Writing mum, Steph, talks about how she writes

​Steph is a thirty three year old mum of one and currently pregnant with her second child. She has been writing since her teens but officially started blogging whilst pregnant with her daughter in 2015. She often writes honest accounts of her life living with several chronic health conditions whilst parenting, and is currently penning her first novel. Steph also regularly writes poetry and submissions for indie magazines and charities. She has won awards two years running with House21 bloggers and co-hosts their monthly book club podcast.

Who and what inspires you?

I am inspired to write everyday, in the mundane of parenting and painkiller popping, living with poor health often opens you up to many feelings and though they aren’t always positive they provide fodder for my thoughts. I often get inspired by the subtle changes in my daughter, her resilience as well as my own and of course the tens of books I get through every month and their talented authors. I find other women inspirational too, other mothers wading through the quagmire of daily life, all of us connected somehow, in different boats but under the same storm that is motherhood.
 
How do you find time to write as a parent?

Finding time to write can be challenging but isn’t always. However creativity can strike me at the most inconvenient of times and I am compelled to pen my thoughts, whether it be on the back of an envelope discarded in my bag or straight into the word app on my phone. I’m a huge believer in the creative process and though structure can be good for motivation, I’m a fly by the seat of your pants kind of girl. I want to write when the need hits me full force in the face, whether that’s during a loo break at four am or whilst waiting in the doctors surgery. If I was to give any advice on finding time to write it would be, to just do it, at every opportunity, don’t let thoughts pop into your head and leave without noting them somewhere. I have tons of drafts on my blog, some of them make it to fruition and some don’t, but each remind me of my inspiration when I find it lacking.

Which writing activities kickstart your writing when you're struggling?
 
If I’m struggling to complete a particular article or piece of work, I usually ditch it, just for that moment and try something else. Whether that be a different blog, a latter chapter in my novel or just a poem of thoughts expelled from my head. Each serve a purpose in churning up the creative juices. Sometimes I’ll challenge myself to write about a particular event, or maybe I’ll write about something completely bland like the weather, and kickstart creativity through the mundane. I often find just a few lines of poetry can be enough to refocus and get me back to my intended project.
 
Link to website: http://www.divamumsteph.com/​
Instagram: @divamumsteph 

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