When I first began to write from home, it was wonderful and I was so excited, but the first two years turned into a balancing act. My family thought I wasn't working so I should be available for all kinds of impromptu errands, etc. I would happily toss my hair into a bun and spend 14 hours in front of my computer... Maybe I'd stop for lunch, maybe not. That entire process in the first year was bad for my health and my psyche. Now, I structure the first hour of my day... no work. Second-hour social media. Then I work and have my lunch outside (weather permitting). I take a walk, rejuvenate and the greatest portion of my work gets done between 1 pm and midnight. I try to get in bed by midnight and up by 8 am. Not always happening but I try. This routine fits me and is a balance I lacked in the beginning.
Yes. I incorporate everyday things into my stories. Scents and tastes, southern summer nights and language. I raised eight children and there is a plethora of material there. Now and then some of their antics will slip into my work. I was a journalist for many years and I wrote many stories about the kids and my grandparents in the paper. You can find them here https://issuu.com/hcheditor/docs/
I have been writing all of my life. I always wanted to be a writer with a lean toward fiction. Turns out I was a Newspaper Journalist and Paralegal and PI, all of which contributed great color and experience to my repertoire. When I semi retired, I settled down to write my fiction at last.
Writing is by nature an isolating profession. It's filled with self-doubt and criticism from those you least expect it to come from. I advise you to push through it. If you have a story to tell... tell it. Read, read, read and research well. Nothing matters but the story. Someone out there wants to read it. Someone out there needs to hear what you have to say. Be meticulous about your spelling and punctuation. Be obsessive about formatting and study the rules. You won't jump any fences in this day and age.
