Anyone that writes from home, whether for a living or
pleasure, knows that some days are easier than other days. Sometimes you sit
down and the words just flow so beautifully together that it seems as if it is being channeled. Other times putting a simple sentence
together is such a chore. This is especially true when you are writing at home
and you have children.
Writing at home with children, telephone calls, doorbells
ringing, and one minor emergency after another can be very difficult. I am not
sure how anyone else handles this as a writer. I am sure that everyone has
their own ways and creative solutions for find time to write. Even other adults
have a hard time with the fact that writing is work. The fact that you are home
makes you easily accessible to phone calls and interruptions.
I was reading an article about how many popular authors
started in their careers. Many of them had similar situations, only finding
time to jot down sentences here and there. J K Rowling is a prime example of
what I am talking about. She would go out for a walk with her daughter in the
stroller and as soon as she fell asleep she would go into the closest café and
write frantically while she slept. Stephen King was working in a commercial
laundry for long hours while his wife kept similar hours at Dunkin Donuts, and
they had two children. Little by little King found the time and plugged away.
It may seem impossible to find time but it can be done. If
you really want something you can make it happen, just like everything else you
do in life that is important to you. There are some things you can do if
writing is truly something you want to pursue.
- Do not get frustrated.
If you can’t chisel large chunks of time out
of your schedule to write there are still ways to get your writing done. Write
a few sentences or paragraphs here and there. While you are waiting to pick up
your kids at school, while children are napping, on play dates, or after they
go to bed in the evenings. Forget trying to find a private place and a set
aside a certain amount of time. Just grab a few minutes here and there and
before long you will finish. Every word counts.
I read an article about author
Graham Greene. It was said that he forced himself to write 500 words a day,
every day, no matter what. Just 500 words and then he quit. We can all set
goals like that; they don’t have to be extreme. That is for those of us just
starting out, not for those who have deadlines.
- Do not spend time editing.
Just keep the words flowing until you have it
completed. The editing can take place at another time; just get all your
thoughts down on paper for now. If you are trying to edit your work every few
sentences or paragraphs it will impede the thought flow and make it take so
much longer. It will not take as long to have a finished product and having it
all down on paper will encourage you to keep working. The editing can be done
in the next phase, when you can spend more time refining those thoughts.
- Make sacrifices.
Give up time in other areas, time that you
could be writing. Whether it is a favorite television show, a book club, or a
night out; think about writing instead. Look at the way you spend your time and
decide what is the most important use of your time. What is important to you? What
time slots can you eliminate to find more time to write?
- Record your thoughts.
I’ve read about other authors who recorded
their books. There are so many ways to do this with today’s technology. You can
use your iPhone or any recording device. This can be done in the car while
running errands or the airport while waiting on flights. If you consider how
much of our time is spent in our cars, or just waiting at traffic lights, this
time could really add up. This may not be plausible for everyone but it’s something
to keep in mind.
- Teach children to entertain themselves.
I was listening
to a radio program about the importance of children being able to entertain
themselves. Time spent alone in their rooms, not being entertained by
television or computers but playing with toys or reading books. This promotes
the use of imagination and having a quiet time as an adult. We all know adults
who can’t stand the quiet and always have to be doing something. This training
will help your children to be able to find rest and be more productive as they
grow up.
It’s important not to fill your
days with so much activity that you have no time left for attaining your
desires and doing something brings satisfaction. It is important to teach your
children that life is not just a whirlwind of activities and then you die. You
can make time for things you love to do, you can be at rest, and this will
result in more productivity later.
- Keep a check on time spent on social networks.
Watch the time you’re spending checking
Facebook, tweeting, or for some of us, pinning on Pinterest. We all do it, but
do not get caught up and forget this is time that you could be writing. Grab
the spare minutes to write a few lines.
Whatever time you carve out of your schedule to write,
remember it is not about how much you write; it is that you do write. Do not put it off completely
because you can’t sit down and spend hours writing. Just keep persevering, do
not give up, and do not wait for a better time. That better time may never
come. You do not want to look back when you are 80 and wish you had written
that novel. Do not give up on your dream.
Author Byline:
Kelsey Clark is the editor in chief for findananny. She
loves to write article and ideas that parents & nannies would be interested
in hearing. She helps society on giving information about nannies through find a
nanny. She is a professional writer & loves writing on anything.