I’ve fallen into a bit of a routine. Come home from work, play with the kids, help the kids with homework, play a spot of Batman Origins, write for a bit (while hiding from aforementioned children), dinner, clean up, play or watch tv with kids, prep kids for bed, watch tv by self, watch several hours of Breaking Bad with wife, write, sleep, repeat. Writing happens twice in that sandwich of events, but it doesn’t happen well. I’ve taken measures to maximize the time I have–namely making sure I can compact the work stuff into the work day–but I still have one last stage to go. I need to establish a solid writing hour during the time the kids and I are both home. This will ensure a healthy respect for the writing process as well as my personal space and time. It will also give me a time of day to write where I can assure myself the work product will be valuable.
Most authors will tell you to come to the page at the same time every day. I am that author, but I am also the guy with three boys, one wife, and no maid. Clearly there are parental and household responsibilities I am expected to keep pace with. The current routine doesn’t necessarily offer a lot of opportunity to do that, but I am ready to take that next leap and sacrifice some of the activities I really enjoy for the activity I truly love. Writing is a priority in my head but hasn’t always been a priority in my life. NanoWrimo is the perfect opportunity to make it so.
Some Thoughts: