Five Writing Tips for Moms of Young Kids

Edie here! Today I'm excited to introduce my friend, Christine Boatwright, today. She's an amazing writer with lots of talent and insight. Give here a warm Write Conversation welcome!

by Christine Boatwright @CBoatWrites

I rinsed the soapy sippy cup in hot water and set it on the drying rack.

Okay, if my main character finds out she’s pregnant, then she would need to tell her husband. But then her mom would say—

“Can I have a snack?”

The great plot point I’d uncovered vanished into thin air at the sound of my 6-year-old daughter’s voice. I wished I could tap a reminder into my phone, but my hands were wrist-deep in a mix of soap bubbles and old milk cups. Maybe I would remember it after the kids went to bed.

Does this sound familiar? As a mom of three young children, I don’t have hours of quiet alone time to hash out my current story. I sometimes daydream about such an opportunities, but they’re not currently in the cards.

The writing bug bit me not long after my first child was born. I wish it had tracked me down about five years earlier, but we don’t get to choose when God calls us to a new path. So, about eight years ago, I faced new motherhood and new writerhood at the same time.

Writing has been a blessing. It gave my mommy brain an outlet. I could set aside the Cheerio-filled snack cups, continue to avoid that pile of laundry, and dive into someone else’s brain in twenty-minute increments.

My first baby is now nearing nine years old, and I’m still on this writing journey. Some weeks I’m more productive than others—in both writing and motherhood—but I’m called to plug along with both.

Here are a few tips for when the domestic life buries your writing progress:

1. Carve out new writing times. I’m not the kind of gal who can write well in the midst of chaos. Sometimes my best writing comes from those early morning moments. If I choose to go to bed earlier than normal so I can wake up earlier, I find quiet times of solitude before little feet hit the floor. Or stay up later and write into the dark hours. Regardless, either way requires me to forfeit doom scrolling on Instagram until past my bedtime.

2. Mentally prepare to write. Can you imagine how much plotting we can get done in the school car line? If, instead of pulling out a book or my phone, I use those few (or many) minutes to plan out my next scene, I’ll be much more prepared when I next get the chance to write.

3. Ask your husband for dedicated writing time. This one can be a little tricky. When my husband finishes work for the day, he quickly dons his “dad” hat and doesn’t take it off until the kids are asleep. We’ve agreed to a schedule where he puts the kids to bed two nights a week, and I handle the rest. This lets me take my “mom” hat off for planned, uninterrupted writing time.

4. Invite your kids to join you. My oldest is a little budding writer. Sometimes we do writing sprints together and brainstorm his next scene, which is the cutest thing ever. Even my middle child, who can’t write well yet, can join us with a blank piece of paper and some creativity. They get to spend special time with Mama and share in something I love. However, if you have any ideas for entertaining my toddler, please let me know!

5. Ask for help. Mom guilt is a very real thing, and it can be heavy. Your writing time—and this call to write God has placed on your heart—is worthwhile. I formally give you permission to ask a friend or relative to come play with your little ones while you write. It’s a sweet way to let others minister to you. It’s not selfish.

I keep reminding myself that this is a season—a beautiful, messy season—but a short time, nonetheless. Older women often tell me to enjoy it, as it passes quickly. I believe them, but in some moments, the days can feel long. But seasons are short. Soon, my three beautiful children won’t need me quite so much, and then I’ll find maybe too many quiet hours to write. In the meantime, I’ll squeeze it in where I can. Let’s do what we can now to be even better writers in those next seasons.

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Five Writing Tips for Moms of Young Kids from @CBoatWrites on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

A church girl from the get-go, Christine Boatwright learned storytelling through her time as an award-winning journalist and academic writer. She's the president of the ACFW Upstate South Carolina chapter and has won a handful of ACFW awards for her debut manuscript. In her free time as a stay-at-home mom, she squeezes in words for her new manuscript, a split-time story mirroring the choices of Eve in the garden with a modern-day cancer researcher fighting the death released by the Fall. Connect with her at https://linktr.ee/christineboatwright