I am a full time high school teacher so I work extremely long days (10 hours at school, then marking papers in the evenings and on weekends, also running the creative writing club at my school at lunch and after school) and I find even when I do have time to write, my brain is so fried from looking at essays and writing assignments or I’m so worn out emotionally/physically from work that I can’t bring myself to work on my own passion projects. I love encouraging my students to write and follow their passions but this often means sacrificing my own. Also I work during the summers too (to pay my mortgage) and usually am swamped with marking on my “days off” and holidays. Any advice on how to get motivated or get in a good routine (without quitting my job) would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

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First of all, take care of yourself. I was a full-time college professor, but I taught overload classes every semester to pay my student loans, so I can sympathize with your plight. To get time to "write," I actually began carrying a small tape recorder (this was before smart phones) in my car, and dictating ideas to myself on my commute to and from campus. The biggest thing I did for myself, though, as a writer, was to write in class when my students wrote in class.

I kept a journal just like they did, so, when they had to do an in-class essay or I gave them time to write in their required writing journal, I took the time to write, too. It wasn't always possible, since many students hate writing, so they will take that time to ask you questions, instead of writing. sigh The main thing was for me to keep my creative juices flowing by writing as often and whenever I had the chance, even if I never used most of my ideas.

The second thing I learned to do for myself was exercise. Our brains store up every anxious moment, which blocks our writers' brains from thinking clearly, so even a 15 minute walk helps clear out the cobwebs and promotes thinking. At my best, I actually prefer swimming laps in our community pool because the redundant activity with me isolated in my own swim lane frees up my thinking, and I have actually composed some of my better work while swimming. So follow those two rules: 1) write whenever you can, even if you don't want to; and 2) exercise to clear the cobwebs for at least 15 minutes a day, an hour if you can afford the time. Best of luck!