Getting into the Writing Zone with Kids at Home #IWSG #writinglife

The first Wednesday of every month is officially 

Insecure Writer's Support Group day.

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe have for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: Do you have any rituals that you use when you need help getting into the ZONE? Care to share? 

Yes! I'm all about rituals. Or habits. Or magical spells.

Getting into the ZONE is one of the easiest and equally most difficult things for me to do. Typically, I try to get my writing done first thing in the morning when my brain feels fresh and I have no distractions (aka my kids are still sleeping).

My morning routine remains relatively the same each day. Feed the kitty-cats. Make coffee or tea. Do some yoga and meditation. Eat breakfast. 

And then sit-butt-in-chair and write.

Now that my kids are home from school thanks to Covid-19, I usually have the mornings all to myself from 6am to sometime after 8am-ish. My 5 y/o is the alarm clock for the family. When he wakes up, everyone else wakes up and then our day truly begins. (This online schooling sucks, btw. Just saying.)

But while I have the house blissfully to myself, I can write and edit to my heart's content. To get into the ZONE, I re-read a brief section of the work I did the day before and then force myself to write. One word at a time. Then one sentence at a time. And one paragraph, and on and on.

It's not fun at first, but I have a ticking time bomb of when will my kids wake up hovering over me. It's a race of how much writing can I do before they wake and stop me? There are times when I come upon that elusive ZONE just by sheer force of willpower. Other times, it stays just beyond my reach. 

Since this is my job, however, I need to write more than an hour or two in the morning.

When I need to keep writing after a morning of chaos with my four children (breakfast, getting dressed, making beds, yes, of course you need to brush your teeth - and your hair! I don't care if we're not going anywhere today!), that makes it a little more tricky.

After my children are done taking turns sharing the school's borrowed Chromebook to do their lessons, they are free to play or cause whatever mayhem they can concoct (safely) while I use my earphones to block out the noise. Since I'm a single mom and have no one to help me with the kids, my writing desk is the sofa in the living room. I'm still there physically, at least, to prevent any major disasters. Mentally, if I'm lucky, I'm worlds away!

In this situation, I use music to help get into the ZONE. The music depends on the work-in-progress. I often create a playlist for the story I'm writing to help get me in the mood. Or I have a certain type of music for whatever subgenre I'm writing. Type O'Negative always works well for me when I'm writing gothic paranormals or dark suspense or I'll listen to classical music if I'm writing a historical or regency romance. Of course, Christmas music is perfect for a holiday romance. You get the idea.

I wish it was easier. The ZONE is a mystical place where the writing fairy blesses us and our fingers fly with something akin to a magical presence controlling us.

I'll be honest. There are many days that I don't achieve the ZONE. 

Those are sad days. 

But, the writing still needs to get done. Getting into the ZONE is like icing on the cake. Such deliciousness! But plain cake is still good, too.

Be safe! Stay healthy! Keep writing!


~ Tricia 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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Silly... or Not so Silly Pet Peeves #LongandShortReviews #BlogChallenge

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

This week's topic: My Silliest Pet Peeves

I'm sure I have some silly pet peeves, but as my brain is fried from this lockdown, I can only think of two pet peeves and it's because of my children.

I don't know if these are considered silly or not (maybe by some people who don't have kids), but here goes...

1.) I can't stand when there's stuff on the floor in my house. I don't mean stuff that's supposed to be there such as a coffee table, sofa or a box of toys (insert my 14 year-old's sarcasm with this one), but the other stuff. The stuff that has a home and it is not the floor. Like blankets, toys, books, paper, legos... 

The list can go on and on in my house. I find such random things on the floor and it boggles my mind how it gets there. Batteries, headphones, the TV remote, puzzle pieces, socks, erasers, pencils, candy wrappers, a soda can. 

I mean, really?? Do we not know where things go?

Also, I might need to put this in perspective for those of you who don't know me. I have four kids. Count 'em. FOUR. Between the ages of 14 and 5. And I also have this mysterious kid who always gets blamed for stuff. I have yet to meet this one, but the poor thing gets blamed for everything. Such as when I found the crust of a peanut butter sandwich under the coffee table. Every one of my children exclaimed, "It wasn't me!" So who does that leave? 

Yep. Some kid named, I Don't Know.

It's a never ending battle in my house to get my kids to pick up after themselves. I seriously feel like if I don't follow them around all day long, reminding them to put things away, they instead simply toss whatever item is in their hand over their shoulder and the action is mysteriously wiped from their brain.

Don't get me wrong, my kids are amazing! They are really wonderful kids. Well-behaved, polite, kind-mannered... for other people! When we visit friend's houses, I always get compliments on how my children pickup after themselves and they are so neat and clean.

Well, obviously, there's some sort of mutation that begins in their brains when they enter my abode, because neat and clean they are not!

I just want to be able to vacuum the living room floor without having to spend an hour picking up stuff first. And what's with all the tiny, itty-bitty pieces of paper? Where does that even come from??

2.) I make my bed every morning, and I wish (pray, dream, envision, beg?) that my children make their beds every day, too. (Yeah, that doesn't happen.)

I think a bedroom looks better when the bed is neatly made. The rest of the room could be disorganized chaos with everything else (bookshelves, night stands, dressers, etc), but if the bed is made, I feel somewhat content and I feel like I've accomplished something first thing in the day.

Yet, despite my continued efforts to make my bed every morning, invariably throughout the day, I need to make it again and again and again.

"Why?" do you ask.

Because for the last 14 years, I've had children growing in my house and they seem to find some appeal in destroying a neatly made bed. 

Not theirs... mine. 

Whether its because of bouncing or playing hide-and-seek or some other inventive game-play, my bed is somehow made an integral part and the neatness of my blankets, quilts and pillows is inevitably destroyed as a result.

Friends and family promise me that one day, I'll miss having stuff on my floor and my bed a constant heap of blankets and pillows. One day, my kids will all be grown and living lives of their own and my house will remain neat and clean.

And I hope each of my kids has children just like themselves!

Of course, if it goes on as such (and I'm lucky enough to live that long), I'll be a grandparent one day and I'll probably have grandkids at my house throwing stuff over their shoulders without a second glance and bouncing on my bed to see who can go highest. So I don't foresee my life changing much.

Life with children.

I love it. I love it so much! (Seriously, I do!) But it will drive me crazy one day.

Is it any wonder why parents go gray??

Okay, my little rant is over. Go about your day.

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Adjusting to Changes #Covid19 #Quarantine #IWSG #books

The first Wednesday of every month is officially 

Insecure Writer's Support Group day.

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe have for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: The IWSG's focus is on our writers. Each month, from all over the globe, we are a united group sharing our insecurities, our troubles, and our pain. So, in this time when our world is in crisis with the covid-19 pandemic, our optional question this month is: how are things in your world?

I've actually been contemplating writing a post about my thoughts on covid-19 and this gives me another reason to write it. Thank you, IWSG, for supporting writers everywhere!

My thoughts are with the world right now. My heart goes out to all those suffering. This virus has affected all of us to some degree. Our lives are different now. It won't be like this always. I don't like to say things will get better because for some of us, lives will be forever changed. But we will move on. Life always does. So, saying that, I want to wish you all the best of blessings and that you stay safe and healthy, and your friends and family stay safe and healthy, too!

Working in my "office" which is the sofa in the living room
with my laptop, my cat, and my son watching Paw Patrol.

For me, working as a full-time author and mother, my life hasn't changed in any drastic measures. I am extremely grateful and realize how lucky I am considering there are many others out there that are not in the same situation. 

My four kids are home from school. For how long, we don't yet know. This affects my writing time. I write when they're at school, so I've had to alter my schedule. But to be honest, it's no different than when they're home on summer vacation. So it hasn't been a great upheaval. I write in the early morning when they're still sleeping. Or most of them, anyway. I don't write as much or as long, so my production is not where I want it to be. I'm not getting as much done, but I know that will change eventually and I'm trying not to stress about it.

Meetings and appointments are cancelled. No more Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or Cub Scouts. No sports or activities. No hanging out with friends or window shopping anymore. So, that's changed. But not by much. I'm a single mom with four kids. At the moment, my income is extremely small. We barely get by. Having money to take trips and go shopping isn't part of our normal routine. In fact, having my kids home has saved me money. I don't need to give my kids money to go to school dances now. I don't have to pay for any fundraisers or field trips. I don't have to buy extra food for packed lunches for the Scouting events. And since I have nowhere to go, I don't have to pay for gas. 

I'm still trying to look for the positives in this difficult situation.

My grocery shopping has changed. I don't just pop into the nearby Giant to get a gallon of milk every other day now. My kids eat a lot! I'm trying to teach them how to ration food so I don't need to keep shopping so often. Ideally, I'd like to go once every two weeks, but so far I've only made it ten days. I'm also hoping this will teach them how lucky they truly are to have things like food. To appreciate what they have and not complain about not having more, more, more.

Instead of going to the park for a walk or playground time, we take walks in the cemetery. There usually aren't a lot of people there. My kids can run, get fresh air and sunshine. Again, this isn't unusual for us. I've spent many days walking around the local cemeteries. As an introvert, there are some days where I don't need to socialize, but I still want to get outside. 

Personally, my anxiety and depression have spiked. I'm very empathetic. I feel a lot of the emotions around me. Even though my life hasn't changed too much, I know others are suffering greatly and that pains me. I worry about my friends and family. I worry about my Facebook friends who have posted that they're ill. I worry about my favorite actors and actresses. I worry about strangers I've never met. I'm worried about my readers and you! Seriously, if you're reading this, whether you know it or not, you're important to me, too. I hope you're well and safe!

My writing has suffered. It's difficult to write feel-good romance when you're depressed. After the first week, I switched stories realizing that I wasn't getting anywhere with my current WIP. Then when I started stalling on that second one, I realized I just needed to take a break. I walked away from writing for a few days. 

Instead, I dove into reading. Like reading for hours, which is something I haven't done in a looong time. I'm so busy all the time with writing and the business of writing and marketing my books while raising and caring for my kids that I only read for enjoyment while I'm waiting to pick up my son from preschool and for a little while before bed. 

It felt really good to read a whole book in one sitting again. I haven't done that in so long, I can't even remember how long. Since I became a single mom, for certain. But even before that, I was so busy trying to keep my life together that I didn't have time to read for enjoyment and relaxation. And I needed it. I didn't even realize how badly I needed it. To simply lose myself in another world for a while. To forget about the troubles of this real world and the threat of virus and uncertainty. 

Doing this, losing myself in reading again, has really made me think.

Is someone else out there, wanting, maybe needing, to escape the real world and choosing my book as the vehicle for their escape? Are they grieving? Are they overworked? Exhausted? Worried? Anxious? Depressed? Or just needing to think of something else, anything else, for a short time? Maybe they just need a short diversion. Maybe they need something more in-depth and involved. Could the choice be down to picking up a book or picking up a bottle? Maybe something worse? I've heard others say how reading books have quite literally saved their lives in one way or another. And I've heard others say how reading kept them sane during tough times. I, myself, used reading (and writing) as therapy after I lost my mom when I was a kid. 

Books are important! Reading is important!

Keeping this in mind has given me the motivation to get back to my writing with a new sense of purpose. I'm not a doctor or a nurse. I'm not a politician or a teacher or a grocery worker. 

I can't save the world.

But the one thing I'm good at, the one thing I know I can do is create entertaining stories. I write romance novels where happily-ever-after is a guarantee. That's something we're not promised in the real world. But I can write those stories for readers. 

Or King! ;)

I have no idea if anyone will ever read my books and say how much it helped them get through tough times, but if there is even one person, then I feel it's worth it to keep writing.

This virus has impacted us all in some way or another. If you're a writer, struggling for a reason to write, as I was, maybe this blog post will help you. Maybe it will be enough to keep you writing, too. 

Someone out there needs to read your book. Someone needs to escape the world for a little while. Your book might be just the thing they need at just the time they need it.

Be safe! Stay healthy! Keep writing!


~ Tricia 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

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Tricia's Favorite Things to Do in Spring #LongandShortReviews #BlogChallenge

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

This week's topic: Favorite things to do in the spring

I always, always look forward to spring. Don't get me wrong, I love winter, too. Well, I love snow. But that only lasts for so long. Basically, once Christmas and New Year's is over, then I'm counting the days until spring!

The first thing I do on the first warm day is open all of the windows in my house. It's a simple thing. But, I love the smell of fresh air and the warm breeze blowing away the stale air of the winter months.

After that, I look forward to spring cleaning. I know. Crazy, right? Who loves cleaning? Well, with four kids stuck in the house for so many winter months, my home often looks like a tornado has blown through it. Toys are scattered everywhere, the house is in disarray, and I'll admit, I contribute to the mess with my papers, notebooks, and piles of books. There's often a pile of boxes or bags of out-grown clothes at the bottom of my attic steps that I set there thinking, "I'll get to that later."

Well, later typically translates to spring. I do a massive attic to basement cleaning and organizing that often takes weeks and weeks, but when it's done, I feel so much better. I've discovered that clutter and mess in the house only aggravates my anxiety. The energy in the house flows much better when everything is in its proper place.

My son at last year's school art show
with his Minecraft drawing.

Also, some fun spring activities involve Easter, baseball, school concerts and art shows. For the last ten years, I've been involved in fun community activities for my kids. Since we're involved with Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, sports, school chorus and band, as well as churches and other local community groups, we usually have a full calendar of activities to keep us busy. 



This year our calendar is disturbingly empty. Baseball and the spring concerts at school have all been cancelled due to the Coronavirus. This is the first year that my kids will not have an Easter egg hunt at the church. Of course, that won't stop us! I've already decided that we'll have an egg hunt in our own backyard. I'm lucky enough to have a huge backyard with plenty of places to search for eggs! Plus, I'm getting the kids to draw and paint pictures so we can have our own art show! I have a large fence surrounding most of my yard, so I think it'll be easy enough to hang the artwork there on a nice, warm spring day.

My daughter and son getting ready for spring planting last year.

Getting ready for spring also involves plants! Now... I try this every year. I refuse to give up. But, I'm sad to tell you that I have no green thumb. My houseplants hate me. Nothing lives long. Whether its because the plant has too much sun, not enough sun or because my cat, Harley, has gotten a hold of it and chewed it to bits, for whatever reason, plants don't have a long shelf life in my home. Not only inside! The flowers that I plant outside are usually eaten by the large family of rabbits that use my yard as a kitchen. I also have a groundhog and a skunk who like to call my yard home on occasion.

This year, I'm calling on the assistance of my family. My 14 year-old son and I were walking through the yard one sunny day last week, planning our attack on our yard. He loves flowers. Especially, sunflowers. So, I've put him in charge of the planting season this year. We've got sunflowers, morning glories, daisies and an herb garden on our wish list. My 12 year-old wants a vegetable garden, so he's in charge of that. I did plant two blueberry bushes last year. I'm not sure if they survived the winter, yet. 

Hopefully, between the three of us, we might be able to keep these plants alive long enough to make it through the summer. We'll see. I'll report back and let you know how it all goes.

My daughter and son standing beside the graves of their
great-great-great-great-great-grandparents,
Abraham and Elisabeth Bartolet

One other thing that I love to start in the spring is graveyard photography. I'm an amateur genealogist and a volunteer graveyard photographer for Findagrave.com and Ancestry.com. For the last few years, I've been periodically working through the cemeteries and graveyards in my local area, photographing and transcribing the gravestones. This helps people who are researching their family tree and searching for deceased family members or ancestors who are not nearby. This is also a great way to involve my kids in learning about their family history. We've made it a game as they help me hunt for gravestones. Taking pictures in the spring and summer is obviously easier than the winter months. And we get lots of exercise, fresh air and sunshine!

Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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Summer Fun - Favorite Things to Do

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Today's topic: Favorite Things to do in the Summer

My favorite things to do in the summer always involve my children. While I have three active Scouts, we typically have a summer filled with camping, hiking, fishing, swimming and all sorts of outdoor activities. The school where my kids attend also offers summer programs. There are trips to the local vocational school where they attend workshops and learn new skills. And every year, I enroll my kids in swimming lessons. I love watching them glow with pride at the new abilities they learn as they advance through the levels. I call them my little fish, although my daughter argues that she's a mermaid.

Our amusement park of choice is Knoebels Grove. With free admission and free parking, you can't really go wrong here. Pay only for the rides you want to go on or buy an all day pass. Set in a beautiful shady grove, it provides a much needed respite from the summer sun and heat. There's rides for all ages. I've been going here since I was a kid. My favorite is still the Haunted House!

I've become an expert at searching the local community websites for free or low cost activities. With four kids, prices always add up. Lucky for us, there are many fun things to do.

There's a movie theater that offers $1 days. There are low cost craft activities at some of the local stores. With enough searching, I found free tours at nearby museums. There are also some battlefields that are close, such as Gettysburg, where the kids and I can walk and learn about history. I'm also quite knowledgeable about the local ghost activity which is fun to talk about with the kids. When they're older, I'd love to take them on some ghost tours!

I also love attending Native American Pow-wows. There are always a few scheduled nearby. Some are free, some are a low admission. Then we spend the day watching the dancers, listening to the music, talking to the people and admiring their crafts and other items. There's usually some games. Throwing a tomahawk is fun! I'm a natural. And then there's the dancing. My kids and I often dance within the circle with the other dancers. My favorite part of the event!






Do you know what my kid's favorite activity is in the summer? The one thing they ask for again and again?

A picnic.

That's it.

I took them on a picnic a couple of years ago in a park near a covered bridge not far from my home. It was an impromptu event. We were in the area doing some shopping and we were hungry. Instead of sitting in a crowded restaurant, we grabbed some food through the drive-thru and settled on a picnic bench in a peaceful park with huge trees and a river flowing beneath the old covered bridge. It was a tranquil, lovely summer day.

And my kids continue to mention it every summer.

So, a simple picnic is a must. We've done this lots of times now. Usually, it's at a park with a walking path of sorts, so we'll eat our food on a bench or a table if there's one or we'll grab a blanket from the car and settle on the grass. After we're done eating, we talk a walk and enjoy nature.

I always look forward to summer because the kids are home from school. We don't have all the homework or tests to study for. Everyone can relax and just enjoy life.

Happy Reading!

~Tricia

Check out the other Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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A Bad Mom? A Perfect Mom? Or Just a Mom?

Late last night, I decided to watch Bad Moms. My neighbor had mentioned it to me, so I decided to watch it after the kids went to bed. For those of you who haven't seen it yet, here's a little description I snagged from IMDB since I'll be referencing the movie in my post.

Amy has a seemingly perfect life - a great, marriage, over-achieving kids, a beautiful home and a career. However, she's overworked, over-committed and exhausted to the point that she's about to snap. Fed up, she joins forces with two other over-stressed moms on a quest to liberate themselves from conventional responsibilities - going on a wild, un-mom-like binge of long overdue freedom, fun and self-indulgence - putting them on a collision course with PTA Queen Bee Gwendolyn and her clique of devoted perfect moms.

If you're a mom, hell, even if you're a dad ... no, especially if you're a dad, you should see this movie! For some of you dads, this might help you figure out what your wives are going through.

I was amused, relieved and saddened to share so many similarities with these women. As a mom of four kids between the ages of 3 and 12, I try and try and try to do the best that I can for them. I shuttle them to activities including baseball, bowling, swimming lessons, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, band, chorus, among other things that I can't think of right now.

Not to mention the many school meetings with teachers, the doctors appointments (because I have 4 kids and during the school year there's at least one kid sick every week!), plus picking them up and dropping them off at school every day.

And then every night of the week there is homework and dinner to prepare and whatever activity is going on and then before you know it there's the hour and a half long process of rounding up the children to get them to brush their teeth and get ready for bed. And on top of all that, I read bedtime stories to the little ones each night, too. Oh, yeah, and I'm a full-time writer and I do volunteer work, too! Besides, shuttling my kids to their meetings, I have Committee Meetings of my own to attend.  

I'm seriously exhausted just writing all that. But, I've been exhausted since the day I came home from the hospital with my eldest son 12 years ago. Between the sleepless nights and busy days at work, I barely manage to keep my wits about me. I've never had much support from my husband. I won't get into all the reasons and neglect I've suffered from him, but let's just say that I could totally relate to Kiki's character in the movie. Out of all of the moms, she is the most similar to me. It was a normal thing for me to say to my friends that I was a married single mom.

Now, I can officially say, I'm a single mom with four kids. Frankly, I was tired of calling my husband my fifth child, the one who wouldn't listen to me. 

But, Amy's character struck a chord with me. I'm constantly running late to everything, mostly because one of my kids can't find their shoes. My daughter insists on wearing clothes that don't match to school and hates brushing her hair. My oldest son suddenly thinks he's Mister Fix-It and decides to drill holes and nail things together in the house. My other son steals my chocolate, even when I hide it! And my youngest son freaks out if I don't have Boss Baby or Harry Potter on the television at some point everyday.

It's a fight every day to get them to brush their teeth. My kids can also go from being the best of friends during playtime to mortal enemies out for blood within seconds. My house is either filled with the screaming of laughter or the shrieking of someone pulling someone else's hair... or worse yet, because one of them looked at another one. 

Yes, there are days that I sit in my soccer mom minivan and cry in the school parking lot. I think I must be the worst mom ever because even for as much as I do for my children, I still can't do everything. I'm just one person. One person, on my own, without any family support. There are so many days, when I just can't understand how I can keep going.

And, yet, I do. Because I have to. I don't have the option of walking away. I don't have the option of quitting being a mom. But, even if I did have that option of quitting, would I do that? How could I? Could I ever just walk away from my kids?

Nope. 

I love my kids more than my own life. They are my heart and soul. I never understood what love truly was until I had my first baby. My grandmother used to say that there is nothing like the love between a mother and her child. I discovered on the day he was born that my grandmother was absolutely right. And for each baby after that, my love continued to grow. My heart expanded to include each one of my precious darlings. There is really nothing else like it. 

So, even if I can't do everything for my kids, even if I don't have the money to buy them every thing their little hearts desire, like the newest Playstation system or Barbie doll house, I'll keep doing what I can do for them. Making them smile. Making them laugh. Loving them. Giving them hugs and kissing their boo-boos when they stumble and fall. Wiping away their tears. Teaching them to become good people and make good decisions. Life is tough and it's okay to get knocked down every once in a while, but then you dust yourself off and pick yourself back up. And despite all the things that can go wrong in life, it's important to keep chasing after your dreams. 

Am I a Bad Mom?

Maybe. Some days. I'm certainly not a Perfect Mom. Yeah, I see those moms at the PTA fundraisers and Scout meetings who have the perfect husbands, the perfect house and their perfect kids, but I suspect it's not really like that. It's a picture that they present to the world. Gwendolyn seemed perfect, too, until she revealed what her life was really like in the end. For a lot of moms, we strive for perfection and when we realize that we can't achieve it, well, then we just fake it. We keep pretending so that other moms don't discover what a fake we've become. An imposter. Because despite it all, we can't be a Perfect Mom.

There's no such thing. 

We're Moms. 

That's it. 

Just Moms. Doing the best that we can do for our kids and keeping our fingers crossed and hoping that one day we'll get it right and everything will work out and our children will become decent human beings that become brilliant scientists who fix global warming, or doctors that find the cure for cancer, or politicians that bring about world peace.

Oh, wait... Is that just me?  

How I Find Time to Write

Writing while the kids are home is akin to torture. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids and I love writing, but the two never seem to mesh well together. I've been struggling with finding a balance between motherhood and writing for 9 years and 4 babies. I have a 9 year-old son, a 7 year-old son, a 4 year-old daughter and a 4 month son. I never knew how lucky I had it when I could write for hours on end or even during a 30 minute lunch break when I was working. Since my job closed down and I became a stay-at-home mom, I've encountered new challenges. Some were not so easy to overcome.

The Challenge

Finding time to write with a busy family is one of those challenges.

Especially when my husband is often gone for long periods of time and when he is home, he's more interested in relaxing than watching our kids so I can find some peace of my own. He works hard, but I still find it frustrating. And he does, too. I know he'd prefer to stay home instead of working a job he really doesn't like. 

So without help from my spouse, I needed to find my own way of getting in some writing time.

On My Own

Before I became a mother I was a night-time writer. After having my boys, by the time 8pm rolled around, I was exhausted from the day and often fell asleep with my forehead resting on the keyboard of my laptop. 

Yeah, not comfortable.

But I was persistent. If I could no longer write at night, then I'd go to sleep early and wake up before everyone else in the morning. That would've worked great, except for my early bird firstborn who wakes at 6am (sometimes earlier!) every day. And yes, before you say it, I did set my alarm for an hour earlier, but guess what? He still woke up 10 minutes after me. He's got some sort of psychic sense that will alert him instantly if I'm awake. And if I'm asleep, he'll wake up at 6am on his own. It's not his fault. He's been doing it ever since he was born. Seriously, he's been on a schedule since he was a baby. It's built in.

So, not one to give up my dream of becoming an author who stayed at home to write her bestselling novels, I had to change my routine yet again.

Try, Try Again

Adaptability! My saving grace!

Since I couldn't write at night and couldn't write in the wee hours of the morning, I'd have to find time during the day. So for the first few years of my children's lives, I had my laptop propped on the end table in the living room, open to the word document file of my story at all times during the day. This was to cut down on time - having to restart the laptop, open the file, wait while it loaded, only to have to stop what I was doing because one of the boys spilled something. Keeping my laptop open and ready saved time. 

When I got a chance to sit down for a moment or two, I'd write a few lines. When I saw my boys were happily playing on the floor, I'd write a few lines. When they were both conked out on the sofa after watching an hour of Sesame Street prior to nap time, I'd write a few lines more (that's if I wasn't conked out on the sofa next to them!). 

This is how I wrote several of my stories including The Witch and the Vampire. 

Write a Little Everyday

My point is, that I wrote in small segments (incredibly small) until that novel was complete. It was not easy. It was rather tortuous. But it was the only method that worked while taking care of my kids.

I will mention here, however, that keeping my laptop open to my word document wasn't always a perfect way to go. The laptop was also a piece of shininess that my little crows found irresistible. I'd have to chase them away at times with a stern, "Do not touch Mommy's computer!"

This wasn't always effective. There was that time my editor at The Wild Rose Press found a bunch of jumbled letter's and my son's name printed in the manuscript that I sent her when he first learned to write. Thankfully, she has a great sense of humor and found it amusing!

I suppose I didn’t do enough spellchecking back then!

Times Change

This method was only temporary. As they grew older, they were able to understand that they were to play together with their toys and come to mommy while she was writing only when someone was bleeding. Most often, I hear the yelling and screaming and I'm able to prevent things from progressing to bodily injury.

Of course now, I'm back to square one again with my newborn baby boy. It's actually easier this time around because I have my older kids to keep him occupied on the floor while I sit on the sofa and type away. When they get tired of playing with him, or he gets tired of being played with as my 4 y/o daughter still thinks he's a doll, then they hand him to me and I put my laptop back on the table by the sofa. I keep it open, ready for the inevitable moment I'll find them all distracted and they won't know that Mommy has escaped into her fantasyland for a few minutes.

There will come a day when all of my children will be in school and I'll think back fondly to these days when I struggled to find time to write without interruptions.

At least, that's what other writing mom's tell me.

                                                     ~Tricia