Organized Nights, teamwork pays off

This is an update to my first post: Wild Nights.

Then…

When I started blogging, my daughter was under six months old and I wrote one night a week. As you can imagine, things were happening slowly. After dinner and  family time, I would head out to a local restaurant or cafe and increase my word count on my current work in progress (WIP). I’d pick somewhere close to home in case my husband or daughter needed me. And, I would spend the first hour unwinding.

I needed a transition period between being a mom and a writer. During my “me time,” I’d sip coffee and reply to texts and emails, post on facebook, and update my facebook author page. This was done at my leisure and guilty free. After being focused on others all day, I was finally able to focus on myself.

Once I relaxed, I was able to switch to writer mode. I wrote as much as I could for three hours, typically 8pm-11pm. Mostly, I wrote new chapters of my current WIP THIS TIME. I’d create fun dialogue, add a descriptive introduction to a new character or setting, or ensure that there was tension in each scene.

Occasionally, I would get stuck in an editing loop—not able to move on because the chapter wasn’t “perfect” yet. Luckily, I’ve broken away from this bad habit by telling myself that a badly written chapter is better than a perfect one that’s only in my head.

Sometimes, I’d take a break from novel writing to write a blog post. Writing a story that’s over 50,000 words is a big task and can seem endless at times. On the other hand, blogging became a satisfying task because of its immediate end. I’d start with a topic, gather my thoughts, and 300 to 1,000 words later… I was done.

Now…

These days, my husband and I divide our week nights. Some nights he is free to pursue his hobbies and social life. Other nights I am free to write or hangout with friends. We realized that both of us need alone time, down time, time for hobbies, time for friends, and time to catch up on sleep. Each night our baby is well taken care of—no grumpy or irritated parents–by one parent or the other, happily.

Our nights are organized and this only works because of our teamwork.

I start writing around 7:30pm, if it’s my writing night. Otherwise, I start writing closer to 10:30pm. Either way, my weekly 11pm to 1am writing shifts have expanded dramatically! My word count has increase greatly. My motivation doesn’t wander off. My momentum is more easily sustained. I can remember small details more accurately. And, without having to re-read my story to jog my memory, I can pick up where I left off. Way more productive!

What’s changed?

With husband’s cooperation, I write almost everyday now!

Still motivated?

More than ever, now that the finish line is in sight!

Still sleep deprived?

Oh yeah! Still writing until 1am and waking up to care for my baby about 3 times during the night. 

I know that some writers manage to also work full-time jobs. I know that some writers have a handful of kids that exhaust them. I know that I am lucky in many ways. Still, being a new mom and a new writer is tough–constant learning and adjusting. I am grateful for my lovely baby who is easy to care for, and for my supportive husband that wants me to write novels almost as much as I do!

I write for myself. I write to one day provide for my family. I write to make my dreams come true. I write to tell the stories I want to read. I write to entertain and inspire people. I write because it makes my heart sing.

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What do you think?

Comment below!

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Welcome to A Book & A Baby.

This is a glimpse of my life as a new mom and writer.

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[You might like these other A Book & A Baby Blog Posts: wild nights, silly voices, how ignorant fantastical things a spiritual experience getting cozy home alone breastfeeding playdates ]