One author's thoughts on writing with kids at home.

Let's be real. I'm honestly writing this post to myself. I went looking to see if I could find anything online about the reality of being a full-time mama that homeschools and writes books. I found lots of stuff about writing for kids (shocking, right?), but zip, zilch, nada on the writing with kids underfoot.

I CANNOT be the only mama out there doing this. But, man, I felt kinda lonely after that google search. So, on the off chance that you are out there searching too, I thought I'd share some of my challenges and triumphs...

Just So You Know: At the time of this post,
​I have five kids, ages 16, 13, 10, 6, and 2.

• Learned to write in short periods of time. To be honest, there were seasons when I could write for hours, and it was awesome. But it just isn't practical right now. So rather than tell myself I don't have enough time to write anything significant, I decided to learn to write in short bursts. I'm talking 15 minutes. It sounds pathetic, but sometimes I can sneak over to the computer and go unnoticed by the Littles, and crank out a few hundred words.  
• Daily writing (minus the Sabbath). I try to get in at least one fifteen minute session, six days a week. It really does add up.
• Give my big kids each finished chapter. This is my major motivator right now. It pushes me to write the best draft I can, and to keep inching away at it, scene by scene, because They Keep Asking For More.
• Ditch the guilt. I don't know if all mom authors guilt themselves, or if this is just something I struggle with. I know some authors are paralyzed over perfection, but that's not my weakness. Mine is that self-imposed guilt: I should be writing more. Faster. Quicker. Or worse: I can't do as much as I'm capable of, so why bother today? Goodness, me, I am always teaching my kids about grace over guilt! It's time I applied that to myself!
• 100 Day Challenge. I set a counter on my phone and told myself that for the next 100 days I was going to write for 15 minutes, six days a week, and do it without guilt. I have a log I record my daily word count in, but I have a life! Somebody's birthday? Skip it, no guilt. Migraine? Skip it, no guilt. Spent the last hour helping a restless toddler navigate the world? Skip it, no guilt!
  

If you're out there writing with a full life (whether it's from kids or not!), I hope it helps to know not everyone is cranking out a bazillion books. Some of us are baby-stepping our way forward!

Working on Milana 5!
This season has been such a challenge, hasn't it? Seeking God's guidance, I am reminded more than ever that loving my babies and teaching them to love God and others is my tiny piece of the puzzle, my way of trying to do God's work and spread His goodness and peace.  Working on book five is another piece of my story in the Kingdom. ​I feel that our culture truly needs more stories where the heroes are fighting for right and protecting others. ​

Wow. Can I just say I never thought I would live to watch the whole world come to a stop? That aside, I am currently working with Juliet (my Milana narrator); going through the audio files. I'm also trying to make sure our home is a refuge for our family; making scones and jam, riding our bikes, playing games, and coming up with creative assignments for the kids.

I took a break from my fiction to put together a prayer journal for my girls. My oldest enjoyed the simplicity of my Heavenly Spaces journal (I had made that for one of my boys, because he wanted a prayer journal, preferably one without flowers all over it), but she likes flowers and all things girly, and wanted me to make one just for her. This time I added Ponder Pages, and wrote about some of the things that I believe it is important for girls to ponder in light of what God has to say. You know, stuff like Who Does God Say I Am? Prayer Journal for Girls is favorite prayer journal to date.

I've decided that launching a book is like releasing butterflies (which is something we do around here). It's exciting, and those closest to you all gather around while the little bug dangles off your finger, stretching its new wings.

There are a few, precious moments where you pass the little fellow around, and then suddenly it flaps its wings and Whoosh! It's off and on its own.

And that's very much how it feels to launch a new book! It comes back proofread, and you gather around with the betas while it stretches its wings. They dry and get stronger, and flap a bit, and next thing you know the pages are as ready as they will ever be, and Whoosh! off it goes!

If you'd like to gather round and watch the fourth Milana Legend take off, you can find it here.

So excited! I have book launching butterflies! And not only that, but Juliet has started work on the audio book, and I have book 5 outlined.