Commit to the Craft: Aligning Writing with Your Energy - Part III
Your time is valuable, and knowing when you write best can make all the difference. Black women in religious scholarship often have to fit writing into unpredictable schedules, but by working with your natural rhythms, you can make the most of the time you have.
1. Track Your Energy Levels
For one week, observe when you feel the most focused. Are you more alert in the morning before the day’s demands take over? Do you find clarity late at night when the house is quiet? Identifying these windows will help you schedule your writing at optimal times.
2. Experiment with Short Writing Sessions
If long writing blocks aren’t realistic, break your work into 20–30-minute sessions. Even if you only have time to write one strong paragraph, that’s progress.
3. Minimize Distractions During Peak Hours
Once you identify your best writing time, protect it. Silence notifications, let loved ones know you’re unavailable, and create a focused space—even if it’s just a designated chair and notebook.
4. Align Writing Tasks with Your Energy Levels
Use high-energy periods for drafting new material and lower-energy times for editing or research. This approach ensures that you’re making progress even when you’re tired.
5. Prioritize Self-Care for Long-Term Productivity
You cannot pour from an empty cup. Rest, nourishment, and boundaries are essential for sustained productivity. Your writing is important, and so is your well-being.
By overcoming writer’s block, developing consistent habits, and identifying your peak productivity times, you ensure that your voice is heard. As an African-descended woman in religious scholarship, your perspective is invaluable—don’t let systemic challenges silence it.
The world needs your wisdom, your insight, and your truth. You now have strategies to break through writer’s block, develop consistent habits, and align your writing with your most productive hours.
But how do you sustain this work over the long term, especially when juggling church, family, and financial pressures? The final part of this series will focus on building support systems, practicing self-care, and accessing resources to help you stay on track with your writing goals.
The Misogynoir to Mishpat (M2M) Research Network (c) 2025