Finding Creative Ways to Edit While Running My Household

*This blog was originally posted on May 30th, but the information is still relevant. As a mother/author, I'm always doing something! Every day my responsibilities change, especially since the kids are back in school with during school and after school activities. I must find some creative way to keep writing in order to meet my goals!*

"I can do this, I can do this..."

The past week had me finding creative ways to edit my MS while juggling my responsibilities of being a mom, wife, drill Sargent (to my kids), taxi driver, chef, book keeper, personal shopper, errand girl, doctor, veterinarian, housekeeper, psychiatrist....and oh yeah, an aspiring author. In short, being a mom and wife who's four kids are now home for summer vacation.

Did I miss a job?!?!?!?

It's funny to realize how much I do in a day when it's broken down and written out that way.

Nothing is ever set in stone. I made a schedule before the kids got out of school last week and have tried my best to stick to it. How has that gone? Mmmm...not so great. So far, the only consistent part has been me waking up, making up the bed and staying on the kids about getting chores done. All of the other job titles are being managed by order of importance, but lets face it ladies (and gents), if your a mom or wife, that's a job that never gets a break. Unless the kids are visiting Grandma or your hubby's asleep.

But you know what, I have no complaints. I love my husband, I love my kids, my cousin, and I love my life. All I have to do is keep my mind focused on my goals and prioritize.

And be creative!

This week, found me editing in one of the most unlikely places. The laundromat. Yep, I said it, the laundromat. With a family of seven, it's a momentous task to haul all the clothes to the wash house. And believe me, I do not handle that task alone! I have at least three of the four kids with me and everyone has their assigned task. And when the clothes were in the washing machine and the kids were sitting down with snacks, books, and drawing paper, I pulled out my laptop. Earphones came in handy as well as a playlist of instrumental music to listen to when I edit. I managed to get nearly two hours of work done before it was time to pack it up and start folding clothes. Sweet!

The next thing I did was pack up my laptop and take my daughter the library. She's got her first job volunteering in the kids section, four hours a week. What better place to edit without being disturbed? Even though my other kids go with us, they also have stuff to do.They are enrolled in the summer reading program. Once they meet their reading requirements, they will get a free book to add to their personal libraries. They also get free prizes every week for bringing in their reading logs. There's also the option to log onto the Internet, play computer games or read a book. My oldest plays chess with other kids or meets with friends from school. Yep, you've guessed it, we're a family of nerds who hang out at the library. It's our favorite hot spot!

Now, here's a thought.....When I've edited my MS and am ready to share it with the world, I will have a path to chose, do I go self-pub like my critique partners Chicki Brown and Erin Kern (who's books are currently on sale on Amazon)? Do I try Indie Publishing or go for the big publishing houses? Decisions, decisions, decisions.

I'd love to see my name in print and have a copy at the library. And then I figured it out. I'm gonna have a copy of my book printed and sneak it into the library, put it on a shelf and take a picture. That will be good enough for me!