When All Your Time to Write Disappears...

I started freelance writing a year ago when I had some measure of predictable writing time. But the pattenr of my life has changed:
1) A dear relative used to come almost weekly, leaving me free to leave my napping children under her care so I could go to a library or bookstore and write. 2-3 hours of uninterrupted research and writing time is the only way I ever got started! I found I couldn't start any new big project with the intermittent interruptions of a waking baby or child, etc. But I could edit and rewrite during nap time after I'd been able to start the project alone one afternoon.  I no longer have the visits of that relative to give me writing time each week.

2)  I used ot write at night, after the kids were in bed, because my husband was sometimes traveling. But he's not traveling as much, so a big chunk of writing time is not accessible anymore.

3) I used to write for many hours, late into one weekend night--because my husband took our one son ot his favorite sporting event in the spring, summer and fall. But since October, that time to myself has also become obsolete.

Goodness, writing these changes down, I'm surprised I've managed to keep any momentum writing at all this winter!

I thought I'd found a partial solution when a friend wanted to do a kid swap--one day every other week, she wanted me to watch her kids while she worked, and on the other weeks, she'd watch my kids for the morning so I could write. That was only half the time i was used to, but it was certainly better than no time! But on my first turn, she had to call me to return early because it seemed my youngest was sick. And then her babysitting needs to accommodate her part-time job changed and the swap dissolved.

Since Christmas,  (7 weeks) I've had one afternoon to myself to go write. I'm feeling it in my brain fog, and in feeling overwhelmed with various projects I can't finish fast enough. I feel my output is half what it used to be.

An obvious effect is that I've simply not produced as much. For other reasons as described in other blog posts about my disappointment with the results of writing content website articles, I really cut down on that kind of writing, using the precious time I had for more lucrative, or more meaningful or lengthier projects.

My next post explores ways I've tried rearranging my life to eek out more writing time--some successful.

Here are some articles I did write online recently, after not producing much for a couple months or more:

Fun Valentine's Treats for Kids: Artificial Food Dye Free!


Power Your Electronics with Your Body's Own Movement? The NPower PEG, The First Kinetic Energy Recharger


Psychiatrist Treats Depression with Nutritional Supplements


An Antioxidant in Chocolate Found to Help Neurological Damage after Stroke


Hormone-free Milk: Dairy Companies Pledging Not to Use Artificial Bovine Growth Hormone


Fertility Drug May Prevent Conception