Have you ever had one of those days, weeks, and/or months where the phone keeps ringing, the kids want you to play Candyland a million times, family and/or friends keep popping over, and you have a bunch of emails to read? Do you ever feel like you should just give up? Put your WIP aside and your goals and just say, “Forget about writing”?
This has been my life since summer started at the end of May. I guess because it is summer everyone thinks I have nothing to do. Or maybe because I stay home as a mom and writer, they think it means I have all the time in the world to get the things done. I wish it were like that. I wish I could just do what I want when I want. The problem is when I want to write . . . the kids need me. When I want to update my websites . . . I have earns to run and they always seem to take longer to do when a deadline is staring me in the face, too.
I wish I could say I have my nights to get all my writing done, but with a husband, who works the swing shift (3pm to midnight), I don’t. And forget about the daytime hours. He’s sleeping in so it’s me, the teenager, the monkey girl, and baby getting all the housework done. Okay, maybe the baby isn’t doing the housework, but she sure watches us do it.
So when does that leave me time to write, update websites, post on my blogs, and network? It doesn’t. How I find the time to get it all done is really a miracle! I have no other way of putting it. I find those 5, 10, and 30 minutes here and there to type a quick reply, read an email, write a sentence, or edit a paragraph. Sometimes I get lucky and monkey girl will watch a movie and my teenage son will hold the baby. Boy, how I will miss having him at home when school starts back up again.
Don’t get me wrong . . . I love my family. I love my kids. But there are days where I ask myself - why am I doing this? There are days when I look at my WIP and think; maybe I should put my goals out of mind! I mean they take up so much time that I do not seem to have. Will they ever see the light of day . . . I wonder.
Then I get a few extra moments in a day to sit and read some of my fellow writer’s blogs. I get a chance to read one of the writing newsletters I have piling up in my inbox or on my desk. And that’s when it hits me . . . I love writing. I love sharing my experiences with other writers. I love working on Stories for Children Magazine and keeping Stories for Children Publishing, LLC going. I even love doing writing workshops and speaking engagements. It helps keep me sane amongst all the housework, crying monkey girls and new baby. It helps me stay in touch with my teenage son. It even helps me not drive my husband crazy about things needing to be done around the house.
So will I ever give up what I do? NO! I love it all and it’s all me. If I stopped doing one thing, it would be like cutting off an arm and throwing it a way. I just can’t do that! And who knows . . . maybe I will see a few WIP’s in print along the way. If not, I’ll have all the time in the world once the kids are out of the house. Or maybe not!
Maggie Lyons was born in Wales and brought up in England before gravitating west to Virginia’s coast. She zigzagged her way through a motley variety of careers from orchestral management to law-firm media relations to academic editing. Writing and editing nonfiction for adults brought plenty of satisfaction but nothing like the magic she discovered in writing fiction and nonfiction for children. Several of her articles, poetry, and a chapter book have been published in the children’s magazines Stories for Children Magazine and knowonder! VS: I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today, Maggie. To get things started can you share what you do to help balance your writing life with your family life? Maggie: Very fortunately for me, I’m retired and my son left the nest some time ago. That doesn’t mean I have no other commitments, of course. In fact, I’m very busy as a freelance editor, but I do have the privilege of being able to control m...
Virginia, my sympathies {smile}. When I became pregnant with my third child (now in his 20's) my sister quipped, "Prepare to be tired for about the next five years."
ReplyDeleteWant to sign my petition for 36 hour days?
I would love 36 hour days. Then maybe I could get a full 8 hours of sleep. Instead of my 5 to 6 hours. :)
ReplyDeleteI hate to tell you, Virginia, but when my kids were grown and gone and I retired from my part-time job things got worse. With all the free time in the world I wasted a lot of it and got less done than I had before. Eventually I got involved in some activities and had enough of a schedule to serve as a framework for organizing the rest of my time and now I'm doing better. I've heard that many new retirees have similar problems.
ReplyDeleteJanet, if only things worked out how we plan them. I figured as much. Well that's why we call it wishing. LOL : )
ReplyDeleteThat's okay though. I'm sure grandkids help mess up the plans of writing more anyway. Such is life, but at least it is a good one.
I’m exhausted just thinking about your schedule. It’s hard for me to find the time I need to write and I don’t have near the distractions. I admire you for managing to keep your writing passion alive in your rare spare moments.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jane.
ReplyDeleteI hear your pain. Summer has been tough for me too. And when I do sit down to write, I feel so guilty. That's why I'm writing this a 1 a.m. in the morning.
ReplyDeleteI think SO many writers can relate to this article! I can't even imagine how you manage to get everything done. I am just out of college and don't have any kids of my own, but still sometimes the days/weeks/months seem to get swept away by other responsibilities! I liked your advice to find 5, 10, or 30 minutes here or there to write. That is so important! Thanks for the continual wisdom and inspiration, Virginia! :)
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