By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Summer. In some ways, it’s a relief to me because it means I don’t have to keep up as much with the kids’ activities and school-related needs. But it’s also a time that I regroup. Because our schedule changes, I’ve found it’s better and I get more done if I’m flexible enough to change my schedule, too.
A blog reader asked me if I could write a little bit about how I’ve changed my summer writing schedule in the past. Considering I’ve changed it up since my nearly-13-year-old was one, I’m thinking I’m probably qualified to comment on this issue. :) But a proviso that this won’t work obviously for all kids or all parents.
Ages and stages:
Toddlerhood (and preschool is out). I put my kids in preschool very early. When she was at home (and not much of a napper, ever), I kept my page goal to one double-spaced page a day….so around 250 words. I found I could hit that pretty easily by two different methods—Sesame Street (she only liked Elmo, though, so I had to pretty much put Elmo on repeat for the 20 or so minutes a page took me at the time) and “nap time” which meant that she and I needed a mental health break from each other and she would have quiet time in her crib with board books for 20 minutes.
The thing I don’t think you want to do here is make a complicated goal. Make the goal a no-brainer. If you go over the goal, great, but make sure the next day is a clean slate and you hit your goal again. Don’t sweat missed goals…just pick up as usual the next day without trying to make up for it.
Elementary school:
My kids were always early risers and so I either needed to get up even earlier than they did (which I could sometimes accomplish), or else I needed to write with them around. So here were my methods:
Set a visible reminder that I was working: a sign on the door (a drawing or with words, depending on the age group) and a timer that was ticking. And I’d make sure to explain that I could be contacted if it were an emergency. I gave many examples of potential emergencies and examples of things that were not emergencies. Mystery writer Alan Orloff had a wonderful idea for keeping children away when you need to work. He puts a sign on his office door that says: Please come in so we can get started on chores.
Rewarding them by playing a game or reading a book if they were good while I wrote/worked for those 20 or 25 minutes.
Writing earlier than they arose (depending on the age, again, this could be tricky). If your kids stay up late at night during the summer, see if it’s possible to put your sign/timer outside the door and have a quick writing session (I’m not great in the evenings, so this was less-successful for me).
Writing in a crowd. Although this may sound counterintuitive, I found that if I invited my children’s friends over, put a bunch of snacks and drinks out, and then retreated to the background with my computer, I could actually get a lot done. The friends will need to be the sorts who aren’t fond of drama and aren’t easily bored.
Older elementary school/middle school:
Writing on the go. Again, this meant bringing friends into the equation. It also meant that I couldn’t care what I looked like in public. I took the kids and their friends to the indoor skating rink, bowling alley, or indoor inflatables business, put snacks and drinks out and worked on my laptop. Found some interesting characters to write about then, too. I’ve also written at the swimming pool…with my laptop. Sometimes a notebook is better at the pool, as long as I didn’t write beyond the point where transcribing it would be a pain.
A note on this—I got extraordinary amounts of work done this way. I think being at home can be more distracting than being in public with a bunch of people. I’m not sure why.
Other considerations:
Can we cut back for a summer schedule? Maybe not with our writing, but can we cut back whatever promo or social media or blogging we’re doing?
Can we keep our writing and writing-related tasks relegated to certain times of the day so that we don’t feel as if we’re not doing fun family things? Can we make an official quitting time so we’re not dragging everything out throughout the day?
I think cutting back on blogging during challenging times works really well…the key is to let readers know what our new schedule is. We could announce it on our blogs, put it in our sidebars, etc.
For me this means:
I’m still planning on beating everyone up to write. Instead of 4:45 a.m., this may fall back to 6:00 a.m.
I’ll be blogging each Monday and Friday in addition to my Sunday Twitterific and an occasional Wednesday guest blogger on my blog (so cutting out one blogging day during the summer–probably until September).
I may post a lighter Twitter feed during the summer (other bloggers cut back in summers, too, making content sometimes more difficult/time-consuming to locate/curate). So instead of scheduling 18 tweets, maybe it will be down to 14.
I’m going to make sure my kids (who are 17 and almost-13 now) understand when I’m working. I’m sure it’s frequently hard for them to tell. When I’m on a laptop, I could be doing almost anything: responding to an email, reading blogs, writing blog posts, working on my book, or checking news sites. If I have 25 or 30 uninterrupted minutes, I can get so much done.
That being said, I need to make sure that the 25 or 30 minute blocks are totally focused. So I need to disconnect my Wi-Fi if I think I might cheat. No being distracted by bright, shiny objects online.
I’ll try to make sure that when I’m with my kids and husband, I’m completely present when I’m “off duty” for the writing related work.
If I’m traveling, I’ll write earlier than my hosts get up. It’s good to start the day with an accomplishment.
I may reassess what I’m doing after a month.
This was a parent-centric post, but many writers experience other types of schedule interruptions in the summer—vacation, travel, the allure of being outside when the weather is nice, etc. How are you adjusting your schedule for summer—if you are?
Image: MorgueFile: shannontanski
Elizabeth – What I like about your ideas is that the goal is to start with what your children are ready for and will enjoy, and work your writing around that. If you expect things of your child that s/he isn’t ready for, all you’ll get is an unhappy child, a load of guilt and no writing progress. On the other hand, if your thinking is, ‘My child will be [fill in blank with activity]; how can I write while that’s going on? ‘ you’ll have more success.
Margot–Oh, thanks for saying so! Yes, it would be a recipe for disaster if we try to implement things in the wrong stage. It would be very frustrating. And this approach did work well for me despite the fact that my kids are about 4.5 years apart in age. Just had to be slightly adapted sometimes.
From a reader’s view point, I think we sometimes forgot (or fantasize) that the authors writing the books we love to read have normal personal lives too. We tend to think only of them spending several hours a day writing and maybe going on book tours. Blogging and meeting authors has helped me appreciate even more the long hours and hard work that goes into writing a book.
Mason–But you know…it’s so important to us to share with readers that we figure it out. It’s such a priority. I had to sit down and think it through–okay, here’s my goal…what can I do (reasonably) to reach it and still be a Good Mom and still have fun and not feel that overwhelming guilt that so many writing parents feel.
My writing time was originally born when my kids got old enough they refused to read with me anymore. First one, then the other, gave up their 45 minutes of reading time at night and I filled that in with writing. I don’t know if it would work for everyone, but for me that was the easiest way. Now they just think of mom down in her writing cave, but for a long time, that 90 minutes was my time.
Hart–So, for you, it was Found Time. That’s very cool and something I hadn’t thought of. So when our kids exit one stage and enter another (and each child would do so on a different timeline–even siblings), then you’d realize your opportunity and seize the moment. Very good plan.
I’m constantly amazed at how you organize your life – parenting, home-keeping, blogging and writing fiction…It is simply remarkable and requires an incredible amount of self-discipline (plus a talent for writing but we all know you’ve got that in abundance!)
Congrats!
Claude–Thank you! I appreciate that you’re being kind in that description. I think that so many of us feel…selfish, I think…when we make boundaries for our writing. It’s a very conflicting feeling which didn’t come out in my post because I’ve been working through it for so many years now. But ultimately, I think it’s the healthiest approach for both the writing parent (or, honestly, the caregiving child, if we’re looking after aging parents or partners) and the child/parent/spouse.
Earlier than the hosts get up … Great idea. I’m going to use that! Thanks.
Summer is project time so discipline is the key for me. Always a commodity too sort in supply!
Great tips. Thanks.
Jack–It works well for me. I’m always up earlier than my hosts anyway and always felt terribly guilty when I’d bang around in their kitchen getting my coffee at 5 a.m. and they’d rush out with breakfast for me. So this way, they don’t even know I’m awake. I get my writing done until hopefully it’s a more reasonable hour for a house guest to be up, and it works out well for everyone.
Enjoy your projects!
“I’m still planning on beating everyone up to write. ”
At first glance I thought that you were going to punch out anybody foolish enough to interrupt your writing schedule. I have to work on my reading comprehension skills.
Robert–Ha! Well, you know, if anyone is up at 5 a.m. during the school year (or, soon, 6 a.m. when school is over for the summer), I might *just* plan on a little combat. :) Although, unfortunately, the times when they *have* been up at those hours in the past, it usually indicates someone is sick…and that, clearly, is a whole different ball of wax.
I agree with Claude–so inspiring how you are able to juggle so many demands so well. While I’m thankful that my kids are out of school for the summer, it does mean I have to change some things as well. Getting up early is the biggest thing, and they sleep in a bit now so that helps. We are also the house where friends come to play, and it’s true that more kids are sometimes easier than fewer. They come up with games and play outside and, if I’m disciplined, I can get some writing done. Leaving notes for myself the night before on where I am with the story/scene also helps me get started more quickly in the morning. Thank you for the tips!
Laura–Yes! Those small cheat sheets reminding us where to pick up with our story are so important! They save a ton of time for the writing parent or busy writer who has to pick up and put down manuscripts quickly or step away from them for longer than they’d like.
Another benefit of carving out this time, I’ve found, is that we’re demonstrating to our kids the importance of art. And art as a business, as a commodity. Something you do for yourself, yes, something you share with readers as a gift, but also an increasingly decent way to make a modest living. That we’re putting a high priority on things that are important to us…we’re people, too, not just Mom or Dad. And I like them seeing that art is vital to some–it’s a concept they’re not getting in school as much.
Although I’m well past this stage in my mothering (kids are 44 and 42!) I think your way of doing it is quite brilliant. You have successfully incorporated being a good mum with being a writer. Maybe there are times you’d wish to spend more time with your words or more time with your children but I would say the proof is in the pudding – you obviously have great and engaged kids and more than a few books to your credit. Yay! Sanity rules.
Jan–Yes, there’s always still that pull…but I’ve gotten more understanding about it. Sometimes I’ve put a bit more into the writing than the kids. Sometimes the opposite is true. I think it balances out in the end.
And yay for sanity! :)
I seem to have to adjust my schedule from time to time for all different kinds of reasons. But the one thing I know is I get more done all around if I write first thing in the mornings. Whatever time that happens to be.
I’m jealous you have a door :)
Carol–Ha! Well, I only have a door if I hole up in my bedroom. But there *is* a desk in there, so that does make sense during the summer months if I’m writing during the afternoon.
I’m with you–writing first thing in the morning. Then I’ve got (most/all) of my goal finished and everything else that day is just icing on the cake.
Can’t wait for summer – only 4 more weeks to go!!!
I get more writing time in the summer, but I still try to stick with a semi-schedule. I check emails first, then spend at least an hour on writing before doing anything else online. Of course life sends lots of interruptions, but that’s the aim! :)
Jemi–Sounds like a great plan! Know you’re counting down the days. :)
Thanks for your insight. I’ve tried the same things you talk about here and they work! During the school year, I write as much as I can while everyone is gone. When the family is home, I’m off the computer. I learned I can get very testy when I’m interrupted and the kids find more and more creative ways to get my attention. Obviously, this doesn’t work in the summer so I try to write before everyone is up but my most productive times is while we are at the pool. :)
Taffy–The pool is amazing, isn’t it? I make a point to pick pools where there are pacing teenage lifeguards with eyes focused on the water. :)
Hi Elizabeth,
Thank you for your insights here! I’m doing the same thing — up writing before the rooster crows. I’m happy to do this and find I think better this way, when there’s no interruptions and the time is “all mine.” Good luck to you this summer!
Amy–Good luck to you, too! I love that early morning time. :)