Started working on a new story tonight, and after struggling through a few false starts I decided to write the pitch first. It forces you to encapsulate the main conflict in two or three sentences. For my myopic friends out there, it’s like looking through that contraption with all the lenses at the ophthalmologist’s office. All of a sudden everything comes into such clear focus.
It’s necessary for me these days to streamline my life as much as possible. Having a baby on the verge of walking leaves little time for the luxury of writing, or perhaps more importantly, reading. It’s such a vital pursuit for anyone who aspires to write. I have to ease back into this life gradually, like inching into a cold swimming pool. One book this month is my goal, read in stolen minutes between nursing sessions and nap time. That, along with my hour of writing time after baby goes to sleep, is as good as it’s going to get for me. It will have to be enough for now.
Emily Wiesenthal 
If you can manage that, you’ll be doing very well. Good luck to you.