By Sarah E. White

When I wrote my first book, I thought the deadline was tough. I had about nine months to write the book, design and knit all the patterns and take all the pictures. I quit my job (I’d been looking for an excuse) and worked on the book day and night for months. This was long before my daughter was born.

There are parts of the book I’m proud of, but it looks like a book that came together in about nine months. I was burned by that experience, and then I had a kid, so it was a long time before I considered doing another one.

But when my daughter started going to preschool around age 2, I decided it was time to try again. A publisher had approached me, and I did a little more homework this time before agreeing to write a book for them.

The contract was signed at the end of 2011, I turned in the manuscript at the end of last year and the book just came out in July. That sounds like a lot of time, but when you’re fitting writing (and, in my case, knitting) in around all your regular work and parenting duties, if can get tricky.

You may not be interested in writing a book, but most busy bloggers I know are interested in being able to blog a little more frequently. So I thought I would share some things that have worked for me that make it possible for me to even contemplate writing books with a kiddo in the house.

1. Have a Plan

The most important thing when it comes to writing more is knowing what you want to write about in advance. If you can plan out a whole month’s posts – or even a whole week’s – then when you find yourself with a little time to write you’ll know what you need to write about.

Of course nothing need be set in stone if you decide to write about something else, but just thinking about what you want to write about means those ideas will already be simmering in your brain while you’re busy with other things, which will make the writing go that much faster when you’re ready to do it.

2. Have a Notebook

I have notebooks everywhere. There are four in front of me on my desk as I write this. One is usually in my purse at all times. Sometimes there’s one on the living room couch, and one in the playroom.

That way no matter where I am, if my daughter is playing by herself or watching TV and doesn’t need my full attention, I can work on a post right there with her. I wrote part of this in my notebook while she was playing at the park.

I also use my notebook for those lists of stories and other to-dos, projects I want to complete and other essentials. These books are precious until they’re full, then I go through, pull out the pages I still need and recycle the rest.

3. Try to Get Away

When I was in the last weeks of writing my book (and way behind schedule, I might add) the only way I survived was that my husband would take our daughter on little adventures that would get them out of the house for most of a day. His mom lives in Bella Vista, so they went to visit her without me a few times, and they took my parents to the drive-through safari once.

Being able to work for long, uninterrupted stretches every now and then is a great help, whether you’re writing a book (or a book proposal) or just trying to get ahead of your blogging schedule a little bit.

I know it can be hard to get free time, or to ask for it, but for me it was, and still is, essential. I love those few hours when the family is gone and I’m holed up in my office, typing away. It feels like I’m getting away with something. I seem to always be super-productive on those days, and I’ll bet it would work for you, too.

What do you do to get more writing done? I’d love to hear your thoughts, since I just might be writing another book soon!

Sarah E. White is a craft writer and mom of one in Fayetteville. She blogs almost daily at her website, Our Daily Craft, as well as at the knitting sites for About.com and Craft Gossip.com. She’s the author of Picture Yourself Felting Your Knitting, the book she doesn’t like to talk about, and Quick & Easy Baby Knits, which she’s super proud of.