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{Guest Post}Karma Wilson talks about multi-tasking

October 4, 2011 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Today is the last day to enter for a chance to win “Bear’s Loose Tooth” by Karma Wilson. All you have to do is answer the prompt on the giveaway post and you’ll be entered to win. And, you know, somebody’s gotta win …

Until then, how about some writing-while-mothering wisdom from Karma herself? The mother of three kids, Karma published her first book — “Bear Snores On” — in 2002. Since then, she has published more than 30 children’s books. You can read more about her here.

Welcome, Karma. Thanks for sharing some insights to those of us with stories waiting to be told.

Deadline and kids, are the two mutually exclusive? When my children were little, it seemed to me that they weren’t. Writing with small children running amok felt impossible, and I missed more than one deadline. However, I managed to get a system down that worked for me. Here are a few tips:

1. Adapt to YOUR environment.

I read a lot of advice telling me to find a secluded, quiet place to write–EVERY day. Usually as I read these helpful tips I had a toddler at my feet demanding food, a baby on my lap demanding boob, and a list of “to-dos” that I should have been reading instead of writing tips. We were poor, so hiring a nanny or building a secluded dream office was out of the question. I just needed to write.

I quickly learned to have food at the desk to hand to children. I also learned how to breast feed and type at the same time and ignore to-do lists during any firestorm of inspiration. And as a survival skill I became adept at tuning out background noise and zeroing in on the manuscript I was working on.

To keep the kids involved I would stop every few minutes and read what I’d written to them to gauge their response. This served the two fold purpose of letting me know if I was writing boring drivel that kids would hate, and showing my children that writing is a process requiring rewriting and hard work to get perfect.

This approach won’t work for everybody, but if you are anything like I was you may have no other options. So learn to adapt, because writing, like so many professions, is survival of the fittest.

2. Force yourself to take breaks.

Once you get the first tip down it’s very easy to get so engrossed in writing your masterpiece that you FORGET you have children! Then suddenly you hear a blood-curdling scream and realize that you have zoned out while your child climbed on the roof. Not fun or desirable, and certainly a damper on further creativity. This is why it’s important to time yourself take some breaks to give the kids undivided attention.

You also need to take breaks for your own creativity to reset, and to keep from getting repetitive stress injury. Writing may seem like mostly mental work, but sitting hunched over a desk all day pecking away at a computer can lead to physical problems like back injuries or repetitive stress syndrome. Back in the day I had to set a timer, but these days there is nifty software made specifically to help you take timed breaks–Skirocco Take a Break is a good, free program that will give popup alerts when it’s break time.

3. Beat them out of bed
.

Sometimes a little quiet is the ONLY way you will get something accomplished. These are the times you need to try and get to bed early enough that you can beat the rugrats out of bed by a couple of hours.

For me, it was the research and networking more than the writing that required solitude. If I needed to search something up, or take part in an online discussion about getting published, I had a very hard time focusing with Sesame Street music in the background. So I made it habit to get up very early, rev myself up with double strength coffee, and sit in the quiet of the morning to get some critiques done or research the market.

Some people find they would rather stay up after the kids went to bed. That is also an option. Just make sure you get enough sleep to actually keep your brain functional, or writing progress could slow.

4. Write ANYWHERE!

I have written books camping, sitting in restaurants, driving down the road. I have scribbled phrases on ketchup-stained McDonald’s napkins and old doctor bills. There is never, EVER a time that writing is off limits. But be sure to keep a tablet and writing utensil on or near you at all times, because sadly I’ve also written a lot of great books, poems and stories “on the go” and forgotten them because I didn’t take the time to write them down. I have a nagging suspicion I forgot a best-selling, timeless classic somewhere along the way, and it’s now gone forever, floating in the creative black hole.

Is writing with kids a challenge? Yes. Is it worth it? Also yes. But breastfeeding while typing isn’t a skill for the faint of heart.

What about you? How do you balance what’s important {writing, working, or anything else …} with what’s ultimately important {raising your kids}? Now, back to filling my son’s cup and answering my daughter’s questions …

________

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About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our ninth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear sixth-grade boy, and our joy-filled kindergarten girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

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Before I settle into a school time routine, I want Before I settle into a school time routine, I want to recap summer — my favorite season of the year that, honestly, just didn’t look like I expected & hoped in many ways. Even so, goodness was all around us. 

This was the summer of …
 
Crunch-dipped ice cream Drumsticks 🌼 4/5 of us having strep throat at different times, and Ben having it 3 times 🌼 Six Flags and Kentucky Kingdom 🌼 Venture River season passes 🌼 Plans changing and changing again 🌼 Plan B vacation because Covid is still interrupting plans 🌼 Friends sharing big news — someone’s son was injured, friends moving toward divorce after two decades of marriage, a friend being diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, and a friend’s house flooding in a negligent way. 🌼 Holding onto the good news 🌼 Counting gratefulness 🌼 Celebrating 20 years of marriage 🌼 Reading mostly romance novels because that’s what sounded good 🌼 Traditional summer weekends with some out-of-town friends 🌼 Quiddler, although I can’t seem to win this word game. 🌼 Conversations in our bedroom with our oldest who likes to stay up later than us 🌼 Binge-watching “Yellowstone” 🌼 The easiest, clearest water we’ve had in six summers with a pool despite the leaking liner 🌼 Feelings that reminded me of Social Distancing 2020 🌼 Noticeable growth in my kids, the weeds around my house, and within my own heart.

Most years, I mourn the end of Summer Break, but this year routine & rhythms are returning at the right time. I spent some time this summer grieving some changes in friendships and disappointments with details that were far out of my control. But I also enjoyed life, sunshine, and right where God has me. That reality is helping me be ready for whatever comes next. 

📷: Cate, 15

#livingfaithfully #88daysofsummer #backtoschool #choosingJOY #PorchStories #reallife #momlife #faithlife #summerisbest
At Back to School Night yesterday, I had been work At Back to School Night yesterday, I had been working as the school finance person when I decided to get Rachel from the gym to go meet her teacher. Turns out she had already gone with me to meet her teacher, the only teacher in the whole school I don’t know! I went to her classroom and there she was chatting with Mrs. Mason and playing with some friends. That girl radiates confidence. 

So, with or without me, they’re ready! Bring on first grade, seventh grade, and sophomore year! @ncca.lions 

#backtoschool #momlife #reallife #siblinglove #thirdchild #choosingJOY #livingfaithfully
Strep throat bookended his summer. Literally. He t Strep throat bookended his summer. Literally. He tested positive for strep the first Saturday of Summer Break and the last day of Summer Break. He also had it in June and COVID-19 in July. 

Here’s to being grateful he’s quick to recover, antibiotics work, our pediatrician is our friend, and he won’t miss the first day of school. 

#88daysofsummer #boymom #reallife #summerbreak #backtoschool #choosingJOY
What a perfect day for a back-to-school party for What a perfect day for a back-to-school party for some @ncca.lions 7th grade boys and their siblings! A new student wanted to meet some classmates, so we hosted some friends & made new friends. 

#backtoschool #momlife #middleschoolers #boymom #poolpeople #morethangroceries #bettertogether #siblinglove #88daysofsummer #countryliving
Introducing Backroads and Blooms Photography by Ca Introducing Backroads and Blooms Photography by Cate Taylor 🎉 

Cate has five different prints available as 5x7s or 8x10s and then matted and framed. She has in stock two of each print in each size, but she will order more. 

🖼 5x7s matted in 8x10 frame = $12
🖼 8x10s matted in 11x14 frame = $20

🌵 Cactus
🌸 Pink flower
💦 Daisy with water drops
🌼 Yellow & orange flower
✨ Starburst flower 

Let Cate know in the comments what you’d like to order or message me. Local pickup/dropoff only right now. 

You can send PayPal friends & family to kristinhilltaylor@gmail.com, send Venmo to @KristinHillTaylor, or pay cash at pickup.

#buddingphotographer #momlife #firstborn #entrepreneur #photography #outdoorphotography #naturephotography
I took a break from my work & chores to read yeste I took a break from my work & chores to read yesterday and I’m so glad I did. I had to stay up late to finish it last night. 

First of all, don’t judge this book by its cover, which I don’t like. (I’ve seen another cover for this same book, so I really don’t understand!) 

Anyway, I loved the story of first love and loss and reconnection told in the dual now-and-then timeline. I thought the end was a little abrupt, but maybe that’s just because I wanted a little more about Macy and Elliot. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #librarybooks #88daysofsummer
Today I’m thankful for a productive stretch of t Today I’m thankful for a productive stretch of time making my way through a to-do list, this view from my kitchen window, a little more Summer Break with my kids, a book that has me distracted from other things I “should” be doing, and lots of wide-open space in our day. 

#mondaymotivation #choosingJOY #livingfaithfully #countryliving #momlife #reallife #88daysofsummer
We’ve taken our older kids on short-term mission We’ve taken our older kids on short-term mission trips and hope to go on more. They’ve served locally. We support missionaries. We want our kids to be open to wherever God calls them and incorporating missions into our small-town life is one way we, as parents, have hoped to teach that. 

I’m incredibly thankful @hardinbaptistchurch comes alongside us with the same message. The middle and high school @hardinstudents spent the summer looking at different aspects of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. Youth minister @cbright2 spent the last Sunday of the series looking at nine practical ways that students – yes, even middle and high schoolers – could participate in and pray about going for God. 

Chase shared these 9 Ways to Go with students' parents, and I asked him for permission to share them with you because even as an adult I want to remember to live on mission – even right where I am. 

9 WAYS TO GO FOR GOD: https://bit.ly/9WaysToGo

#linkinbio #ontheblog #bloggerlife #momlife #churchlife #faithlife #livingfaithfully #missions #missionminded #youth #teenagers #parenting #parenthood
“Writing is what makes me happy. Writing, even, “Writing is what makes me happy. Writing, even, is how I feel I contribute to the world. Reminding people of what’s important. Letting them escape the harsh parts of life, even if it’s just for a few hours. Helping them feel happiness through watching happily-ever-afters unfold. Remembering truths. Recalling their self-worth. Loving others. Living well. Learning. I want to do that.” 

And, let’s be honest, love stories about writers make me happy too. “Meet Me in the Margins” was cute, predictable, and a good way to escape for a little while. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #authorlife #librarybooks #poolpeople #weekending
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