I love my kids, really do, but this year spring break came at an awful time for me. I want to be as ready as I can for the PPWC Conference that starts on the 19th but with the break, Easter (dinner for 10 extra people at my house), visiting family, a party for my nine-year-old, a birthday party for my two-year-old, and my fourteenth wedding anniversary, well two weeks of spring break killed me. However, writing and my life need to balance because I plan on doing this as long as I can write. I also plan on living my life, too. And for me that means being involved with my kids, my husband, my friends, my family, running, reading, and all of my other interests.
The other day, I read a blog by author Jennifer Hillier that just had her first novel published and her second will be out this summer and this is what she had to say about her balancing act. “I’m doing the exact opposite of everything I did in 2011. And 2010. And 2009. And 2008. Because for the last four years, all I really did was write, read novels, write, Facebook, write, blog, write, tweet, write, read more novels, write, and write some more. I did not sleep that well. I did not eat that well. I did not work out much. I hardly spent any time with family or friends…. Everything I did centered around writing, and getting published, and STAYING PUBLISHED.” She explained that she was no longer happy living her life that way and that she needed to not make writing her whole life, but a part of it.
So how do I make it only a part? I think it takes being aware that sometimes I will have to sacrifice writing and sometimes I will have to sacrifice my life. It means I need to learn to tell people no and learn to tell my characters no. It means I need to use my writing time wisely (no unplanned internet surfing). It means when I’m spending time with my family, make it count (no texting, internet surfing, or getting so lost in my head that I space out and don’t know what is going on around me). So, these are the priorities that Jennifer’s blog reminded me that I need to adhere to more closely even if there is a looming deadline like PPWC, because there are always deadlines.
How do you balance your life and your writing/passion?
Like you…I am bad at balancing it. Or at least, on days when I work a real job I do.
I think/talk about my book too much. Part of the reason being that, without my book, I’m not certain how I’d have handled this past year of my life. Writing gave me a goal, and is something I’ve always dreamed of doing. I figured the cosmos had aligned to give me this time, so I could write my book. I had to believe that, because the other option was…I’m cursed.
So when my life starts needing tending to, it is hard for me to take off my writer hat and put on my husband/friend/whatever hat.
That said, since I’ve recently been working more, I needed a way to get some writing done, and the only way I could do it, was by blocking off time. Time for me to go back into that manuscript and edit. Some days, I didn’t even finish editing a page, but other times it worked well.
Since you have a deadline, it is harder for you. I often tell myself that when my life is demanding me, I should answer it’s call, because it will most likely spark something in my book. That said, I totally sat at my computer all holiday weekend, and avoided people. The product was good, as I got SEVERAL chapters edited, but I am certain I missed out on stuff.
Awesome that you finished several chapters!!! Congrats. I don’t think that you’ll look back on this weekend and regret whatever you missed. Good for you. BTW-did you get a job?
I got a contract job. So I still work from home, but theoretically, I will be working on stuff. I got all set up, but there is a delay in some paper work. So I’m not sure what is going on. It might turn out, I need to get back to hunting.
Congratulations and hopefully it will work out. It sounds like it might provide you the best of both worlds.
I hear you! I start my day at 6 and end at midnight or 1am. Keeping my balance in those hours takes a lot of concentration and a PLAN! I am constantly making notes and revisions of notes to prioritize what needs to get done. Somewhere in there I need to write too! My goal is keeping a forward momentum. Hope to run into you at the PPWC. Thanks for the post!
As of right now, I am planning on attending your seminar. I’m really looking forward to it and so is my sister. She is a high school chemistry teacher and is lucky enough to teach a forensic science class. I promised her that I would try and memorize your speech.