[M T McGuire]

I feel your pain. I am a stay-at-home parent with a two year old. I have exactly the same trouble - and yes, I've bought a netbook too.

Luke King's is good advice. I write at two points during the day, first thing and after lunch when mini-me has a bit of quiet time in his cot. I'm not a morning person either but when I wake up I lie in bed fantasising about my characters and what's doing to happen next so it's only a short step to grabbing the netbook on the way back from the morning trip to the bathroom and sitting up in bed with it.

The drawback of this technique is that you won't get a 'run' at complicated scenes. Developing plotlines as you go can get tricky, too. I also find I easily forget who said what when and if I'm trying to do a slow build of tension before a big event, or describe the gradual development of a friendship for example, it's really really difficult.

For what it's worth, I haven't quite worked out the solution to this yet, but there are three things that seem to be helping.

1. Increase the detail of the plot plan.
2. Let it rest for a while and come back to it.
3. Use a dictaphone, you can get more done in a shorter time.

If you're really, really tired I'd say don't try to write. It never works for me, I can't force it, when my brain hurts it's time to stop! It is frustrating, sometimes my brain hurts for weeks.

If you're like me, carrying on writing when your brain's dead will merely cause you to end up in a massive muddle. Trust me on this. I've just done it and the results are ugly. Book two of the trilogy will not be coming out next year because I'll have to leave it to settle now and come back to it in 6 months.

However, even during a prolonged period of brain freeze, there's always other stuff you can do; research cover designers or designs, investigate aspects of production, compile a press list for when you launch it, tweak your author website, start a blog (at least that will keep you writing) draw portraits of your characters (if you are artistic or even, like me, if you're not). None of that is writing but it will keep you in touch with your book or at least, the ideas of your book.

Finally, you mention the odd half hour in the car. If you drive a lot in your work maybe a dictaphone would help. You can tape scenes while you're travelling and write them up at night when you're intellectual faculties are blasted. It's much easier then because it's more like editing when you come to do the writing up.

This is all personal but it's how it works for me. No two people are identical but I hope some of the things I've said (or is that dumped) here will be of some use.

Cheers

MTM