I had my first child a little more than a year and a half ago. I read a ton of pregnancy and baby books and thought I was pretty well prepared, but I didn't consider the enormous impact having a child would have on my writing.
I'm just gonna come out and say it. Writing with a small child around is hard. (I'd imagine it's even harder with multiple small children. We're expecting a second at the end of the summer, so I guess I'll find out!)
Hard doesn't mean impossible. Since my son was born, I've done major edits on one manuscript and finished two others that were languishing in first-draft land. It has taken some major determination, though, and a willingness to drop everything and write whenever the opportunity presents itself. Sleep schedules become vitally important (this post is being written during nap time, for example). I used to be picky about creating just the right atmosphere for a long writing session, but now I snag fifteen or twenty minutes wherever I can.
Since many writers are parents, there are some great resources for commiseration and help around the web. Here are some of my favorites:
- Striking the Write Life Balance: Melanie Jacobson has some good tips in this post, as well as reminders of why it's so important to take the time to write.
- Storysplosion: Making Time: This look at motherhood as a writer (with plenty of comic illustration) never fails to make me giggle.
- Parenting Tips for Writers: If you want straight-up practical advice, this is the post for you. Janet Fitch has some great tips here!
Are you a parent? How do you carve out your writing time?
Yes, it is hard. When they were little tykes, nap time was sometimes writing time. Then when they were elementary and middle school age, I wrote in the mornings before they woke up, but now that I have one in high school that time spot is taken up. Sigh. I now write after the kids leave for school if I have the time. It is a hard, but grabbing a few minutes here and few minutes there is about the best I can hope for at that moment. Good luck. It is a wild, but fun ride!
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was pregnant w/my son, thinking I'd get all kinds of writing down while I was on maternity leave. Ha. Hahaha. I was a wacked-out, sleep-deprived zombie. Creativity went out the window, lol! Congrats on your impending newest little one!
ReplyDeleteHahaha, I totally know what you mean. I thought I'd get tons done when the baby was a newborn too. I mean, they sleep all the time, right? Yeah...that didn't work out. :-P
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