Sometimes kids don’t have a lot of free time. They have school and homework and soccer practice and ballet lessons and camp and a million other things they are supposed to do. Grownups are the same. We have work to do and family to take care of and laundry and yardwork and meetings and errands.

If you want to be a writer, you have to have some time to play. Time by yourself, quietly doing whatever you feel like doing. Climb rocks. Gaze at clouds. Explore a new place. Draw or sing or dance without anyone else around who is going to make you worry that you’re not doing it right.