How Do Writers With Families Balance It All?

That's the question recently posed by Beyond the Margins.

From the piece...

Julie Wu, author of the forthcoming novel THE THIRD SON:
As far as routine goes, my routine isn’t what I would necessarily choose, but dictated by child care.  There’s no doubt in my mind that I would write more if I didn’t have a family.  But there’s also no doubt in my mind that I’m a better writer (and person) for having a family, experiencing motherhood, seeing children grow and face their own challenges.  At the very least, I know now that a woman cannot carry a four-year-old child and a full suitcase down a steep flight of stairs while wearing high heels, which is what I had one character do before I had kids.As for having it all–people do this.  Why not?  You may not make the 20 under 40 list, but who cares?

Jon Papernick, author of the novel WHO BY FIRE, WHO BY BLOOD:
Certainly having children significantly compressed my writing time. It has been particularly impossible to write during weekends when I spend time with the kids. I’m usually too exhausted after they go to bed to write, so that just leaves the few days a week when I’m not teaching. In a nutshell, having children has significantly affected my writing routine. However, my two boys remain my greatest creation despite the hard work I put into my books.I don’t think one needs to make a choice about family or literary success, since literary success is never guaranteed anyway. In fact, success is entirely subjective. I certainly wouldn’t recommend giving up a family to focus on writing alone since a manuscript cannot snuggle up to you and tell you that it loves you. Kafka referred to his stories as his children – but of course, he wasn’t exactly right in the head.