It's the first Wednesday of July ... time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) post. The IWSG was started by Alex J. Cavanaugh, and it's a great forum to reflect on your writing journey as well as network and support other writers who may have similar insecurities like you.
So what is my insecurity this month? My lack of energy! As I write this, I have a mini-bottle of "5-hour Energy" staring me in the face. Maybe I should take some, but I'm afraid things like that are addictive and not all that good for me.
Okay, so maybe I'm being a bit hard on myself, after all, I am raising two very young children, I have a part-time job, I still have a household to run, and a social life is always nice, (not to mention spending some time with my husband), but I feel like my writing is taking a backseat. It's not like I don't write. I'm in the process of editing a novel and I do take part in a writing group, but I feel like I could be doing more.
I read an article the other day that gave 8 tips for writing when you have young kids. One tip was taking advantage of nap/rest times. When the kids nap in the afternoon, I should write then. Good advice, and I have been trying to do this for years, but most times I'm so tired myself that I end up staring at my computer and taking a nap anyway. Another tip was using Playtime as a work time. When the kids play, I write. I've tried this too, and though my energy is higher at these times, I find it extremely challenging to write anything of any real value, since my 3-year-old is constantly talking to me, and my 1-year-old is into everything. Plus, I can't help feeling a little guilty for ignoring them.
So, how about bedtime? Um ... sometimes I have a bit more energy to write then, but mainly I'm a write-off. So last night I thought I'd be clever and set my alarm for 5am so I could get two hours of writing in before the kids woke up. A person in my writing group does this and I admire his energy.
My alarm clock went off at 5am this morning ... hahahahahahaha ... I hit Snooze, then Snooze again, then Snooze again, until it was like, "To hell with this! Waking up this early is unnatural."
So here I am now, posting this blog. I guess that counts for some writing today. Hmmmm ... maybe I should take some of that "5-hour Energy" to see if I can get some writing done during the kids' nap time today.
Does anyone have any tips to boost your energy?
