How long do you do it for?

[angrymomma]

I mean how many hours per day do you write?
Have only got a couple of hours each weekday to do this...is this enough or should I commit to more?

[belledechocchipcookie]

If that's the time that you can spare then there's not a lot else that you can do.

[angrymomma]

What I meant to ask really was, do you treat it like a hobby or a job?
If as a job, then do you seek out additional childcare that allows you to write for longer periods, as I think I might feel sort of wrong for paying for childcare in order to write, if that makes any sense.

[belledechocchipcookie]

I treat it as a job (at the moment, this may change if the publisher tells me to sod off). I write/research when ds is at school/during the evenings and I have paid for childcare so I can write, he likes to chat so I wouldn't get a lot done otherwise.

[ninah]

i write a couple of hours each evening. It's surprising how much you can get done, given a regular, compressed window of time. I understand how you feel about childcare, I wouldn't pay for it unless what I was doing instead earned income. I find on the rare occasions I do have all day to write, I only spend about two hours really focussed on it anyway. I'd start with what you've got and see where it takes you who knows?

[angrymomma]

good advice, thanks.

[BsshBossh]

Yes, start writing and see how it goes. If it looks promising then invest more time. If and when you're published, you will look back on the time you paid to buy you time (=childcare) as 100% worthwhile!

One of my DH's colleagues actually took a year's sabbatical from work to write his novel (he kept his son in nursery) and it got published this year and even made it on the Culture Show's long list! Great reviews too. Luckily his law firm kept his job open but I know he's considering leaving permanently to write his second and hoping for the best he can get back into law if it fails.

His son will then be in school.

[angrymomma]

Bloody Hell, can't imagine giving up work for a whole year to write a book...just seems very indulgent.

[ninah]

I couldn't afford to, certainly not post dc; took risks before I had them to support. On the other hand, having them has made me ambitious longer term .. But there's no need to go to extremes! plenty of people have begun a writing career with full time other committments, jkrowling and amanda hocking to name just two.
have you started, am?

[BsshBossh]

I was just using him as an (extreme) example . It paid off as he got published and it's selling well, plus he can afford the time off as he earns well. One of my (male) colleagues is in the middle of a year's career sabbatical too - he's bought a vineyard in Italy and has escaped with his whole family! He may, or may not, return .

[angrymomma]

ninah, I have the whole book outlined, story, characters, etc, but not actually started it yet. Did attempt it about a year ago, but found it impossible with the DCs running around wanting my attention.

DS1 at school, DD at nursery and DS2 starting nursery after this extremely late Easter hol. So am going to try to do nothing whilst they are there but write as much as possible.

Must say, I've found some great tips on the Creative Writing threads. It has really inspired me to know there are others who are doing this too....and succeeding to in some cases.

[angrymomma]

OMG, a vineyard

[BsshBossh]

I know .

[BsshBossh]

angrymomma I know of one woman who's just completed the first draft of her novel by writing in the six hours a week she had whilst her DD was being looked after by her grandma. In six hours a week, she completed draft one within a year! That is inspirational.

[atswimtwolengths]

But say you earned £30,000 and took a year off, that means you can only count anything over £30,000 as profit!

I wrote my first book from 9-11 pm every night - 1,000 words a night. Wrote it in 80 nights. Once you get into the swing of something like that, it's really easy. It's much harder if you stop and start.

[ninah]

Yeah those are my working hours atswim!
angry you should get off to a cracking start after the easter hols. Just don't let cobwebs as big as hammocks distract you!

[BsshBossh]

Yeah, atswim, I work in two/three-hour snatches of time when I can each day. It is much easier to keep the momentum going when you write every day (even if only for an hour) than stopping and starting.

In short - make the time to write each day (if you can find the time to watch TV each night, you can find the time to write).

[BlooferLady]

I have never managed any sort of routine. I fucking hate writing - it's like pulling out my own teeth then shoving them in my eyeballs. I consequently have to be sustained by warm baths, whisky at lunchtime in the afternoons, endless pots of coffee , listening to a special Spotify playlist comprising recordings of distant thunderstorm and the occasional quiet tolling of a distant bell. I am altogether completely brattish about it. I probably take about 3 hours to work up to an hour's work. Actually thinking about it, it is nothing short of miraculous that I am still married . If I have a deadline then I am capable of pulling myself together and writing/editing steadily all day, but aside from that I'm like a stroppy toddler. Reading everyone's posts I feel even more stroppy than ever