Writing is my life. Whether it's a way to pass time in class, a short drabble series, or a mammoth undertaking like NaNoWriMo, I'm always looking more chances to put pen to paper; or fingers to the keys, as it may be.

That's not to say it's always easy. There's always other things that want to take up my time. Craft projects, going out with friends, and reading copious amounts of fiction all drag me away from writing. While those are all really fun things to do, if you want to find more time to write, try one of the following suggestions. If you stick with it, you'll find words scrawling across the page.

1. Start journaling

One of the best ways to write more is to start keeping a daily journal. You don't need to write profound quotes for future generations, just write what you did that day, or maybe discuss things that you want to do the next. It can be a fantastic way to vet frustration at your messy roommate, brag a little about that test you aced, or just reflect on what a great day you had.

The key here is to committing to doing one entry a day, even if you only write half a page. The best way is to write either at the beginning of your day, or right before you go to bed, but find a consistent time of day you can write. You'll be more likely to keep it up. To promote your desire to write, find a journal you really like, and pick a good pen, one you like the look of on the page. Or if you prefer, just use a notebook and pencil, it's all about what works best for you.

2. Make a commitment to write one short drabble a day

If you have trouble committing to longer writing projects, this can be a really good way to keep yourself writing. Pick a word count that fits your schedule (500 is usually a good number) and tell yourself you'll write one short story of that length per day.

A really good way to do this if you're worried about finding inspiration everyday is to use a set of prompts. Some of my favorite are these word-prompt tables, in which you're given one word per day and you write whatever story comes to mind. If you want something a bit more concrete, try this set of creative writing prompts.

If commitment is your issue here, my best suggestion is to post what you write online. If you write fanfiction, as I often do, fanfiction.net is a wonderful place to get your start. If your prompts are all within one fandom, start a new story which is marked in the summary as a 30 day challenge. Often, you'll get followers who come read your writing everyday, and the thrill of watching the view counter tick upward can instill the excitement needed to write more. If you write original stories, ff.net's sister site, fictionpress.com, is one alternative. Knowing there are people out there waiting for you to post is a terrific impetus to post every day.

3. Do NaNoWriMo

Have I talked enough about my love for NaNoWriMo yet? This challenge is difficult and isn't right for everyone, but it can be really helpful if you want a huge support network to write with. There's a Twitter account with prompts that runs during NaNo and Camp, which helps you do 'sprints' of 10, 15, and 30 minutes. You also get daily encouraging emails, virtual write-ins and, during camp, a cabin to chat with. This is a great challenge if you want to do a longer project and work on a different set of skills than a set of shorter prompts does. Your character development and plotting skills, for instance, don't get as much of a workout when you only have 500 words to write. That builds your ability to establish a character quickly and sketch a scene in a limited number of words. Writing a novel challenges your ability to not only establish the character, but to show their transformation as the story goes on.

4. Don't get discouraged

I wrote 700 words last night and considered them crap. My current writing project has the potential to be great, if I can manage to write it. But telling myself that it doesn't have to be perfect the first time through? That's a lot harder. It's something I struggle to remember, and something you should too. You won't be a Pulitzer-prize winning author immediately; it takes time, practice, and a lot of rewriting. But the first step is to get your words down on paper. If you can keep doing that, you've already taken the hardest step. And don't be afraid to show your work to people, even if you don't think it's great. Often the person you show it to will think it's wonderful. It's a curse of the craft to think your work is worse than it is.

Writing can be an incredibly rewarding thing to do. When I publish new stories and get reviews telling me that it was a great chapter or that I've managed to impact someone emotionally, it lifts my spirits for the rest of the day. So go out there and start writing, whether it ends up in a drawer, or on a website at the end of the day.

You'll be glad you did it.