Are you taking advantage of your writing time?

[Sarah Negovetich]

Today, both of my girls took an unexpected morning nap. This was a beautiful gift of time that could have been used to knock out another 1k on my current WIP. Instead I took a shower and cleaned the kitchen. Part of me is kicking myself for not putting that time toward my book, but another part of me is glad I didn't.

I think sometimes as writing parents we can get caught up in the idea of squeezing every spare minute toward our writing. And we forget that it can be just as good to let the shower muse kick in or ruminate about a troubling scene over a sink of sudsy water.

So what about you? Do you give yourself permission to "waste time" in order to recharge?

[Sara Biren]

I agree - I think it's important sometimes to just let yourself think while folding laundry or -- and this is crazy -- going for a walk around the neighborhood.  I usually get up early on Saturday mornings to get in a couple of uninterrupted hours of writing time and the couple of weeks I've been sleeping in (until 7 am - ha, that's sleeping in?!)

Maybe it's my body's way of telling me to slow down and - like you say - recharge?  Could be. 

[Crystal Hidalgo]

I definitely agree. The very first book I ever completed happened when my son was almost one and I would lie beside him for two naps a day plus bedtime (about an hour and a half of my day). I wrote so much of my book before I even set down to the computer just by mulling it over in my head. It felt good too, because I was able to bond with my son, relax a bit and work through stuff I might not have thought of while punching keys. Sometimes "down time" can be very rewarding.

[Nikki Katz]

Crystal, I was the same way with my son! Now I don't have that time, and it seems all the harder to get into the zone.

[Nikki Katz]

My kids are at camp this week, and although I have six hours to myself - I find I can only ultimately spend an hour or two writing. I am so distracted, but then berate myself at the end of the day when I only have 1500 words finished.  I'm like "this is the ONLY time this summer you have to write!"

[Eliza Tilton]

I kind of luck out in this area. Since I work fulltime, I spend my lunch hour (almost every day) working on my current WIP. That way when I get home, I know I can relax and hang out with my family and not worry about putting in that time. I'm a pretty fast writer so an hour a day I can do about 1600 words--IDK is that fast or avg? Either way I can get a guranteed 8000 words a week--give or take a few with edits and research.

 

Then on the weekends I write outside when my son is playing or while he watches cartoons.