Call me a bad mom, but I am THRILLED that today my kids are back in school.
Now … I can get back to a routine.
I’m not organized, and I’m not a big planner, and everyone knows I don’t plot … but I need to have a regular routine to write the three (or more) books a year I write.
When I speak to writers, I tell them that it’s important to develop good writing habits, and the first and most important writing habit is to develop a writing routine. Everyone has a different life with different responsibilities — family, work, commitments — but if writing is to be a priority in your life, you have to MAKE it a priority, and the best way to do that is create a routine and stick to it as best you can.
When I was working full-time out of the house and raising a family, the only time I could write was at night when the kids went to bed. I made a lot of sacrifices because writing was important to me — I gave up television for three years and I gave up a lot of weekend socializing. What this gave me was seven nights a week, three hours a night, to focus on learning the craft of writing. In those three years, I wrote five manuscripts, sold my first book, and then wrote my option book. Because I created a writing routine.
Once I quit my day job and worked from home, writing actually became harder because I didn’t have the “routine.” Sometimes, when you have multiple commitments, it’s much easier to lock down your two hours a night writing or all day Saturday or whatever fits in with your busy life. Those hours become more productive because you know they are the only hours that week that you’ll have.
When you have seemingly unlimited writing time, you develop bad habits (procrastination) because instead of the firm two hours you have eight or ten or twelve hours to write. The time makes you lazy. Facebook, Google (love my research!), email, Twitter, Pinterest, television … yeah, there are plenty of things to interfere with your writing time.
Or, maybe it’s just me.
When the kids are at school, I have a routine because I know they’ll be home at 3:30 and I won’t be able to write at all … snacks, talking about their day, homework, rushing off to sports … whatever it is, we have a lot of it to do. So my writing time … from about 9:30 – 3:30 … is sacred. And I’m productive. But when the kids are home without all the other responsibilities, I drag my feet more, thinking I have “all the time in the world” … but I don’t. They stay up later, we watch more television, do more things, and my time seems to slip by …
Also, when the kids are at school, they leave the house by 8 in the morning. I have to get up earlier to get them off, then I’m ready to walk on my treadmill, shower, and work … whereas in the summer there is never any rush to do anything.
I can of course write during the summer (I can’t take three months off) but I don’t have a set routine, so I tend to not be as productive. Being constantly interrupted wrecks havoc with my muse. As I’ve often said — I can write with noise, I can’t write with interruptions.
So yes … I’m very excited that the kids are back at school, and I can have a set writing schedule again! 9:30-3:30 during the day … and 9:30 pm until … whenever … at night.
And I need it. I have three books to write between now and April 15 …
You are NOT a bad mom! 😆 There’s not a mom in the world who isn’t excited when school starts in the fall. Mine’s been out for so long, I was able to get all set in my ways and I knew if I had to run errands in the morning, I had the afternoon to write, or I could write in the morning and take care of stuff in the afternoon. Or just ignore everything and write/research/read all day! 🙄
Yeah…about that… I’ve to revert to the days when The Only was a baby. Because I’m a good grandparental unit. Baseball Boy, my favorite son-in-law in the world, finally got a full-time job teaching. But the interview, job offer, and beginning of school happened so fast they were caught short-handed on child care. I’m filling in until they can make arrangements but dang! I’d totally forgotten infants are such time sucks. LOLOL Love the little dickens to pieces but I have to write while he’s napping and stop when he wakes up because…he’s a demanding creature. 😉
Happy Back To writing Routine Day, Allison!
Whew! I knew it wasn’t just me 🙂 Babies are far more demanding than kids …
I’m so jealous! I am desperate to get back into my own routine and am so ready for summer to be over. We are supposed to get our kids back to school next Tuesday, but the teachers are on strike with no signs a settlement imminent.
ARGH!!! The cry of parents all over British Columbia who have things to do DAMNIT! Lol.
Enjoy your precious hours of quiet.
Sympathies with you Sheri! I would be frustrated, too. Good luck!
I thought it was just me. I also have 5 kids. When they’re home all day I don’t get as much done. Shocker, I know. LOL.
For me the distraction is the internet and thinking I have all day to get the writing done.
Violet Ingram
Death by High Heels
Aw, yes, the Internet. Definitely a distraction and time suck …
I only had two kids but I was so thrilled when the baby started school so I could write. It was a few hours a day that were just for me.
Definitely! 🙂
So glad you can get into your writing routine again! That is the best part of school starting. The down side is that we have to stick to our routine strictly. There isn’t room for later for anything. Gah!