BIC issues

write for an hour a day, the hour before you wake the kids.

do that and you'll be outperforming a lot of professional writers.

My best advice: Write while hubby is watching TV. Get up and hour earlier to write. Go to bed an hour later to write.

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett talks about exactly this in her book, Pen On Fire. In a nutshell it talks about writing in 5, 10 or 15 minute bouts (which she argues even the busiest mothers can find).

She also gives exercises and tips to help you do this.

Might be of interest?

Rose English said:

... writing in 5, 10 or 15 minute bouts...

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... good tactic, here. The minutes really do add up. With practise, you don't even need a notepad. You can think out bits of stories in your head while doing other things that aren't overly involved, like standing on a checkout line or preparing formula.

Yeah, some people write for hours without distractions, others write in short spurts. Just experiment until you find what works for you and your family, and remember, practice makes it easier.

Honestly, though you sound overextended. I'd have laid down the law for hubby long ago. You're a partnership, and there's no reason he should have more time to watch TV than you get to write. And that's when you're not even pregnant.

Honestly, though you sound overextended. I'd have laid down the law for hubby long ago. You're a partnership, and there's no reason he should have more time to watch TV than you get to write. And that's when you're not even pregnant.

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What she said.

LOL, I live in a similar fashion. I work full time, teach part time, have 4 kids ages 5 through 14 and am 'team mom' for the many sports my husband coaches. Among all of these, I am a writer who typically finishes a book in about four months. I know - I sound insane. But I have always been this busy. However, my secret is organization and my calender. I write down every weekl the things that I must do. I also, live on six hours of sleep a day. Therefore, with a schedule as busy as this, I plan in a mini-vacation every month. If we can't go anywhere. Then we have it at home. We spend the weekend with no activities and we goof off to watch movies, play games, or do stuff in the house (with no phone) and no sports since it's family weekend.

My advice to you, work it out so that you have one day a week where you take several hours for yourself. Go to a place outside of your home. I had joined a sci-fi writers critique group for awhile. It was a great escape because whenever I had the group, I would go to eat at a restaurant in which I could set up my laptop, look outside, and write for two hours.

William Haskins said:

write for an hour a day, the hour before you wake the kids.

do that and you'll be outperforming a lot of professional writers.

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This exactly.

Make that hour an hour you don't currently possess and it will be even more valuable. I write between 4:30am and 5:30am. That hour was a bit like creating land in the Netherlands. Before I claimed it for writing, it didn't exist...I used to sleep through it. How wasteful!

Oh. And there are some major issues if you are doing all that with your children and your husband is a TV addict. That's just not right.

KTC said:

Oh. And there are some major issues if you are doing all that with your children and your husband is a TV addict. That's just not right.

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Agreed- that's just not fair.

Finding that hour is a good idea and knowing that you have a deadline can actually be quite helpful. I find if I have hours to write in I'll get nothing done but give me a tight deadline and the words fly out.

Good luck with it.

ChristineR said:

Honestly, though you sound overextended. I'd have laid down the law for hubby long ago. You're a partnership, and there's no reason he should have more time to watch TV than you get to write. And that's when you're not even pregnant.

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QFT. Tell him to get off his bum. (Sorry, but honestly! They're his kids too!)