People like routine, whether they admit it or not. Writers are no different, often choosing the same places and times to do their work.

I like it quiet, though I have proved I can write amid distractions. For the best efficiency of time and effort, I write when I won’t have interruptions. I find I do most of my writing when my daughter is napping and my husband is at work.

Research happens anytime I get a chance and can take notes. A lot of times the TV is on. For those of you who don’t know, my husband watches a lot of TV. I rarely pay much attention to it, though my comprehension is enough I can tell you the main storyline most times. My hands prefer to be busy, whether typing or knitting or rolling a ball back and forth with my daughter.

I have a digital recorder in my car that I sometimes use to capture ideas in the car. There are also notebooks stashed around the house and in my purse. I have a slush pile file where I keep ideas in case none of that is handy in front of the TV. (Often it isn’t anymore- a stray notebook is fair game where my daughter is concerned. She also loves to take my pens or crochet hooks and crawl/walk off with them.)

I’ve never been one to wander into a coffee shop and make a silent corner my writing home. Sometimes I listen to music, but many times it’s difficult to match the project to the soundtrack. And the wrong soundtrack throws off the entire project. At this point, it would be harder to take off and have someone watch my daughter than just try to make the most use of her naps. She also plays pretty well by herself sometimes if I’m in the middle of something big.

I can’t take that for granted, though. When she’s awake she can get into everything (!) – so we generally are in very close proximity and attempting to fold laundry rather than letting me write.

Last time she ate half a PB Twix candy bar. And loved it. Three minutes can make a difference, which is why the scissors, pens, and other potentially dangerous items are all out of reach.

And why I write during naptimes, after bedtime and, if I manage, before she wakes in the morning. Several people have recommended that I get up before she does, but if she’s up a lot at night (like last Saturday she had me up between 12:30 and 3 am, as in, I was up the entire time) I simply cannot wake before she does at 6:30 or so.

I’m just glad it doesn’t happen much. And I do get time to write. I make time for it.