I haven't written for a week and it's driving me crazy. I have lots of ideas though, I just can't seem to put them together for some reason...Actually I think I know what's going on, and I need to find a solution.
I used to have some sort of writing routine. I was thinking about my posts while driving to and from work. 45 minutes of "thinking", even though they were spent in traffic, were giving me enough time to come up with some ideas, sentences and good catch phrases. Now, my commute is between 10 and 15 minutes each way. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade that for anything, but my "me-time" has been reduced a lot as a result, and the ability to write a whole post in my head is well and truly gone.
I used to have some "alone" time to take the laptop, do some reading here and there, and start writing something. My husband was working in the evening and once the kids were in bed, I could sit comfortably on the couch and work on my blog. I wasn't writing every evening, but I had the freedom to start a post and finish it the following day if I wasn't happy or lacked a bit of inspiration. Now my husband is home at 7pm. Again, I'm not complaining about that as we used to see each other a lot less than now, but my routine has completely gone the window. I obviously want to spend time with him, so we usually watch a movie on the laptop because we stream everything online (that's what you do when you have kids and can't go to the cinema anymore).
He's very supportive of my blogging activity, and sometimes asks me if I want to write, but I don't like having to write if you know what I mean. The thought that "tonight is my only chance to come up with some ideas because he has decided to watch something on TV and I have access to the laptop", is the sort of pressure I don't handle very well. In short, I don't like being pressured (even though I know it's not intentional).
I also need to be alone to write, without someone asking me questions: "Have you finished?", "What are you writing about?" and so on. I have read somewhere that writers can be very solitary. Not that I call myself a writer, that would be way too pretentious, but I can definitely understand the reason behind it. I need peace and quiet, maybe some white noise in the background or a re-run of Friends on TV because complete silence freaks me out a bit, but I need to be on my own. That's not good news for the husband (or the kids), is it?!
You probably wonder how I managed to write this entire post then? Well, my husband has taken the kids out to the playground. But I seriously can't ask him to leave the house every night, can I? Although he might be happy to go the pub every couple of days (our wallet wouldn't be though)
So now I have a question for all blogging working parents out there? How do you do it? Where do you find the time to work full-time, mind the kids,cook, supervise homework, spend some time with your partner AND write as well? Do you steal the laptop and lock yourself in the bedroom? Do you have more than one laptop? (that's in my plans, but I don't have enough money at the moment!). Do you need to be alone or can you write surrounded by people?
I'd like to know because I really really enjoy writing this blog, I just feel it's not fitting in my new busy timetable anymore and I'm not happy about it.
