Okay, I'm writing Middle Grade about a character who has just started middle school and gotten a phone. Not at all coincidental, my oldest kiddo just started middle school and got a phone. I didn't actually hope she'd give me book fodder when these two things happened at the same time because I really want her to have a great time at school. However, life is a weird beast and she did give me book fodder. Only, it came in the form of her using her phone to download a couple of her favorite worship songs from the radio and sing them nonstop with her little sister.
She's fed me small tidbits of details she thinks will get me unstuck from the molasses pace I'm writing at the moment, but it is in her most relaxed just her moment that she showed me the real key to getting my character into the trouble she needs to get into for my plot to move forward. This leads me to a much larger thought about casually being just who we are. As much as my kids are used to me stopping everything to furiously make a note in my phone, they roll their eyes at me, yet want me to read it as soon as I'm done and they glow when it's something they've done that inspired a moment that will eventually end up in a book
Okay, I'm totally rambling, but I already explained that my daughter started middle school this week...
Anyway, the big take away here is that writing with kids often means writing around kids, with kids, and inspired by the same kids who interrupt me. As much as my annoyance flares at them for wanting to tell me about the youtube video they are still watching with their headphones on while trying to tell me about it...I'm grateful to get to mom these two kiddos be they my interruption, inspiration, cheering section, snuggle monsters, whatever. That's my take on the writing parent.