Writing with Children

Tags

Book Release, Charles E Yallowitz, children, fantasy, kids, Legends of Windemere, New release, toddlers, War of Nytefall: Lost, War of Nytefall: Loyalty, War of Nytefall: Rivalry

My author friend, Charles E. Yallowitz, is continuing his new War of Nytefall series with a hot new release. War of Nytefall is a spinoff series taking place in his celebrated Legends of Windemere universe. The new release is War Of Nytefall: Rivalry. This is a guest post by him to celebrate the release. It deals with a matter dear to my heart: how on earth it’s possible to have a writing life when you have an energetic kid running around!

Check it out on Amazon

Thank you to Nicholas for letting me be a guest on his blog once again. It’s been a long time and here I am to promote my new book, War of Nytefall: Rivalry. The topic is . . . Hold on, I have to take care of something . . . I’m back. So, what I was going to . . . How did he get across the house so quickly?  Another minute . . . I mean a few hours because I’m needed for a Guess Who Tournament then timing jump-roping and then cooking dinner. You know, let’s cover some tips for being an author when you have an active child in your life. (Author Note: My son isn’t really this much of a distraction since he’s learned when I need writing time. Just want to make it clear that before was just comedy.)

1. If you edit printed copies of your books, then have some extras of the first few chapters for the child. They will see that you are working and might want to help. Giving them actual work isn’t an option and turning your back on them means you’ll find drawings all over your manuscript. So, make a small pile and tell them that they can help with these very important chapters. Either they’ll do something else or just doodle while you get a few minutes of editing. It’s the author giving them a video game controller that isn’t plugged in while you play.
2. Noise-canceling headphones might sound like a good idea, but you might want to rethink that. Sure, you won’t hear the television playing Paw Patrol for the 5,462,007^th time or the talking doll that speaks even with the batteries out. Of course, you will also not hear the calls for help from the bathroom, the crash of a picture getting knocked down by a frisbee, the electric shaver before the dog gets a haircut, and all of the other telltale warnings that something is about to go down. Just how big a risktaker are you?
3. Writing the book and editing might not happen, but you can always outline when your child is around. It’s no different from when you’re at work, school, or about to go to sleep. An idea strikes and you can quickly jot something down. Sure, you might have to use tomato sauce on a napkin or form a reminder word out of Playdoh. Whatever it takes to get the job done.
4. Pounce on any quiet time that you get. Are they eating lunch in front of the television or getting 30 minutes of video game time? Keep an ear out for those noises and make a quick jump into author mode. You can’t guarantee that they will go to sleep at a decent hour or stay asleep, so take whatever time you can get.
5. Pretend that you aren’t feeling well. Doesn’t even have to be that believable for your child to fall for it. They will tuck you into bed, read you a story, and bring you plastic food since they aren’t allowed to use the oven. It might lead to some trust issues down the road and they might catch on when you get out of bed. There’s also the risk of you falling asleep and that kind of brings us back to #2 as well as them deciding that they are ready to use the microwave after all.
6. Create a game that is really a way for you to get writing done. Hide and seek where you have to count to 1 million? Kids like playing with feet and you don’t need those to do your writing. Can’t go wrong with the silence game or seeing who can stay asleep the longest. All else fails, you can have them color on a giant pile of paper that you really hope isn’t important. Is Final Notice really final?
7. Put the stories away and play with the kid. You might want to get writing done now, but there’s going to be a day where you want to play and they aren’t interested. Enjoy the years when your child wants your attention before they’re at the point where you have to translate 50 types of sighs.

Again, a big thank you to Nicholas. Hope everyone enjoyed the fun and maybe even find something useful here. Check out War of Nytefall: Rivalry on Amazon to get your vampire fix and I’ll see you in the comments.

*****

Start the adventure from the beginning with War of Nytefall: Loyalty!

Cover Art by Alison Hunt

Interested in more Windemere?

Then don’t forget to check out Charles E. Yallowitz’s first series: Legends of Windemere

All Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

About the Author:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After his wife decided that she was tired of hearing the same stories repeatedly, she convinced him that it would make more sense to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house under orders to shut up and get to work, Charles brings you Legends of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you, and his wife is happy he finally has someone else to play with.

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com

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