I am writing this is in spurts. A handful of paragraphs will probably take me several hours to complete because I can’t sit down and write for any lengthy period of uninterrupted time. If I’m lucky, I can post this before Big C comes home from kindergarten.
My most productive writing time comes at night after the kids go to bed. But that’s also my grown-up time with my husband. There are some nights when he wants some down time to play on the Internet, and for awhile he is content to sit on the couch with his laptop while I’m on the desktop typing away. But most nights, that time is ours to retell the stories of our days, cuddle up to some good television, and if we’re feeling especially adventurous, break out the Scrabble board.
My job as a domestic engineer may allow me plenty of time at home, but I certainly can’t ignore my children to log in writing time. And I may have a good 3 hours of free time between the kids’ bedtime and mine, but I certainly can’t tell my husband I’m unable to spend time with him because I’m having an affair with my Dell. Some nights my head hits the pillow with the disappointing knowledge that I only composed 2 sentences all day.
It’s all a balancing act, and I have yet to find my footing.
From reading thoughts of other writers, I know I am not alone in my quest for more writing time. Whether your schedule includes juggling motherhood, a full-time job outside the home, family time, or life in general, how do you find the time to write? How do your significant others feel about the time you spend writing?
It's easy for me, I have a full time job that allows me to update my blog frequently when I'm in between projects or phone calls. I do a lot of waiting, so I fill the time with blogging.
It easy for me at the moment. My 10 month old still naps twice a day. During those times are when I can sit and pour my heart out IF i have gotten my cleaning and cooking done. It goes husband, child, home and THEN blogging. 🙂 My husband doesnt mind at all that I blog because it never interferes with our lives. He gets to read it and thats it. 🙂
First, I love that you call yourself a domestic engineer! I called my old secretary position "administrative assistant" on my resume. And I always call janitors "custodial engineers." haha gotta love euphemisms!
Second, my bf and I are always sitting on the couch together both with our laptops open. It doesn't sound like the most quality of time, but it works. I guess that's just how "kids these days" are.
Scrabble – love it 🙂
I think about what I'm going to write about all day…no joke. I'll be in class and something will happen or I'll have an idea so I'll have to write it down in my notebook right away, and then when I have a break in-between classes or after classes or after work, that's when I blog.
I'm not married or living with anyone but my roomies, so the second question doesn't really apply. But my roommate, Codi, kind of keeps me on the ball with writing – "Did you blog today?" <- I get asked that EVERY day 🙂
Love your blog. And your writing. It's tough to stay up on everything.
Mary
I typically write at nite–or if I have a spare minute or two throughout the day. It's so hard to find actual time to sit down uninterrupted on most days for me.
I love your blog!
You are so right! It is such a struggle. I generally get up early and write before the kids get up. Then I take a couple of hours in the afternoon from about 2:30-4:30. Then if I still have word count goals to meet, I write again after the kids are in bed. Since my hubby works a few evenings a week, that seems to work out for me!
The best time for me to write is the first thing after I stagger out of bed and grab the coffee — the earlier the better. That's when I can get down at least a rough draft of what I'm feeling. I can always pretty it up later. Once the work day starts, it's hard to get back into that creative groove. And I'm single! Can't even imagine how hard it would be if i had to deal with the needs of others.
I love that you posted about this because it is a topic that is always on my mind. It is so hard for me to find time to write because my husband works several jobs and so I get little time to myself that I don't want to spend just hanging out with him and the kids. A balancing act for sure. And I never know where I am in the balance. But we try right? And we do the best we can, which is really all we can expect of ourselves right? Great post!
I actually wrote a post about this not too long ago – well, somewhat about this. This post means two different things to me – my blogging writing and my novel writing. Right now, I find a lot more time to blog write than novel write. I pace myself with blogging – every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And on occasion, I blog the weekend, too if there's enough time. Like last weekend, I was off from work, so I posted on both Saturday and Sunday. This weekend I probably won't because I have to work and have Easter stuff going on. I'll take any advice I can get on that novel writing time, though. With school in session, it's always hard for me to devote myself to any writing time because I'll always think – you could be doing something productive with school, and then that makes me feel guilty. So, it's kind of a struggle right now with getting time to novel write. Hope I figure it out soon…you, too! Stopping by from The Lady Bloggers. 🙂
Thank you everyone for your comments! It's so nice to know that I'm not the only one who struggles with this balancing act.
Others around me always say that I'd spend too much time with writing…but because it's important to me, they try to accept it.
greets
I think what they say about "making time" to write is the key. I know…I know…easier said than done.
I keep telling myself that if I can write every day for NaBloPoMo in Nov, then I can manage to blog something at least three times a week the rest of the year. Sigh…I don't seem to be able to.
Sorry, I guess I'm not much help!
I kind of piece my post together, sitting down to write here or there. I usually dedicate a couple of hours straight every week to pound out a few full posts at a time because I am so busy. But my first love is writing, so it is always time well spent.
It is a balancing act that never ends, I fear. Worth standing on that thin wire to walk across though! Every part of the year is different for me, and I have just found that making the time to write, whether it is in the morning before the family is up, late at night when I am next to my hubby on the couch or when inspiration strikes midday, writing is just what has to happen. I am going to make it a goal to set small weekly goals, instead of daily goals, so that I can get done what I hope to get done on my blog and for my novel. Keep walkin' that tightrope sista'!
Since I have unable to write for ten days I took the entire day today to write and catch up and in the six hours where I sat reading and writing, I still needed at least another five hours to visit all the blogs that I am missing.
There is never enough time. I have to say that when I was waking up at 4am to write, I was much more satisfied but I realized that I was aging rapidly so nipped it in the bud.