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I am a mom of two young kids, ages 3 and 1. There are days when it’s hard to put in a load of laundry, let alone write a book. My youngest is at that stage where you have to keep a constant eye on her or she will get into whatever it is she knows she’s not supposed to get into, whether it’s the remotes, my phone, or even my morning tea. So writing is sometimes not in the cards for me most days. But with a lot of prayer and even some caffeine, I managed to get a writing routine down and thought up four essentials we writer-moms need.

And I know, this list could be miles long.

A Notebook.
If your little ones are anything like mine, then having a laptop around would only trigger curious fingers to press ALL the buttons. A notebook has been a lifesaver for me. When I don’t have kids sitting (or jumping) on my lap, I grab my notebook and jot down ideas for the chapter I’m working on, and ideas for future chapters that I don’t want to forget. So when the kids are finally in bed, I already know what to work on when I’m at my desk. If a notebook is not your thing, there are a lot of great apps for your smartphone that can do the trick (I use WriterPlus).

Some Help.
If you can’t get that hour of writing time when the kids are around, perhaps it’s time to enlist some help. You can ask your hubby, a relative, or a friend to watch the kiddos for an hour or two so you can get some writing done. I have a few writing friends that have done this and it’s been a huge help.

A Whole Lot of Grace.
Don’t feel bad if you have to put the writing aside for a while. The newborn phase is probably the toughest time for some moms. Just know that it’s okay to stop writing for a bit. Use that time to pray for rest (Matthew 11:28), and read some books if you can (Breastfeeding was a great time for reading). Once you start getting into a routine and getting more sleep, you can pick up that pen again. Don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t written in awhile.

Prayer
Because if God called you to be a mom and writer, you’re going to need Him to help you juggle them both. Philippians 4:6 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” It’s amazing what you can get done when you seek God’s guidance first, whether it’s writing a novel, or getting some housework done with the little ones around.

*BONUS* Caffeine
I’m sure most of you were screaming “When is she going to mention coffee?!” I don’t drink coffee, but I do need caffeine about as much as the next mom. But just in the form of tea. So let’s all get a refill of our drink of choice, and get some writing done.

God Bless!

Sometimes, you can’t write. That was most of 2017 for me.

I know, recaps of the previous year are so three weeks ago. But I promise not to bore you with too many details. In a nutshell, here are a few of the things that happened in my life in 2017:

• Gave birth to my daughter.
• Had surgery on my jaw to remove a benign cyst.
• Turned 30…
• Started a Book Club at my church.
• Went to a small writers conference in Minnesota.
• Bought a house and moved.

But actual writing, you ask? Meh…

Not that I didn’t write, I just didn’t get as far as I would have liked to. Writing was easier when I only had my son around, but once my daughter was born, finding time to write got harder and harder, especially since my daughter is a clingy mommy’s girl.

It got to the point where I was beginning to question my calling. Writers write, right? Aren’t we supposed to be writing every single day? (Or so they say). My husband just kept telling me “this is just the season of life that you’re in.” But I still questioned God’s calling for me, wondering if I had misinterpreted it somehow. I was basically on the edge of the cliff, ready to jump off and call it quits. But as I was ready to take the jump, I just couldn’t do it. God made it pretty clear right then that He called me to this, and I just need to keep going and trust Him.

About a day or two later, I was looking around on Facebook and found posts by two different writers. Both explaining that they also hadn’t been able to write for awhile, and were now finally getting that itch to start putting words on the page again. I’m getting that itch, too. Knowing that I wasn’t the only one in a rut was so encouraging.

Now it’s 2018,  here’s hoping for more writing, more hugs and snuggles from my kids (and the hubby too 😛 ), a more deepened faith and relationship with God, and hopefully a little less crazy and a more laid-back year.

God Bless.

What are you hoping for or looking forward to in 2018?