How It All Fits
Wake up, check email, let dog out, check Facebook, let dog in, lay out homeschooling books, let other dog out, let him back in, make sure kids have breakfast, lessons, lunch, dogs out, dogs in, library, science class, park day, grocery shop, field trip…
“When do you have time to write?”—I get asked that question a lot.
The truth is, I’m not sure how to answer. I am more amazed by people who have full-time jobs and kids in school. Homeschooling allows me a certain amount of freedom. If my writing muse is active, I can give the kids independent work and save more intensive lessons for another day. I can wake up early, before the kids, and squeeze in some writing. I can stay up late, knowing I don’t have to get up and take the kids to school or drive to work.
There are times I have to get creative, too. Such as taking the laptop out into the yard so the kids can play outside while I write. And other times I let my husband take the kids someplace on a Saturday so I can have some quiet writing time. And just like every writer that I know, I take a notebook with me everywhere so I can jot down ideas while we’re out and about.
Sure, I have lessons to plan; and having the kids around 24/7 means answering a lot of, “Mommy, I need…,” when I’m in the middle of writing a scene. There are days when I’m flat-out too tired/stressed/busy to write. There are weeks when I feel like we do nothing but drive from one activity to the next. And there is the guilt of being submerged in my writing while the kids are left to entertain themselves.
At the end of the day, though—every day—my kids pray for my writing. They see my dedication. They understand how important this is to me. I share my victories with them—when a short story sells, or I get interviewed in the local paper—and my disappointments. They gaze at my website and see with their own eyes that Mommy is serious about what she’s doing.
When I hear those words, “God, please help Mommy get her book published,” and more recently, “God, thank you for helping Mommy get her book published,” I know all the juggling is worth it. My kids are proud of me. My husband is proud of me. So, how do I find time to write?
How do I not?
Author Bio:
Kat Heckenbach is a graduate of the University of Tampa, Magna Cum Laude, B.S. in Biology. She spent several years teaching, but never in a traditional classroom–everything from Art to Algebra II—and now homeschools her two children. Her writing spans the gamut from inspirational personal essays to dark and disturbing fantasy and horror, with over forty short fiction and nonfiction credits to her name. Her debut novel, MG fantasy Finding Angel, is available in print and ebook. Enter her world at www.katheckenbach.com and www.findingangel.com.
Kat’s Latest Novel Finding Angel is available now from Splashdown books.
Thank you, Preslaysa, for having me as a guest on your blog :).