and have a bunch of ideas waiting in the bank.

The catch?

I’ve produced all of this with just 30 minutes of writing per day.

But how much have I earned?

Ouch, sore spot, but I’ll be honest. I didn’t earn a single dime.

But it hasn’t been my focus either.

Like I said, I have published two short stories on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), but I don’t think it should your focus at the beginning.

It’s a lot of unnecessary pressure..

But if you are looking to earn from your writing, I know plenty of authors who earn by selling short stories on KDP, but most of them started out exactly like you.

A dreaming chasing employee trying to figure out how to become a writer while working full-time and squeezing writing into lunch breaks and late nights.

And if your goal for writing is to replace your full-time job, you’re better off putting the time into your craft than trying to earn, at least for now.

Personally, I recommend you go into writing with a mindset looking to learn rather than to earn. It’s more important that you have fun and improve your craft, and actually start writing your novel.

How I Wrote My First Novel While Working Full-Time

For the first novel I ever wrote while working full-time, I’d get home and write for 42 minutes.

42 minutes? That’s an odd number.

Well, it’s the duration of my favorite music album, so it was the perfect fit. I got to listen to amazing music and get a lot done.

And there’s a lesson here.

When you work full-time, you probably have a lot of things on your mind and while writing should be one of them it should be because you are looking forward to it.

That’s what the music helped me with.

The timing?

I knew if I got home and got into the routine of chilling, making food or spending time with my family, I wouldn’t get to write, so I decided to write first thing through the door.

Just straight to the office to write.

But how much am I supposed to sacrifice for writing?

In the start you might only be able to write twice a week and that’s okay.

It’s better than nothing.

Eventually, you’ll start to see results. And these results will motivate you to increase your daily writing.

Still not convinced? Think about it like this.

Fifteen minutes of writing should be around 750-900 words. Do this daily and you’ll finish a novel with 90,000 words in about 100 days.

And that’s just from fifteen minutes of work.

Now, imagine the results you’ll see once you can write faster and for longer.

Thankfully, learning how to become a writer while working full-time is not impossible nor does it require tons of extra hours. The only thing it truly requires is a bit of patience, a whole lot of fun.

And you can start with just fifteen minutes of work.

Can You Become a Writer Without Any Experience?

I know I haven’t said this, so I’m going to say it now.

You don’t need to have any formal experience with writing to become a writer.

I loved writing stories as a kid, and it helped me write as I grew older.

Now, I know you might not be able to relate and just have discovered your love and that’s all good.

Writing is one of those things where you don’t need to be an expert. The story will be great whether it’s coming from someone who knows how to place commas and structure the sentences probably or you.

I might be biased, but I’d rather read a story that shows your personality than an overly edited piece.

Of course, yours might be a bit more of a struggle, but that’s just part of the journey of how to become a writer while working full-time.

You need to learn as you go.

Improve Your Writing with Prompts & Exercises

A very simple and amazing way to help you figure how to become a writer while working full-time is to start using writing prompts.

Writing prompts provides one of the easiest entry points to try different angles, ideas, or genres. But they are also amazing if you’re stuck at the first few words.

Sadly, a lot of writing prompts out there are just simply too generic and uninspiring, which is why I created a unique writing prompt system designed to put you in the driver’s seat.

This simple but powerful system offers 30 prompts. Each divided into sections of five that guide you to shape your characters, environments, settings, and plot twists.

Basically, giving you the full package to lay a strong foundation for your book.

Give it a try and I’ll guarantee you’ll be flying through your next story.

Practice your storytelling

You become better at writing by writing.

Kinda says itself, doesn’t it?

But it’s true.

During the time when I wrote my three novels, I kept going back through the different drafts and was in awe.

It was crazy to see how much you can improve purely from putting words onto paper.

I’ve never searched for tips, actively tried to improve my writing, or really gone out of my way to improve, I just wrote. But with time, the more words I went through, I realized what I liked and slowly made it part of my writing style.

I’m sorry if you thought it required something more complex, but it really doesn’t.

The exposure to different ideas, characters, settings. It all helps make your creative muscles stronger and helps you build confidence.

And while I’d love to give writing all the credit, I have to give some to something else, or someone else. Because a lot of my writing inspiration and improvement has actually come from reading.

Reading Is the Superpower You Need to Improve as a Writer

Reading, the other side of the creative coin.

It goes hand in hand with writing and one of the best investments you can make, even if you only have a short amount of time, is to read.

Personally, I have spent the last 6 months going through the Dune series and I’m currently reading the last book in the Hunger Games.

But I’ve still read titles like, The Queen’s Gambit, Steve Jobs’ biography. And of course, I can’t go a year with reading my favorite book series, Cherub by Robert Muchamore.

But really, fiction, non-fiction, comedy, romance.

The details don’t matter.

Yes, it’s a good idea to surround you by the genre and content you like. But as long as you read and expose yourself to new ideas, then you’ll inevitable find yourself making changes to your style.

Beat Imposter Syndrome as a New Part-Time Writer

Let’s just get this out of the way, shall we?

You want to be a writer, but you can only work for a limited amount of time each day.

It’s a catastrophe, isn’t it?

Well, it depends, do you think it is?

I get there are many people out there that can do a lot while you can’t, and it can make your work feel useless.

They’ll get your sales.

The audience.

They’ll get them all.

Try to be realistic – Don’t you own books by different authors?

Yes, it’s a competitive field and I understand if you feel out of place, but you have to understand whether you can work for a few minutes or hours each day doesn’t matter.

At the end of the day, what matters is your story and the time you bring to the table.

It’s the joy and time you actually spend writing that’s going to be the driving force behind your story.

Yes, imposter syndrome is bad. But right now, you’re at the start of your journey. This isn’t supposed to be about us, but about you.

Think about the reason why you wanted to write and don’t let the opinion of others stop you. In fact, I think it’s amazing you deserved to embark on this journey, so kudos for that.

How to Become a Writer While Working Full-Time

Still wondering how to become a writer while working full-time?

I get if it still sounds like a challenge, but with the right writing habits and time management, it’s not only completely doable. It gives you something to look forward to.

At the start, it doesn’t even have to be every day, twice a week is okay. This means, as a full-time working person you just need to prioritize a small portion of your day for your writing.

It could easily be hiding in a quiet place for a few minutes.

Fifteen minutes in the morning or ten minutes in the evening.

Whatever fits you the best.

Being a writer, especially as a full-time employee, is all about consistency and passion.

The question is:

Are you going to do your writing justice and actually show up?

That’s a wrap for today.

If any part of this helped clarify how to become a writer while working full-time and convinced you to give writing a try, I’d love to hear about it! Send me an email with your struggles, thoughts, or just say hi. Whatever it is, send it my way. I reply to every message.

Until next time – stay creative, stay curious, and keep showing up.

Your writing buddy,

Jack

Authorbytrade – Time to take control of your creativity