Finding Time to Write

Last week I wrote about all the writing prompts I have jotted in old notebooks. When I dug those notebooks out of my drawer, I left two of them on the table where I sit down to work. I planned to use some of the notes during the week, but time somehow ran away from me. My work has gotten busy in other areas, and it means I spend most of my day running to and fro, and then I have to collect the children from school and help them with homework, activities and whatever else they need.

I still have a couple of mostly free days in which to work, and there are the evenings, but lately I find I’m too exhausted by time I get the children into bed. I used to sit up until the early hours working on my computer, but I simply cannot manage that these days. Still, I’m not worried. I have several books in progress, both fiction and non-fiction, but there is no urgency to complete them. They will be done when I am good and ready. And my notebooks will wait…

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Settling in at #CampNaNoWriMo

The sun is shining as we enjoy day 4 of the Great British summer heatwave. I’m not so good in hot weather. My skin is white, and will often turn bright red even beneath layers of factor 50 sun cream. I have auburn hair and lots of freckles (more so during summer). You will usually find me sitting in the shade, a thin shawl draped across my shoulders, my floppy hat pulled low over my sunglasses, book in hand. Or at least, you used to, before I had children. Nowadays you will find me throwing small people into a paddling pool at high speed. They love it!

But back to Camp. My eldest daughter is at preschool. My youngest is having quiet time in bed. She is suffering with the extreme temperatures as well, although neither girl has inherited my hair colouring. I’m enjoying a light lunch, pottering around my virtual cabin, mentally preparing myself for day 3 of #CampNaNoWriMo. I’m off to a good start. So far my vampire protagonist has set the scene. He will not yet reveal his name, however. He likes to play games with people, and he despises humans. Apparently we are only a food source, nothing more. He has communicated that he is bored, and now a lone vampire hunter has come after him. He plans to play with her, to alleviate the tedium of his existence. She, however, has other plans…

Yes, the creative juices are beginning to flow. It is time to grab my laptop, take a glass of fizzy pop, and find a space in the virtual forest, where I can sit uninterrupted and write. I’ve got the sun cream on. My floppy hat is waiting, along with my trusty sunglasses. Let us wander off into the wilderness, and find a suitable spot… ah, over there, underneath that huge, old oak tree. I can lean against its sturdy trunk, balance the laptop on my crossed legs, and lose myself in the story… see you later!

Being a Writer vs Being a Mother

I am really struggling to write anything at the moment. It is such a strange feeling, because in the space of three years I wrote and published 4 novels and 3 short stories. My Muse was shouting at me constantly so that I always had some form of dialogue or story running circles in my mind, until it was written down. I have notebooks full of scribbled excerpts, blog ideas, story ideas, and even prompts to help me out on occasions like this. Yet with all of this material, I have nothing to say.

What  is this bizarre affliction? Is it writers' block? Is it laziness? Or is it something much more simple; children? Ha ha, that made you stop. Yes, I blame the children. Not that they have done anything wrong, you understand. My biological clock was ticking and so while I was frantically writing my masterpieces of literary fiction (or rather, commercial paranormal fiction), I was also incubating and birthing children. I now have a very active 3 year old daughter, and a very demanding but totally adorable 5 month old daughter.

During the Christmas holiday I took time to rest and recuperate after a very hectic year in 2013. I spent some time thinking about my situation and mulling over my options. Where could I fit in time to write and continue to develop my professional career? Ultimately I decided that it is not feasible right now. Technically I am still on maternity leave, and I have the luxury of a husband whose job pays the bills, so for now I will focus on my family and leave my notebooks alone. I will still write. I intend to develop my blogs more and update them regularly throughout the year. I will also return to my manuscripts and story prompts as and when I find the time and energy. I am still a writer, but I am also a mother, and that is my priority right now.

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