My jobs have always involved writing in some capacity and over the years I’ve become adept at hunkering down and getting the job done when deadlines loom. Since beginning my foray into creative-writing-for-myself-and-hopefully-a-paycheck-one-day, however, my capacity to write whenever and wherever has been severely stretched.
Working from home (part-time with flexible hours) while taking care of my kids (double-time with sucky hours) does not an easy writing day make. For instance, this post is being written in bed at seven o’clock on Sunday morning. My husband usually takes the kids to let me sleep in, but lately I’ve been hiding up here to write for thirty precious, uninterrupted minutes while he thinks I’m sleeping.
When my mom was visiting last week I would drop my son off at school while she watched my daughter and I’d pick up a coffee for her on the way home. Guess who was hiding in the parking lot of Tim Horton’s, madly scribbling on a napkin?
During our New Year’s celebrations I had my iPhone handy throughout the night, not because I was afraid of missing a call from home if something went wrong, but because I needed to take notes (good thing, too – mama had a few cocktails and events were blurry).
So if we ever go for lunch and I disappear into the bathroom for twenty minutes or longer? Never fear – chances are good that the only thing I’m cranking out is a revision on chapter six.
LD
Andrea
bjas
Sharon
Maria
Restless Writers 
Finding time is very difficult. My kids are both in school full time now, so I’m fortunate to have an hour each morning to write. However, on frustrating days when life overwhelms, I’ll do anything to scribble a few words. At my daughter’s appointment last week, in fact, i spent the entire hour typing on my iPhone. LOL
I’ve done the iphone scribble too! It’s always interesting to see what autocorrect has written for me…
I love that you hide out in bed to write. That’s brilliant! Weekends are hardest for me. But really, every day is a struggle despite the fact that both kids are in school and some days my work load is non-existent.
I love your ideas, because you have the ‘write’ approach. 🙂 You write everywhere, and whenever you can. Love it!
If only someone would come up with waterproof paper, I could cram another few hours into the week via baths… 😉
I must admit, I don’t have kids, but I do work a full time job, I’m married, and I’ve made commitments to friends that take up usually 10 – 20 hours a week.
And as I’m sure you know, writing a blog can sometimes be harder than “real” writing on your fiction books. Personally, I write best in the evenings, after 8 pm, but I try to take my computer to work everyday as well, just to make sure that I can still get some writing done if that doesn’t pan out.
Sometimes, finding the time to write is the hardest thing at all…Although, I think my title for this would have, “I’m having an affair with my computer” instead of with my pen. ^_^
An affair with your computer sounds much more saucy 😉
And I don’t think it matters if you have kids/are married – our days fill up with other things no matter what!
Ha. And this is me—exactly 🙂 Especially the “after 8pm” bit.
Well, JK Rowling did write part of HP on a napkin. And, hey, it could be worse, you could be pulling another kind of napkin out of your purse to write on…
HA! A true water-spewing-on-the-keyboard comment (again)…
Loved the post, Lori! I can so relate. I have to admit I’ve done my fair share of TV babysitting in order to get some writing time in. My youngest will be in kindergarten next year. I can’t wait!
I can so relate to what you’re saying. Keep up finding the time!
The TV will be working overtime for me tomorrow…
Lori, the pics in this post look a bit like toilet paper. Intentional? Another medium to write on, perhaps?
Of course it was intentional! Desperate times, baby…