Dirty diapers. Late-night feedings. Hyperactive toddlers. Mountains of laundry. Spaghetti stained floors. Swimming lessons. Play dates. Field trips.
They say a mother’s work is never finished.
For me, one of the biggest challenges in my writing journey is finding a balance between full-time mothering and writing.
In 2010, I wrote the first draft of a novel while caring for my two children, one of whom was a newborn baby at the time. I chronicled some of the ups and downs of that year in articles such as No Time to Write? 5 Ways to Keep the Muse Alive and How to Motivate Yourself to Write When You’re Tired.
I’m not the most organized person, so finding time to write in the midst of a busy schedule has been a challenge. Summoning the motivation to write between the constant demands of motherhood isn’t easy.
Still, finishing the first draft of my novel has been one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve had, and this year I look forward to working on subsequent drafts. I hope to have a polished novel by the end of 2011.
One of my other goals for this year is to write an eBook specifically geared toward writing and motherhood—a productivity guide for busy moms who have always dreamed of writing a novel.
My preliminary vision for this eBook includes (but is not limited to):
- Time saving strategies for moms of babies, toddlers, and school-aged children
- Interviews with published authors who are/have been full-time moms
- Printable worksheets for setting goals, finding ideas, outlining, etc.
- Helpful tips on setting up a regular writing schedule
- Questions and answers from moms who have written novels
- Handy links to free online resources for writers
This is where you come in.
I want this eBook to be as authentic as possible in solving the types of problems real writer-moms face. (While the book will be geared toward motherhood, much of the content will be applicable to busy writer-dads too!)
At some point, I’ll create an in-depth questionnaire for those who’d like to contribute their own thoughts and stories to the eBook.
But for now, if you’re a busy mom (or dad) interested in writing fiction—specifically, a novel—please take a moment to share with me your thoughts on the following:
- What’s holding you back from starting or finishing the novel you’ve always wanted to write?
- What barriers need to be removed for you to accomplish your novel-writing goals?
- What resources would you like to see included in this eBook?
What are your biggest challenges of writing and motherhood?
Please share in the comments section below.