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How To Write When You’re A Parent

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This post hits home in a big way. And my kids are not little, in fact they are quite big. But it is almost 11 pm and I have spent over 2 hours helping my son with AP Chem before coming here to post. On Writer’s Digest, Danielle Campoamor gives good advice to all of us on how to adapt and still find ways to keep writing, even when the demands on your time increase. I may have to read this one daily.

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How To Write When You’re A Parent

Parent and child parking signIt’s 10:30 in the morning and my son has finally succumbed to his morning nap. With his head on my chest and his ineffectual arms wrapped around my neck, I feel his body rise and fall with every seamless breath. I move ever-so-slightly, adjusting my body without moving him; a timeless skill every parent finds a way to master. I lift up my arms to lay my hands on my laptop keyboard, determined to finish an article and meet a deadline while my child dreams sweet one year old dreams.

Before I became a mother, I was borderline obsessive about the way I wrote. I had to listen to music and set up a clean area and definitely, under no circumstances, be bothered. I’d create a “writing space” that – I believed – fostered the best creativity and willpower and I was unwavering in its obsessive defense.

But then life happened and pregnancy happened and a child happened. And suddenly, the list I had created in order to obtain the perfect writing environment became impossible to adhere to. No one bothering me? Forget about it. A pristine environment? Try telling that to a child who has learned about toys and the ability to throw them mighty distances. Loud music? Not when the baby is sleeping. No way.

If I was to continue my career and my passion, I had to find a new way to write in an always-changing, consistently disruptive environment. Because unless you have someone paying your bills and a nanny to watch your children and a staff to clean and cook and fold your laundry, life will always get in the way of writing.

Read the full post on Writer’s Digest

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If you liked this article, please share. If you have suggestions for further articles, articles you would like to submit, or just general comments, please contact me at paula@publetariat.com or leave a message below.

7 Steps to Go From Slacker to Writing Machine

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This is about the time when my new years resolutions on writing start to get pushed aside. So in the spirit of trying to last a little longer I present you with this article from Lifehack. Author shares seven steps to help you become a lean mean writing machine! Care to share your writing goals for this year in the comments?

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Help text on typewriter

We all love being lazy from time to time, and that’s perfectly alright, as long as it’s done in moderation. However, some of us are less disciplined than others, which means our “lazy” time spills over into our daily obligations. Writers, for instance, are extremely notorious for being lazy and prone to procrastination, which is perhaps best evident through their portrayal in the media. Fictional movie and TV characters such as Californication’s Hank Moody, or Secret Window’s Mort Rainey immediately spring to mind.

While this image is certainly exaggerated, a lot of writers could use some help when it comes to organizing their time and improving their creative output. Since writing is often seen as heavily dependent on bouts of inspiration and ideas, the writers’ approach to occasional dry spells or writer’s block would be to wait it out, and not do much in the meantime.

The good news is, not only can you make yourself more productive during those less-inspired periods, but you also can avoid them altogether, and it doesn’t require you to do anything revolutionary, other than making some tweaks to your usual approach and adopting some useful writing habits. No e-books, no magic pills, just 7 essential tips you can use to turn yourself into a writing machine you were supposed to be all along.

1. Write Down Your Ideas

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As a writer, you are probably aware that great ideas are hard to come by. There are two ways you can deal with this. The first one would be to do some serious brainstorming, organize and collect your thoughts, and distill them down to ideas you can actually use. The second one would be to always write down those ideas which appear inside your mind at the most unexpected moments and situations.

Although it may seem like there is absolutely no way you’re going to forget about them, you probably will. You can fix this by writing them down using a piece of pen and paper, your smartphone, or specialized note-taking apps. Even though you may not use them right away, it’s great to have some of them in reserve.

Read the full post on Lifehack.com

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If you liked this article, please share. If you have suggestions for further articles, articles you would like to submit, or just general comments, please contact me at paula@publetariat.com or leave a message below