Many women dream of giving birth--not just to children  but to books, articles, and other writing projects. But  how, given their hectic everyday lives, do they find the  the energy, space, and time it takes to bring a creative  work into being? 

 As a writer who's also a mom, I've grappled with this  question for years. And I've found some answers I'd like  to share: 

 Sure, you can wait until the living room's been painted,  the car's been paid off, or the kids are grown, but the  fact remains--even when all that's behind you, you still  have to begin. 

 Beginning any writing project is hard because you're  entering unknown territory. There are no road maps to  consult or guarantees of success. So what? The whole point  of writing is to go where you've never gone before and to  discover all sorts of stuff about yourself and the world  along the way. 

 Know that the writing road gets smoother as you go along  and that you will know what to do and how to do it as  you progress. First, however, you must take those first  steps. Today's as good a day as any to begin. 

 YOU DON'T NEED LOTS OF TIME TO WRITE 

 You need time period, be it a half hour or a half day.  Any time spent writing is better than no time writing.  Thirty minutes a day over the course of a week adds up to  3-1/2 hours. That's no small shakes. 

 Sure, at that rate, you may not finish your novel or  screenplay within six months, but you sure as heck can  begin it. Once you're "out of the gate," time becomes a  non-issue. You don't have to find it - it finds you. 

 YOU MUST HAVE A ROOM OF YOUR OWN, PART 1 

 That doesn't mean you have to have an actual room with a  door to close, but it does mean you need a space in  which to work. 

 Space, by the way, is not just physical. It's mental as  well. You can have a great home office, for example, but  if you can't keep others out of it (or keep yourself in),  it's doing you little good. The bottom line then? You  must create space for yourself by laying claim to it, by  setting boundaries that others cannot cross during the  times you write. This ain't easy because it means you  first must "come out of the closet" as a writer. You must  declare to the world (your significant others) that you  are more than what they see; that you want more for  yourself; that you have the right to write. 

 A ROOM OF YOUR OWN, PART 2 

 Once you lay claim to your right to write, you can begin  to lay claim to a writing space. If you have a distinct  room at your disposal, replete with door (preferably a  locking one), you're all set. Know, however, that such a  room isn't a requirement. Many great poems and plays are  written at kitchen tables, in the corners of basements,  and in notebooks lovingly, sometimes furtively, carried  from room to room. The bottom line is you work with what  you've got and make it work for you. 

 Note the traffic patterns in your home. What spaces are  constantly traveled? Which get only occasional visitors  or none "after hours"? Which can fit a desk or filing  cabinet, or even a single cardboard box containing your  notes, research materials, pens, and pads? (Such boxes,  by the way, make great "portable offices," enabling you  to take your writing wherever you go, e.g., the library,  coffee shop, or even into your car or bathroom.) So,  choose your space, however modest, and set up shop. 

 FORGET THE CHEERING SECTION 

 Let go of the notion that your significant others will  support all you do--or even that they should. Becoming a  writer requires an internal shift that has an external  consequence, and most significant others, no matter how  much they love us, buck at change. It makes them  uncomfortable because they fear we'll become less focused  on them. Too, they know that time spent writing is time  not spent doing other things--cooking, cleaning, running  errands. No one wants his/her needs to go unattended or,  worse yet, to be asked or expected to pick up the slack. 

 All of which is to say that your declarations as a writer  may be met with moans, groans, and protests rather than  with the celebratory popping of champagne corks. So it  goes. Know that you don't need a red carpet rolled out  for you; nor do you need anyone's permission but your own.  Give yourself that permission; keep your focus. You'll  be surprised how loved ones come around eventually (even  if they do still mutter under their breath). 

 BREAK OUT OF YOUR ISOLATION 

 Writing may be a solo endeavor, but it doesn't have to be  a lonely one. No matter where you live, there are folks  in your community who also dream of giving birth to  short stories, screenplays, columns. Find them through  writing conferences, workshops, and teleclasses, or  through profiles of writers in the local paper. Form your  own workshop so you and one or two or five or six other  writers can share your work or simply talk shop. You can  also put yourself in the company of established writers  by studying their works or reading their biographies. 

 Finally, touch your writing as often as you can, even if  it's for a few minutes a day and even if it's just to  journal or jot down a line that swept through your mind  at 3 a.m. Such "touching" gives validity to your dreams  and gifts. It also enables you to grow into the part of  "writer" and to help your writing become an integral part  of you. 

 Author Beth Mende Conny is a work-at-home mom and the  founder of _http://www.WriteDirections.com_, which offers  a wide range of writing teleclasses to build writing  muscle and skill. 

Copyright 1999 by Beth Mende Conny
All rights reserved in all media