I envy some of my fellow writers who can write reams of paper in one sitting.
For me, it takes silence, which is why I get up early to write, before anybody else is up. Even then, I only get about three pages of work finished, about 1000 words on average, because the minute I seem to hit the Zone...something interrupts my groove. My hubby wakes up, the coffee maker emits its beguiling aroma and lure of caffeine, and, it's all over. Or, my imaginary world shatters around me with the first, "Mom, what's for breakfast?" or, "Can I watch Transformers?" I just can't recreate the Zone when there are Autobots and Decepticons battling for world domination, or my son is giving me a running commentary about the Creepers in his mine or the fact that he is now a MooShroom.
My dream is that someday, writing will be my only job, and for it to be lucrative enough to feed my family and pay my bills. Maybe then, I can lock myself in a cave for hours every day to write, but until then, I'll keep slogging to work and writing on my days off, and enjoying being with my family. The kids are growing up so fast...I should be careful what I wish for. Before long, they'll be grown and off on their own, and I'll have plenty of time to write, but less time with them. Then again, it looks as though my son will be 30 and living in our basement playing Minecraft and making YouTube videos about his Transformers at this point. But we don't have a basement. Anyway, I digress.
Being an aspiring writer with a full time job and a family can be challenging, but I know it can be done. Several of the Coolest People Ever have small children and still have written three times as many books as I have in the same amount of time it took me to finish Nectar and Ambrosia. It seems like a lot of time, but then again, I have been sternly ordered not to be another George RR Martin. I've had some of my beta readers threaten me with dire consequences should I make them wait very long for sequels to my books.
One word at a time, one paragraph at a time, one chapter at a time. Before I know it, I'll have a whole 'nother book done. Then I can start on the next one!
