by Ruth Belena

Created on: January 20, 2010

Moms who write for a living and women who write novels should be aware of how her writing can affect family dynamics. A full-time working mother, or a part-time writer, will appreciate the value of time spent with the family; when her kids are at home, when her husband or partner wants to take them all on a family trip, and when he asks to spend a romantic evening with her alone. It is important for moms who write to maintain good relationships and to make sure no member of the family ever feels neglected or unwanted.  

Moms who write need to establish a routine that allows enough time and space in their busy lives for completing what they write. The main advantage of writing for women working from home is that writing can be scheduled to fit in with childcare duties and other family activities.

Only a small amount of physical space is necessary for writing on a laptop or using a desktop computer, but the big disadvantage to writing is that it can take up a lot of time. In addition to the creative process there are essential tasks every writer needs to do, and moms who write need to know they will not be distracted from their work by other members of the family.

Family dynamics will be affected by the workload of a woman who is getting paid to write. This does not only concern partners and children of those who write. Mothers can write when their kids are at school, and in the evening when they are in bed, but it is very often the woman's parents, her brothers or sisters, and in-laws, who cause disruption to a writing routine when they expect the writer to take part in social activities, to chat on the phone or to receive unexpected house guests. 

Family members should know that mom is writing to meet deadlines, and when she is not writing she could be busy with research or fact checking. She will be communicating with publishers and doing some important proofreading, editing or rewriting. Most important of all, she will need to do some active networking and marketing, otherwise she will not be able to benefit from paid writing opportunities on the Internet. 

Members of a family need to understand that online writing really is a profitable business, and moms who write are often self-employed entrepreneurs. Mom might be selling content online or she could be making money by writing regularly for her own blogs and article pages. She will need to write a great many articles if she is relying on getting upfront payments, and if she is paid for page views or earning passive income from her online articles.

Family dynamics do change when mom is a writer, and all the family should be aware that they must not interrupt her flow of writing and should never disturb her when she is working. They can all share the benefit when she is earning a lot of extra money or when she has finally completed her book and is ready to become a published author.        

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