A lot of students struggle with making time to write regularly, especially if it means saying no to other people. Kids, partners, friends, family, pets—all these beings can make demands on our time, and many folks feel guilty or sheepishly staking out time to write if it means saying no to loved ones.

For years, I clung to some pretty painful myths about being a writer: That I had to write every day. That I had to write for hours at a stretch. That I had to wake up at 4am so I could squeeze in writing before work or school. That I had to write alone, holed up in my house. Worst of all, some deep part of me believed that if I didn’t do these things, I wasn’t a real writer—I was an imposter. That I was squandering my potential and could never hope to publish or have writing be a major, meaningful part of my life.