Many college professors and other writing mentors will advise new writers that it is of utmost importance to "Write every day..."
Although I believe in the value of this advice, I also believe that in order to be creative and productive, you have to follow your own instincts.
Some days I just don't feel inspired to write about anything. No matter how hard I may try to motivate myself on those days, I usually end up making myself more frustrated and less creative.
The time spent trying to get inspired is wasted, which only adds to my discontent, knowing that those hours could have been utilized more effectively to clean the house, read some magazines that have been sitting on my coffee table for weeks untouched, surf the net for new resources or personal stimulation, or (the honest truth) just lay on the sofa watching soap operas or talk shows that require no thinking and may even make me laugh, learn something new or relax my mind for few hours...
As with any profession, if you work all the time and don't take some time off to just be a person, a mom, or a wife, you may lose your mind, burn out or become out of touch with the rest of the world.
My experience as a stay-at-home, single mom, and freelance writer working out of my home office, has proven to be a very satisfying, but solitary, arrangement. I love being home with my son and would not have it any other way. He will only be a little boy for a few years and the days when he goes to school and I must be away from him for eight hours a day will arrive too soon.
But sometimes I do miss the interaction with adults that other people have built-in to their daily lives by going to an office to work every day. Another aspect of working from home as a writer that is both a benefit and a challenge is not having a boss by your side.
It's wonderful to have the freedom to do what you want when you want without anyone looking over your shoulder every day, but it's also easy to be distracted or to procrastinate when you have only yourself to answer to. You alone are responsible for meeting your deadlines, making a living, organizing your time and ensuring your success. If you do not feel like working, nobody is going to tell you that you have to write or edit your articles in progress on any given day.
You must establish your own guidelines and be committed to fulfilling these self-imposed requirements. It's easy to put things off when you're not getting a push from your boss sitting in the office next to you. It's also easy to forget that you're not the only writer, who can deliver the article to the publisher.
When you're working in a newsroom with other writers all around you, you can feel the competition. It's easy to forget this feeling when you're sitting in front of your computer at home alone. Another critical advantage to working in an office with other writers is the opportunity to bounce ideas and words off of each other.
Getting feedback from fellow writers is usually helpful for your creativity, self-esteem, and focus. One way to keep yourself connected to the competition and get opinions from your peers, is to join a writers group or take a writing class. There are many such opportunities available online now that don't require you to leave your home or get a baby-sitter to participate regularly.
See "Professional Associations" at http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art2583.asp for links to related resources.
Posting your advice and/or sharing your thoughts in open forums and writing message boards online is another good way to keep in touch with other writers and get ideas to inspire your own creativity or improve your productivity.
I believe we can learn a lot by listening to each other. Remember what we share as women writers is truly unique. Not many people have our desire or our gift for communicating with the written word, thus making it difficult sometimes for others to understand where we're coming from...
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