I was wondering how other parents where finding time to write.
Down here in Sierra Vista, I try and get my thinking and research done in bits and pieces during the day and then soon as DH gets home between 5-6 we take the kids to a local park depending on how much light we have left. Only one park is lit at night that we have found. Weekends, we try and find new parks. Last Sunday we found Jacobs Park in Tucson and the kids had a blast.
Why the parks every day in November? Because I have found I do not write like I should at home. Everything gets in the way. Having dedicated time to write, where I can watch my children and husband playing really helps. That way as long as I am not blocked I can get my daily writing done in about an hour.
So parents, what is working for you so far? Tips? Great places to take the kids so you can write?
----------
1,055 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 20 18
hi kontessa,
my daughter is older (11) and loves to read, so we sometimes go to the bookstore; i sit and write, and she reads books . . . works well!
32,372 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 20 38
Hi Kontessa!
This one may be odd, but McDonalds. I sit just outside the play area and she has fun in the "gym". I do this with a fellow Nano person and it is her daughter. We also take turns watching her if we are at each other's home. DVD's can help, too.
Keep going!
42,199 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 21 38
My kids are too young for me to burry myself in writing (they're 3 and 1.5). I end up jotting down notes during the day if I get ideas and then write once they go to bed. I really have to fight to stay on schedule but so far so good.
My favorite place to write is still Ihop. If I can ditch my kids sometime this month I'd like to take a few hours to bump my word count. Food, free refills, and no distractions!
25,725 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 21 55
I fight to stay awake and write at night or during the day when I am supposed to be doing my mercenary writing... I figure this is a good thing to do during those periods when I would otherwise be procrastinating for my freelance writing, and freelance work is good to do when I am procrastinating for my NaNoWri-ing. But this is HARD. My kids are 6 and 8 and I can get in some computer time while they watch DVDs... All six Star Wars episodes in a row over three days for Halloween weekend. All this in the interests of writing. Yikes. Don't report me to the bad mother police.
----------(Now let's get back to the writing!)
--Heather
39,184 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 06 22
I write after the kids go to sleep! My 7 year old's in bed by 9, the 10 year old by 10. This gives me two hours of alone time with my computer. I also write in between classes, on the bus to and from school, and if I ever fall behind in my word-count, the family's promised me Sunday afternoons alone. I totally couldn't do this without them!
----------Sugar my love, they have done you wrong
Held you down and kept you from creating
~ Tonic "Liar"
8,420 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 18 36
I don't live in Tucson right now, but in COLD Oregon. I miss Tucson a lot right now! Today I wrote at a coffee shop. Yesterday I wrote in my bedroom. The other day I wrote in my car while my kids were playing. I don't know how far I'll get, but I'm going to give it a good try.
0 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 15 01
Mine is only five weeks old, so I'm still getting the hang of it. Luckily, my husband is incredibly supportive, and he watches the little guy in the evening after he gets home from work so that I can write for awhile...providing I'm not too tired...
-----------Allison Fraclose
-------------------------------------------------
http://afraclose.livejournal.com/
http://www.myspace.com/afraclose
http://afraclose.blogspot.com/
53,358 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 15 14
Marquessa's suggestion of McDonald's is one of my favorite places. (That's my kid that mostly stays out of our hair.) She gets a fun outing and I get a lot of productivity due to few distractions and the need to keep up with Marquessa. ^__^
And the coffee is MUCH better than it used to be.
----------Read it as I write it! http://www.sargemarcori.com/