Harlan Coben believes that if you’re a writer, you’ll find the time; and that if you can’t find the time, then writing isn’t a priority and you’re not a writer. For him, writing is a【C1】_____job–a job like any other. He has【C2】_____it with plumbing, pointing out that a plumber doesn’t wake up and say that he can’t work with pipes today.

【C3】_____, like most writers these days, you’re holiday down a job to pay the bills, it’s not【C4】__to find the time to write. But it’s not impossible. It requires determination and single-mindedness.【C5】__that most bestselling authors began writing when they were doing other things to earn a living. And today, even writers who are fairly【C6】__often have to do other work to【C7】_____their writing income.

As Harlan Coben has suggested, it’s a【C8】_____of priorities. To make writing a priority, you’ll have to【C9】__some of your day-to-day activities and some things you really enjoy. Depending on your【C10】__and your lifestyle, that might mean spending less time watching television or listening to music, though some people can write【C11】__they listen to music. You might have to【C12】__the amount of exercise or sport you do. You’ll have to make social media an【C13】__activity rather than a daily, time-consuming【C14】__. There’ll probably have to be less socializing with your friends and less time with your family. It’s a【C15】_____learning curve, and it won’t always make you popular.

There’s just one thing you should try to keep at least some time for, 【C16】_____your writing–and that’s reading. Any writer needs to read as much and as widely as they can; it’s the one【C17】_____supporter–something you can’t do without.

Time is finite. The older you get, the【C18】_____it seems to go. We need to use it as carefully and as【C19】__as we can. That means prioritising our activities so that we spend most time on the things we really want to do. If you’re a writer, that means【C20】_____writing.

【C11】