It’s easy
to make excuses as a new parent. There’s no time to write. You’re too
tired. Or your child is sick. Writer Abroad understands all of them. But she
refuses to give in to any of them. Instead, she pushes herself to make the best
of the time, energy, and enthusiasm she does have, and therefore, she has found
that her writing career has only improved since her daughter was born. Here are
five reasons why.
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| Don't let becoming a parent stop you from writing–or from hiking. |
You have more material to write about
They say, “Write what you know,” and
becoming a mother opens up a whole new world for your writing. Writer Abroad never
set out to write about parenting, but becoming a mother has only helped her
writing career, landing pieces about mothering in the New York Times, the Wall
Street Journal, Brain Child, and others.
You use your time more wisely
Writer Abroad has three days a week
to write while her daughter is in preschool. Is she sitting around wasting time
on Facebook? Rarely. She appreciates her writing time all the more since it is
limited. So she works hard to accomplish as much as she can.
There are more outlets to consider
Becoming a parent opens up many new
publications to contribute to. Brain, Child Magazine, New York Times’
Motherlode, Washington Post’s On Parenting, and many more. Often, thanks to the
broad parenting topic, these outlets have huge readerships, helping you get the attention
your writing deserves.
You develop more patience
This morning Writer Abroad waited
for 10 minutes while her daughter watched for birds to possibly take a nibble
of birdseed from her homemade bird feeder. The patience Writer Abroad uses with her daughter
she also has learned to use with her writing. The fact that some pieces and
books take longer to write than others is somehow ok now. And she barely even
notices how long it takes an editor to get back to her sometimes. Her daughter
keeps her pleasantly distracted.
You see the world through new eyes
Just as moving abroad helped Writer
Abroad see the world in new ways, having a child does the same thing in a
different way. Who knew stones and sticks were so amazing and had so many uses?
Writer Abroad’s daughter reminds her daily how amazing the world can be when
you’re seeing bits and pieces of it for the first time.
Do you think parenting makes you a better
writer?