Where Do You Moms (and other really busy people) Find the Time to Write

-
I'm a mom to one four year old son. I'm also a foster parent but we're not fostering at the moment, (we will be as soon), and we own a small cleaning business. I have a very hard time finding time to write.

This past weekend my son was sick with a fever and cough. And while I hate it that he was sick, I got a ton of writing done because we laid around the house all weekend.

What is your writing schedule like? Do you even have one? For now, mine isn't anything set in stone. I just write whenever I have a few minutes to spare, and sometimes that's none at all.

How do you do it?

Comments

Christine Danek said…
I write when I can. I have a 4 yr old and a 1 1/2 yr old (whom I'm holding right now and typing with one hand) so no schedule here. I also work part time. It seems when I have a great idea it always comes when I can't get to my laptop or even get a pen to write it down. I try my best:) I have to keep me happy too:)
March 1, 2010 at 8:27 AM
Leah (aka Mary_not_Martha) said…
I hear ya' ladies! I have four kids that constantly talk, need, ask & want. I write at 1am on nights I have a late shift. No one is up and it's so quiet. I also steal moments. If I don't get the words down when they are "stirring" (the words), it just won't translate right. Sometimes I just grab a paper - even a crayon! Usually I hop on the laptop and race to type it in while I'm saying to the kids, "uh-huh, just a minute..."
March 1, 2010 at 9:53 AM
Bossy Betty said…
My kids are older now, but I found the car was a great place to write down ideas, etc. I always keep a notebook there.
March 1, 2010 at 10:13 AM
Tess said…
oh, I remember those days ... it was difficult when my kids were little. I remember hiring a 10 y/o 'mommys helper' to come play with the little ones in the summer months. I'd pay her four or five dollars and she'd play with them for two hours and allow me to write. It was worth the money!

Now, I'm an old lady and all my little ones are in school. It is a blessing to my work but I miss those baby cuddles and sticky finger hugs :D
March 1, 2010 at 10:13 AM
Natalie said…
I can totally relate. My kids are 2, 4, and 6, so my days are pretty busy. I usually try to write while the 6- year- old is at school and the 2-year-old naps. I either turn on a movie for the 4-year-old or she draws on the floor by my desk while I try to write. It isn't a perfect system, but it works some days.

Having your own business on top of everything makes it crazier I bet. I can barely keep up with the kids and my own house cleaning. Just keep writing, even if you only get a little bit done everyday--every little bit helps.
March 1, 2010 at 10:59 AM
Caroline Starr Rose said…
Before mine were in school, I'd aim for three writing sessions a week. No specific length of time, no word count, just three different times in front of the computer. Anything beyond this was a bonus.

For a few years, I'd get a sitter and write one day a week at a coffe shop in two-hour sessions. I loved this time.

The process was slow, but this sort of sensible, forgiving schedule worked for me when mine were young.
March 1, 2010 at 11:45 AM
Crystal Cook said…
This is such a tough one for me too, I have three kids and only one of them is school age. My husband works full time, actively volunteers with our church (15-20 hours a week) and he has his own business. So I HAVE to have something that is just for me or I lose my mind. I wake up really early (like 5 that's early for me) and write for an hour or two. Then I know I've done something for myself and am better able to fully devote myself to my kids through the day. If I miss a morning, I'm grouchy because I'm wondering all day if I'll be able to squeeze in some writing time.
March 1, 2010 at 11:47 AM
Terra said…
I don't have a writing schedule now, but write every day, even if only for a few minutes.
For a couple of years I got up one hour early to write. For me, that was 6 a.m. and I was the first one awake for one hour of writing time.
Terra
March 1, 2010 at 12:43 PM
Angie said…
I wrote only short stories for a decade because it was hard to find time to finish anything longer. I'm getting back into novel writing now. I usually write when everyone is bed, which means I stay up way too late. Saturdays have been a good day for extra writing lately. I've been leaving everyone home and heading out to the library for two or three hours. That's worked well. You just need to find what works for you, even if it's only a short time. You'll get there!
March 1, 2010 at 2:23 PM
DL Hammons said…
I guess I fall in the 'other busy people' category. :) It is indeed a challenge and not without significant sacrifices. A LOT of late nights, early mornings, and weekends spent staring at nothing but this monitor. If it was work I would have given it up long ago, but it's not.
March 1, 2010 at 6:57 PM
zz said…
I really admire mums, it never ceases to amaze me how selfless, patient, sacrificial you guys are!!

Now I feel lame for not writing for reasons like "I'm going to eat this orange instead of writing for the next hour..."

Anyway, I like to wake up early on Saturday mornings and write for a few hours at my favourite cafe. I also write on the train to or from work.
March 1, 2010 at 7:07 PM
Anonymous said…
I have twin doodles that are in school full time now so I write while they're away. Or late at night. ;)
March 1, 2010 at 9:54 PM
Janna Leadbetter said…
Like the first commenter said, I write when I can. My most productive hours are in the morning, but the kids don't always allow that. If I can be good and strictly follow a routine, they understand my stretch of writing time, but it can't be set in stone. Not until next year, when my youngest goes to kindergarten. Sometimes it has to be random snatches.
March 2, 2010 at 9:54 AM
Christine said…
I started out in romance, then shifted to fantasy. Now I'm in love with YA, bringing some of that romance and fantasy with me. And I too have been collecting and ready YA books like crazy. Good Luck with your book. I'm a follower now and will be back often.
March 3, 2010 at 10:43 AM
The Kid In The Front Row said…
i think that whether you're a mum with 9 kids, or some dude who's 19 with no responsibilities, finding the commitment and drive and time to SIT and WRITE is difficult.
March 4, 2010 at 6:05 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Name is Lisa and I Write Crap

-
Image
I used to be so afraid of writing something horrible, that I wouldn't write anything at all. I'd have a half-hour or so to myself and instead of getting as much down as I could, I'd type, delete, retype and delete again. I had to have perfect sentences formed from perfect ideas. It didn't work. It took me years to finally learn to just write anything. Even if it's crap (and it usually is first time around). But I'm finally OK with writing a crappy first draft. If it's still crap when I'm done, well, that's another problem all together. I used to think, What if I died tomorrow and my family found this notebook full of god-awful first drafts? They'd think I was a terrible writer! If I can write only awesome sentences, they'll realize what talent I had and be sorry they didn't take more interest in my amazing stories... or something like that. Anyway, now when I start writing a story (whether it's a novel or a screenplay) I just
Read more

Yet Another Embarrassing Confession (you would think I'd have run out by now)

-
The absolute worst part about being a writer for me is grammar and punctuation. With every post I put up, every email I send and every story I write, I am waiting for someone to come back to me and say, "Seriously? How can a writer not know where to put commas?" Commas are my enemy. I have no clue where they go. I try to put them where I think would be a natural pause in a sentence, but I know I'm usually wrong. I basically toss them up in the air willy-nilly and let them land where they want. Can you recommend a grammar/punctuation book that is easy to understand? (I never took a "real" English class in high school, so I'm starting fresh). The Elements of Style is too...sterile for me. I need something I can easily grasp onto. I'd greatly appreciate any, suggestions. (<< that comma was a joke. See, at least I can joke about my ignorance)
Read more

The Time I Exploded When I Was Seven

-
Image
I was seven the summer of 1977, when my dad told me Elvis Presley had died. For a young kid, I was actually pretty interested in music and felt bad about him dying. I asked how Elvis died and my dad told me he exploded because he ate too much. I believed him. What did I know, I was seven? A few days later my dad made us egg salad and olive sandwiches, my favorite. I ate my entire sandwich and asked for another one. He made it for me. I ate about half of it when suddenly I started to not feel so good. I ran to the bathroom and threw it all up. My dad came in and said I ate way too much. Couldn't he have told me that bit of information before he made me the second sandwich? I started crying hysterically and wouldn't stop. He asked why and I told him I was exploding like Elvis and about to die. He laughed. I cried and threw up some more. I didn't eat egg and olive again until I was 28 and my husband made me try it. Now I love it. But only one sandwich at a time
Read more