Prairie Den: Alison Lake

Working as a freelance writer from home with a small child is not easy. I refuse to sugarcoat it. I have been managing both writing and parenting for almost a year now. As a mother and former elementary school teacher, I am accustomed to dealing with distractions and juggling the needs of children with my own. Nonetheless, the process of trying to achieve balance can sometimes be quite frustrating.

Just this afternoon my phone rang, and I could tell from the caller ID that the phone call was from a newspaper in the South to which I occasionally submit pieces. I wanted to answer it but at that moment my son was throwing a pre-nap screaming fit which would make a phone conversation impossible. It was no big deal--I just waited until my son finally fell asleep a half hour later and then returned the phone call. On the bright side, after listening to the message on the answering machine, I was able to gather my materials and prepare myself to speak with the editor on my own time. Working from home, on the other hand, as an independent contractor, I do prefer to take calls immediately so as to be prompt and reliable. I want to be easy to reach.

Yet knowing my children take priority over everything else makes most decisions easy. I can put off my writing an hour or two until my son goes down for a nap, and I can set my work aside if he wants some cuddle time or a story read to him. Unless there is some deadline to meet or phone call I need to take, his needs come absolutely first. In most cases when I need to work without distraction for a few hours, I can wait until the evening when my husband is home.

I also find it difficult to write and entertain my son at the same time. It is not fair to him, and neither occupation gets enough attention when my focus is split. I do enjoy writing in the mornings after he gets up and has breakfast. That is an active time for him when he plays well on his own in the living room for at least an hour, sometimes more. If I add his daily watching of Sesame Street to that time frame, I have two plus hours total of pure writing and idea time. Add his nap time in the afternoon, and even some time in the evening, and it’s conceivable to get around six working hours in a day when needed.

Efficiency is also key to writing during times that pop up. I try to work on brainstorming and story ideas while I am doing other things, like the dishes or taking a walk. That way when I have a free minute to sit down I can get right to work.

We are expecting our second child in March so I know my writing pursuits will drop down on the priority list. As a result, I am trying to gather as many publishing credits as possible now to build up my portfolio. However, after the second baby is born I still plan to write as much as possible. I will be sure to check in here and share the added challenges of writing from home with two children.

Alison Lake writes for magazines and newspapers. Her second book, Living Off Balance, is due out in fall 2005.