Life can really be a pain sometimes. Especially if you're a writer. Things like family and friends and work take precious time away from you being able to sit down with a warm cup of caffeine and create magnificent worlds filled with beloved characters. So, how do you deal with it all?
Frankly, I have no idea. I'm sure there's a right way to manage time, but I doubt I'm close to figuring it out. But you know what? That's okay.
Obviously, we'd all love to quit our day jobs and crank out bestselling novels at a leisurely pace, to the point where we make enough money to live in a cozy home with a large window where we can look out and see the seasons pass as we craft our books. Or something like that.
Hear my words: DO NOT QUIT YOUR DAY JOB.
Even if you manage to find an agent who gets you a great book deal, KEEP WORKING. Sure, it takes up a lot of time you'd rather spend writing, but unless you have an insane amount of luck, it will take a long time for your writing to earn you enough money to live off of. Even with large advances, publishers will pay it in increments. Of course, Stephen King and the other Top Shelfers can afford to not have a day job, but the reality is that most of us will not achieve that level. Yeah, I said "us", which includes me. It's not a dig at me writing ability (I'm not too shabby), but it's just how it is. It's like trying to be a successful musician or movie star. Luck lends more to fame and fortune than talent does.
But we aren't in it for the money, are we?
No, we do it because we love it. And the world needs us.
Family is a pretty big distractor too. Please do not misunderstand me for there is zero negativity in that. My family is my life. They are the ones I do this for. Well, and for me too but mostly them. But as a son, a husband, and a father, I have a lot of people who need me. I've lost count of how many times I've sat down to write and someone calls my name. It's fine, I am happy to be dependable for my family.
One would think my writing would suffer from those distractions. I don't really think it has. Yeah, I don't finish things very quickly (looking at you, sequel), but I make sure the work I do is my best.
Because at the end of the day, writing should be a low priority. Family should come first. Work is necessary to survive. Spending time with friends is good for the soul. But so is writing and creating. The trick, as always, is balance. Writing tends to get put off and rescheduled in my life, but I get irritable if I go too long without putting pen to paper. In some ways, it's a compulsion. I know writing is tied to my happiness, but so are the other things I mentioned. More so, in fact.
The key is that writing will wait for you. No judgement, no penalty, and no guilt. If you stop writing a story for a month, a year, or whatever, it will still be there when you decide to go back to it. Like a good friend, you can pick up right where you left off. It may take a little reading, but once you remember what your story was about, you can continue.
And that's the difference. You can't take a year off of work without consequences. You can't go a year without talking to your loved ones (or maybe you can...everyone's different and I don't judge). My point is, that writing is important, but not more than your real life. Seems silly to say it, but also necessary.
So be tolerant of the distractions of real life. No, embrace them. If you're writing and your child wants to show you something, click save and go see what they want to share with you. It will 100% be something innocuous like a partially transformed Optimus Prime but it will mean the world to them.
Your book will still be there when you get back.
Keep writing, my friends.
-Chris
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