Role Reversal

I’ve had a hell of a summer.  I’d just made up a plan of action for attacking my new novel when my husband had an aneurysm.  I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say scary doesn’t cover it.  Luckily for my husband (and me and the kids!) someone up there has his back.  It’s been a long haul, but he’s made it through practically unscathed.

I say practically.  He’s still got some health issues related to the aneurysm and is stuck home from work for at least a couple more months.  Despite loving the guy, the thought of trying to catch up on three months of lost writing work with him in the next room on the X-Box gave me chills.  I knew I’d get pretty resentful trying to keep up with everything while watching him recuperate.  And he’d surely go nuts with my annoyance stomping around the apartment like a whole other person.  So I asked him for a favor: a life swap.

Normally, I’m the stay-at-home parent.  Here in Geneva, the kids go to school four days a week and have off from 11:30-1:30 for lunch.  Believe me, that really cuts into everything.  After the shopping, the cleaning, the cooking and the school run, I only end up with a couple hours writing time.  My fantasy (other than that one with Robert Downey Jr, of course)?   To be able to go off all day and work on my novel non-stop.

To my surprise, my husband jumped on it.  He’s been doing the school route four times a day and cooking lunch without complaint.  Yes, when I get home it looks like someone spewed junk everywhere and I can tell what they had for lunch just by looking under the table.  But I’m writing and he’s recovering.  And that’s what counts in the end.  My goal is to get a rough draft done by November.  Any tips on how to keep the momentum going?