Jen's Writing Journey

Most of us are juggling multiple responsibilities: day job, family, housework, et cetera. It can be hard to fit in our writing time, even when we have the best intentions.

I have thought really hard about getting up two hours early to write before work, as some have suggested. I haven’t  ever actually done it, though. I already get up at 5:45 am, so the thought of 3:45 or even 4:00 am just doesn’t sit well with me. I can’t imagine that I would be doing much more than falling asleep at my keyboard.

I know that I am at my most productive from 9-11 am, 2-4 pm, and 9-11 pm. The first two of those chunks fall smack dab in the middle of my workday, so those hours go to the man. But 9-11 at night are mine. I sit on my couch and write while the dogs curl up on the floor or couch next to me and the TV is running for background noise (and a bit of distraction when Supernatural is on).

I make sure I either ignore all the housework during this timeframe or that I get it done beforehand. (With the number of days this month that I have been pulling clothes out of a mountain of laundry to wear to work, I must force myself to admit that I ignore it a lot more than I get it done.)

The dogs are sleepy, so they don’t bug me too much unless my husband riles them up.

I’ve been known to drink a Diet Rock Star right before my writing time so that I’m not too tired during those two hours.

What about you? How do you ensure that your writing time is sacred? Are you a lark who can jump out of bed and greet day with 1,000 words before the rest of the family stirs? Or are you an owl who feverishly grinds out words after the rest of the family is in bed? Do you stay at home during the day so you can write around your family and household obligations? And, the big question, does your routine work for you?

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