Friday, March 30, 2012

Chantele Sedgwick on Being a Writing Mom

When Brooke asked me to do a guest post on her blog, I got all nervous. I'm not that interesting. :) But then she told me what the topic was, and I relaxed a bit. She basically asked me a question. How am I able to write with three little kids and one on the way? To be honest, it's not easy. But writing at any stage in life isn't easy. If you love writing enough though, you can set a schedule for yourself no matter how busy you are.

For example, I can't write at all during the day, since I have little ones running around. They are my top priorities, so I do all of my writing when they go to bed. I allow myself to write for a few hours until I'm too tired to think anymore. Some nights are pretty late, but lately, since I'm pregnant I find myself falling asleep at the computer pretty early. That will change in about 5-6 months though. I also never write on the weekends. I have to spend some time with the hubby so he doesn't feel ignored! The weekends are our "date nights". Just time spent together and me not worrying about writing. :) As for what my kids think of my writing, well, I have a 7, 5 and 2 year old, so they don't really understand yet. I write young adult, so they aren't old enough to read my books, but they do know mom likes to write books. In a few years I think they'll understand a little better. And hopefully I'll have more time to write without any toddlers running around! (Ha!)

So, what I'm trying to say, is no matter what stage in life you're in, you can make time to write. It doesn't matter if you have an hour or if you have three. If you're able to work on your writing for even a few minutes, that's saying something. Set smaller goals at first and then once you accomplish those, aim a little higher. You'll be surprised how much time you'll be able to spend writing instead of doing other things. :)

Find Chantele At: Blog | Facebook | Twitter

About Chantele Sedgwick: I have three little kids, a hubby of almost 9 years and we live in Utah with a perfect view of the mountains. And the canal behind our house.

I love to read. Anything YA, I'm there. I'm not a huge fan of classics. I know. Don't yell at me. I also love writing. Young adult fiction is where my muse is found. Mostly fantasy. You know. Urban, paranormal and classic. But I do love me some dystopian and contemporary as well.

11 comments:

  1. Hi Chantele! *wave These guest posts that Brooke is having are nice. I love reading them :)

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  2. So true, Chantele! No matter what's happening in our lives, we can always make time for writing if we want to.

    And I'm glad to have found your blog, Brooke! Thanks for hosting the interview.

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    1. Well, you're quite welcome. ^^ And thank you so much for following.

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  3. Thanks for having me, Brooke! You're the best! :)

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    1. Aw, shucks, Chantele. ^^ I think you're the best for agreeing to do a post.

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  4. I agree that making time to write is essential. If you want to write, you'll find the time. Guaranteed.

    Great guest post, Chantele!

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  5. Great post! I agree that even just a few minutes matter. Write when you can. I'm hoping that my son continues to nap until he's four and I'll have my writing time. The kids will always come first, but I'm a happier person when I get a chance to write.

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  6. Wonderful post, Chantele. Excellent choice in guest blogger, Brooke.

    And I couldn't agree more. It wasn't until I did a A Day in the Life post at Sophia Chang's blog that I realized how busy life can be but I try to fit writing in while still making sure to have time for my little one. It can be a challenge, but it's a worthwhile challenge.

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  7. Great post. I do the same thing, write after everyone's gone to bed at night. The other day I took them to the park and sat on the bench with my lap top. It actually worked pretty well. (I have older kids though, the youngest is almost 5).

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  8. I write at night too, although I don't have little kids to take care of - I just like the night. Hats off to Chantele for managing to find time at all!

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