You may remember that I offered to bust readers’ excuses for not pitching magazines — or, if they’re pitching, for approaching only low/no-pay pubs. (By the way, if you have an excuse you’d like me to bust, you can send it to lindaformichelli@gmail.com.)

Here’s Heather’s excuse: I’m a stay at home mom. I have a 20 month old and another one on the way in August. I feel like other SAHMs are firing off short articles and blog posts left and right, but I can’t seem conquer Mt. Laundry and the rest of the housework before I get to writing. I’m only getting published in non-internet arenas about once a year. Am I putting too much pressure on myself or am I just lazy?

You do need to cut yourself some slack — it’s hard to take care of a toddler, deal with mounds of housework, and dash off publication-worthy queries and articles while producing gourmet dinners for three.

You may have read on this blog that in August 2009, I cut my workweek down to two days per week to spend more time with my son (who’s now 16 months old), yet still manage to earn a full-time income. So even if you don’t have 40 hours a week to devote to writing, you can still pursue writing as a career. I detail here some of my tips for carving out time to write, including ferreting out time-wasters, scheduling boot camps with a writer friend, and changing my mindset when I get overwhelmed with the feeling that “it’s all too much.”

A tip I’d like to add is that you need to make writing a priority. If you have conditions to writing — such as, “I can’t write until the laundry is done/the house is clean/the photos are all tucked away in a photo album” — then you’ll never do it. The stars will never align to magically produce the perfect regular, chore-free chunk of time for writing. So try scheduling time for writing into your calendar. For example, if your toddler naps from 12 – 2 each day, you can designate 12 – 2, three days per week as your writing time. Actually write this into your calendar so you don’t accidentally schedule other things during this time. (If you follow some of the tips in the blog post I linked to above, you can get a lot done in two hours.)

Another tip: Delegate. Can you get your spouse to take over laundry a couple of days per week, or make dinner on the weekends, or take your toddler for a walk every day while you write? Can you hire a mother’s helper to take care of your kiddo while you write? (My freelancer husband and I hire a 14-year-old as a mother’s helper for three hours a day, three days a week during busy periods; we shell out just $5 per hour.)

Finally, consider this: When you’re on your deathbed, what will make you happier: The fact that your laundry was always done and your floors were always clean, or the fact that you attained your dream of becoming a professional writer? When it comes down to it, you may have to choose between getting all your chores done perfectly and pursuing your dream career. [lf]

If you liked that post, you might also like:

• Bust My Excuse: I’m a Busy Mom — I Don’t Have Time to Write!
• 3 Tips for Balancing Freelancing with Parenting and Housework
• When Your Priorities Shift: Observations on Parenting and Freelancing
• Thank you!
• How Hiring Help Can Save You Time and Boost Your Writing Income