I have always wanted to be an author but became a journo instead because it seemed like a more sensible career option. Trouble is, I hated it. After trying to make a go of it for about a decade while being very unhappy in my various jobs and bored stiff as a freelancer, I finally gave it up to spend more time with the kids. Which I love.
BUT - I'm lucky enough to have some spare time every day, which I could be spending sitting down to write out the novel I have been plotting out in great detail for some time now and am constantly thinking about. I feel like it's a book with real potential and it's fantastic to have a fully functional brain again after what seems like a long hibernation on planet mummy. I'm excited about trying, finally, to see if I can be a real writer. However, I just can't seem to get around to actually doing it. Like a robot on autopilot I seem to spend all my time cleaning, cooking, going to the gym, and skulking around on MN and boring old ebay instead of writing my great epos!
Fear of failure? Probably. I also think it's a combination of lack of discipline when it comes to writing, lack of confidence in my writing, and general laziness because it is so bloody difficult to write well and there is so much work involved. Get over yourself, I hear you say - but it just isn't that simple.
So - I'd like to know from any writer mothers out there: How did and do you motivate yourself to start writing and keep it up? How do you go about setting aside time and space to write, i.e. how often and for how long? Did you finish your project/get published? Etc, etc.
A few motivational stories in the shape of a great big (yet gentle & friendly?) kick up the proverbial would be very much appreciated...