How to find time to write as a parent:

I’ve been a parent now for 5 years, and I have 3 children who make me proud to be a dad. I don’t like to take time away from my family to write, so any time I do write must be done well before they’re awake, or after they’ve gone to bed. I think a lot of partners and kids could get jealous of how much time I could easily spend writing, and so I try to be considerate of that so they don’t resent my writing.

Never underestimate the power of a small steno notebook and a pen while you’re in the bathroom, or waiting for a meeting at work to start. These otherwise unproductive moments could turn into something bigger if you get a stroke of inspiration.  Also, if your phone can support it, do voice recordings so that if you have a few minutes to yourself, you can speak a sentence or conversation that is in your mind.

Something I’ve also done is to tell my kids to tell me a story, and though the tales they tell are short or fractured, you can always use them as inspiration for a story that they might want to hear too. I’ve recently started doing 4 page stories about the adventures of a snowman named Bob based on ideas they’ve given me. When they see the story they started come to life, they love it. It’s not a long book, or even all that complex, but they enjoy my simple drawings rendered through Microsoft Paint that accompany each page.