6 No-Nonsense Tips for Busy Teachers Who Want to Write a Book

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Teachers, let me start by saying that I get how hard you are working during the day.

Like I really, really, really get it. 

No matter if it’s your first or 50th year as a teacher, the energy you exert on a day-to-day basis is… intense. And hard. And wonderful! But hard. 

I left the classroom in 2010, a decision that was best for my family and me for many reasons, though I would be lying if I said that decision was easy. I loved being in the classroom, and I knew I was a good educator.

My entire identity was wrapped up in being a teacher. What next?

For me, the answer was pretty simple. I wanted to write that book that had been burning inside me for the last year.

Okay, five years.

Okay, for as long as I’ve been able to hold a pen and paper. 

I have always been a writer. But the energy I put into being an awesome teacher made writing a book a near impossible feat. 

Sound familiar?

Eventually, I did write that book.

Then another.

Then I went to work in publishing and wrote another one.

Then I wrote this book for teachers.

Then started my own business and wrote this book for writers.

None of those books were written in long afternoons in coffee shops, on writer’s retreats, or even as part of a writing group or paid class. 

They were written with kids on my lap, in the parking lot at school pickup, in the early morning and late evening hours when I had a few moments of time for myself, and once, outlined while on a road trip moving my family across the country. 

I often joke that my books have all been written five minutes at a time. 😊

I am still very close with many of my teacher friends, and something I hear constantly is that they, too, have a book inside of them. But they don’t write.

What I usually hear is something like:

Lesson planning takes all of my time and energy. I just can’t do it. 

My summers are spent trying to make up lost time with my family. I can’t focus on writing then. 

I read so many essays and so many books for school, I feel like I’ve lost the love of the craft. 

It’s just too hard. It’s all I can do to survive the day. When I get home I want to be anywhere but in front of my computer screen, trying to write. 

To be clear, these are all very valid excuses for putting off your creative work. Writing a book isn’t easy, especially if you’re a teacher. 

I would argue, however, that this is precisely why you need to make time for it. 

There are plenty of books and blogs out there that will try to give you encouragement for your writing career, and honestly, those might be really helpful. They also might just give you a jolt of energy that will quickly fade. 

If you are a teacher with a book you’ve been anxious to write, here are my six best suggestions, from one author to another. 

1) Start calling yourself a writer

Even if you haven’t started your first chapter yet. Verbalize it. Out loud.

When you introduce yourself at parent teacher conferences, acknowledge that you’re a teacher and author. When you talk to your students, speak about your writing as though it’s a living, breathing thing.

Who cares if you haven’t published anything yet? You will eventually. Putting it out there can do wonders for your author mindset. 

2) Make time for creative writing in your classes

Once a week? Once a month? It depends on your schedule for sure, but if you are a Language Arts teacher don’t think that creative writing time is “throwaway” time. It’s not!

The trick to this is that YOU ARE GOING TO WRITE DURING THAT TIME.

Yes, I know you have papers to grade. You’re going to get to those later. During creative writing time, you’re going to model creative writing. 

3) Don’t write a tome

Yes, you might teach long, complicated novels as part of your curriculum, but some of my favorite books to teach have been either short stories or vignettes.

Two of my favorites are The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri.

Start with short stories and see where they take you. 

4) Start a blog

Are blogs dead? Nope. They’ve just shifted in purpose and focus.

You don’t need to blog every day or week. Once a month is plenty. Focus on quality posts over quantity.

You can blog under a pseudonym if you want to keep your creative work private, or you can see your blog as an extension of your work in the classroom.

I’m always amazed at the amount of teachers who come to me saying they don’t have time to write a book, but have essentially drafted an entire manuscript in their blog!

5) Get accountable

Maybe that’s a writers group, or maybe it’s a daily habit you get into. Maybe it’s an app that you use with your students, such as Night Zookeeper or Wattpad. 

6) Learn about what an author’s life really looks like

The work I do at Evergreen Authors is all about teaching writers how to make a living off their creative work.

If you’re overwhelmed at what it means to put yourself out there, check out my Amazing Author Platform Mini Course and see how other busy writers are finding the time and energy to fulfill their dreams. 

One thing I used to always say to my high school seniors was that life is really what you make of it.

Take risks, be bold and courageous. All of those are great sentiments, but I can tell you that for a long time I didn’t really live them. 

Sometimes being bold and courageous means making time for what makes you happy.

If you’re a teacher with a story inside of you, make time for it to come out. This isn’t selfish, and it doesn’t take you away from your duties as a teacher. 

I would argue that in honoring your creative spirit, you will be a better (and a much happier) teacher in the long run.