Let’s just say it up front:
Writing means being selfish.
Not cruel. Not careless.
Selfish.
Writing takes time. It takes attention. It takes energy you could’ve spent doing any number of “more useful” things—cleaning the house, helping someone move, replying to every message within three minutes.
If you want to get serious about writing, you’re going to have to carve out time for it. Not borrow it. Not wait for someone to give it to you. You take it. You protect it. Sometimes you say, “Sorry, I can’t do that right now, because I’m writing.”
That’s going to feel selfish.
Especially if you’re someone who’s used to always being available, always helping, always showing up for everyone else.
Here’s the truth:
You can’t write seriously without protecting your creative space. That protection can look a lot like selfishness from the outside.
You’re Allowed to Prioritise This
People won’t always understand. They’ll see you sitting at a keyboard and assume you’re “just playing around.” They might interrupt, make requests, expect your time as if you’re not doing something serious.
That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means you’re doing something they haven’t learned how to value.
So YOU have to value it.
Because it’s valuable to you, you have to protect it.
You don’t owe anyone an apology for choosing to pursue something meaningful to you.
Selfish Doesn’t Mean Self-Absorbed
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a licence to be an ass.
You’re still responsible to the people who rely on you. You still show up when it matters. You still do the dishes, answer the phone when it counts, handle your life.
You don’t have to give away every spare moment.
Not every favour is yours to grant.
Not every “can you just—” deserves an immediate yes.
Some of your time belongs to your work.
It’s not a luxury. It’s a boundary.
If It Matters to You, Protect It
Writing is lonely. It’s demanding. It gives back slowly, and only if you’re patient.
So no one else will prioritise it for you.
If you want to finish the book, grow the blog, build the body of work you’ve been dreaming of… you’re going to have to claim space for it.
Unapologetically.
Even when it feels selfish.
Especially then.
Block out two hours this week, tell no one, and treat it like a non-negotiable appointment.
See just how much you can get written.