I’ve been asked by friends how I managed to write a book (and start another) while raising three children. The answer is actually quite simple. I write in bits and pieces.
I’ll write part of a scene at the Diner next door to the music center where the girls take clarinet and piano. I’ll edit in the lobby of the dance studio while they are in ballet class. I’ve been known to write an entire chapter while watching a late night movie on DVD with my son.
I try to get in about three to five hours of writing a day, Monday through Friday. However, I never get to do it in one sitting. I can only imagine how much I could accomplish if I could work uninterrupted!
Of course, other things suffer. Is my house as clean as it could be? No. Is the laundry caught up? You’ve got to be kidding. But am I happy? Absolutely. And when the Mama’s happy, everybody’s happy.
(Just in case you’re curious, I wrote this in four different pieces between three and five this evening.)