The awesome co-hosts for this month are: C. Lee McKenzie, Rachel Pattison, Elizabeth Seckman, Stephanie Faris, Lori L MacLaughlin, and Elsie Amata!
This month's IWSG question: How do you find the time to write in your busy day?
I'm very lucky. When my husband and I decided to have a child, we agreed one of us should stay home with him. Childcare is expensive, after all, and my husband was making enough to support us. Now that our son is in school, we can still pay our bills with me at home.
During the school year, I have the weekdays to write. I love it. It makes for a very happy mama. I treat it like a full-time job. Some days, I feel there aren't enough hours to get all my work done, but I am my own worst boss!
In the summer and on breaks, I don't get much time to write. On good nights, we can get our son in bed at a decent hour, and there's nothing on television to distract me. Then I write or promote a little more. I don't like staying on the computer late. I've been very good at settling into bed at a reasonable hour and getting a proper sleep. I read a little before going to sleep too. A good sleep also makes for a productive next day.
One of my ongoing insecurities is time. While it might seem like I have tons of time to write and promote, sometimes it doesn't feel that way. Real life cuts in. Like a virus sticking around for over a month. (And it gave me pink eye so I can't stare at the screen for very long!) I don't know if I'll ever feel like there's enough time to do what I want, and that's something I'll hopefully learn to accept and not be so harsh on myself about.
Is time a concern of yours too?
Time is a concern of mine. I never feel as though there's enough, but I am quite terrible at time management, so I know the fault is generally mine. Still feel a lot of pressure, though, that I'm not accomplishing enough. Or anything at all, some days. My goal is to one day be half as productive as you are. You rock!
ReplyDeleteHope you're feeling better soon!
Hi Christine - to me you seem to be super creative ... but I hope the bugs stay away now and you can get loads more done - set you up for a head start .. and you're lucky you can stay home to write ... take care - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Christine. I think 'time' should be banned. We'd all be so much happier :) Just wanted to say that you inspire me and I visit your blog whenever I need to be motivated. So, thank you!!! Have a super September!
ReplyDeleteI believe everyone suffers from the Time syndrome!!
ReplyDeleteI also was a stay at home mom for 5 children. I think it's a blessing to be able to raise your own child without daycare. Now that they're grown I can write. but then come the grand babies, and I'm again watching children...
Real life, your family life, and your sleep are important too. Sounds like you're balancing them out pretty good but writing more during the school year when you have the time.
ReplyDeleteYou have such wonderful balance! I love seeing how you take care of yourself with getting good sleep and keeping positive and happy. What's that saying - "If Mama's not happy, then nobody's happy." :)
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to find the time. I used to write more at night after the kids were in bed, but now I find that watching them go to bed makes me sleepy too. So I don't stay up much any more.
ReplyDeleteHappy mama is exactly as it should be. Great to hear how you've managed to work things out with your family. X
ReplyDeleteShah
shahwharton.com
The more time I have, the more time I can waste. But, buckling down, treating writing like a career helps in the long run. Hubs & I made the same decision (regarding kids & staying at home). Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that your husband is supportive and can support the family so you can stay home to take care of your child. Weekend writing is the best! It seems with all I do that the weekend is the one time I can write as well.
ReplyDeleteTypically when we're the busiest, we accomplish the most. Taking care of children is more than just time consuming. It's energy consuming. It's emotionally consuming. We need all three of those things to write and there's only so much in the day.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you have all that time now that your little guy is in school. Real life does interfere no matter what.
ReplyDeletePrying myself away from the computer is difficult. I can spend all day there.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I like your plan and it looks like it works too. WTG!
ReplyDeleteJuneta @ Writer's Gambit
I have too much time to write and found I kept it on the back burner for days. Now I write first thing in the morning. It makes for a much happier woman. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
You're very fortunate on two fronts, Christine. To have had all that time with your son and now to have the time to write. Of course, I hear what you say about life cutting in. That's always part of any deal, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteTime is a concern of mine, too. I became a stay-at-home, homeschool mom many years go (17, almost 18). Home-schooling, teaching classes to home-school teens, and just regular life activities take a lot of time so when someone says "you must have all day to write," I just want to fall over laughing. I write when I can, and our schedule changes monthly. I just keep fitting it around things, and I like to sleep so I'm not giving that up. :)
ReplyDeleteI do agree. It's taught me to prioritize and think about long term impact to determine what comes first. It's not always what I would choose in a juggling moment but it helps. I wish you much health and happiness with your family and writing.
ReplyDeletePesky real life! Rest is important, though. I know I don't get much done if I didn't get much sleep the night before. Sometimes you have to do what you can and be content with that.
ReplyDeleteTime is always a concern for me. That and energy. If I have time, I might not have the energy.
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone for stopping in today. Seems time is a big concern for all of us. If only we could write stories in our sleep!
ReplyDeleteI remember when I had little ones, I couldn't write until they were in bed. But then it was my time. I still enjoy writing in the quiet hours of the night. I find the darkness comforting and inspiring. Life does it's thing, which seldom matches my time line, but it is what it is. I feel blessed, especially to know so many talented folks.
ReplyDeleteYour body was telling you to slow down, you didn't listen and it reacted with an illness. I hope you're feeling much better. But as a writer you are one of the top most talented people I know. Don't stress, you have this!
You seem to find the perfect balance between writing and other life commitments.
ReplyDeleteIt is so awesome that you have support to do two amazingly creative things - write and raise your child. "Not enough hours in the day" is always a plague for those of us trying to do more than one thing at a time. You seem to have a good sense with setting priorities.
ReplyDeleteIt's a running joke in my family that I'm going to invent some way to add an extra day to the week (reserved for sleeping and reading). If only! :)
ReplyDeleteWorking at home in any capacity can be hard. Because there's always that laundry pile staring at you or the dishes in the sink. I commend you for staying on task.
ReplyDeleteTo really accomplish anything as a writer, you do have to treat it as a full time job. You seem to have mastered that.
ReplyDeleteTime's always a concern, even for those of us without wee ones running around. As you said, there will be some days you just can't get around to writing. I think it's important to accept that and just focus on the days you CAN write, rather than setting some word count for every single day and beating yourself up on the days that life gets in the way (spoiler alert: life always gets in the way).
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you ended up with pink eye after all the sickness you've all already battled over the summer! I hope all of that is gone for good now. Here's to lots of writing. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat that you have a regular schedule going. I find it difficult to write at home sometimes, but then again I've got a 3 and 1 year old there;)
ReplyDelete