I have been writing since before high school, improving gradually as time went on. I have had to adapt several times as my circumstances changed and life placed different demands on me and my time. Between high school, to undergrad, grad school, marriage, working, and pregnancy, I have had to learn where to fit writing into my life after each change.

Now, I’m on the brink of an especially big change: motherhood.

I’m due to give birth in a week. Of course there’s no telling exactly what day my child will be born, but it will be soon, regardless.

One thing I’ve realized is I’m not sure how I’ll be able to fit my writing into my life after that. The idea scares me a bit, since writing has always been something I could fall back on to do in my free time. It’s very important to me and I consider it part of my identity.

This feeling of not knowing where it falls into my life after my son is born is especially pressing since I am on the brink of finishing a duology. I began writing it in March of 2021 and I had practically flown through up until November, churning out over 160,000 words over that time. I have been trying to put an end on it for months, but because of my teaching job and other circumstances, I hadn’t been able to. The idea of leaving the project hanging for an unknown amount of time is a bit upsetting to me. It still requires me to write an ending, not to mention the editing process that will have to take place after all of that. There’s a lot that goes into putting together a book and making it ready for publishing and I want to be able to do that.

However, as important as being a writer is to me, being a mother is far more important. I wouldn’t trade this for anything.

That said, I don’t plan on giving up on writing entirely either and I don’t think I’ll have to, though it will be different and take a less important place than it has before. Unfortunately, I don’t personally know a lot of other writers that are mothers as well, so a lot of this will be completely new to me. Most of my writer friends don’t have children and often aren’t married either. It’s just not something that I see talked about often in the circles I run in.

I want to add this as a topic that I’ll talk about here: my journey continuing as a writer throughout motherhood. I want to be able to give encouragement to any women wanting to continue writing after becoming wives and mothers.

I want to be able to find a continuing place for writing in my life, much as any other woman would try to find a place for a hobby or occupation important to her. It’s place is going to have to change from what it has been, but that’s okay. My life as a mom is the most important thing to me, but I want to be able to hold onto this part of myself as well.

Only time will tell if I’m being naive, since I’m a first-time parent and don’t really know what to expect. But I know plenty of moms who find time to sew, knit, or garden, just as a few examples. I don’t see why I couldn’t make a place for my favored pastime as well. So I’ll do my best to make this a journey that others can see as I take it, in case anyone needs the encouragement that it can be done as I walk this road.

Happy writing!