Like most authors I know, I work at other jobs in addition to writing fiction. I teach creative writing to kids every week through a local non-profit. I work as a consultant on college application essays. I work as a journalist, too, and this year I’ve been reporting and writing articles every month for Parade magazine. And I’m in the midst of writing my fourth novel.
And like everyone I know, I have family and community commitments on top of that. Sometimes juggling all this works out just fine, and other times I have days like the one I had last week, when I had to take my elderly mother to a two-hour dentist appointment, make several reporting calls for my latest journalism piece, meet with two anxious and overstressed high school seniors about their college essays, read chapters of two other authors’ WIPs for my critique group, try to find a tree expert to deal with the dead branch hanging like a sword of doom over our front walkway, etc. On those days, even feeding the cat seem like one responsibility too many. And it all feels like a vast conspiracy designed to push my current novel-in-progress down onto the lowest rung on the priority ladder. I know my agent wonders how in the world it can take 6 months to write 60 pages—heck, I wonder how in the world it can take 6 months to write 60 pages.
So this fall, when my youngest left home for college, I decided I’d try to yank my writing back up to its rightful place in my priorities. Here’s a bit of what I’ve learned:
Pay yourself first. This old adage about saving money—to take a bit of your paycheck and immediately deposit it in savings before paying any bills—also applies to writing. I even think about it that way. When I get up in the morning I try to “pay myself” by spending an hour or two writing before I tackle other work and obligations. If I can’t squeeze it in, I remind myself that I haven’t “paid myself” yet today. For me, something about the psychology of thinking about my writing time as something I’m doing FOR myself instead of another thing I’m supposed to do helps enormously.
Take what you need. One of the best things about being a writer is that everything you do and observe is a part of your creative work. Your life fuels your fiction, no matter what your job or genre. That coffee shop I worked in for a year became the setting for my first novel; my experiences making lattes and getting to know customers became the experiences of my main character. The simple fairy tales and fables we played with in the kids’ writing class I taught helped me figure out how to tell the arc of a character’s life in my second novel. I got one of my favorite lines of dialogue ever from the landscaper who came three years ago to do some work in my yard and it went straight into another novel. Your other jobs are part of your work as an author, not separate from it.
Make it your meditation. I’ve never been very successful at daily meditation. But over the last few months, I’ve set aside 5-10 minutes before bed to just sit and think about my novel. I close my eyes and allow my mind to enter the fictional world I’m creating and wander. If I start to think about specific problems—should I go back and fix that awkward dialogue in Chapter Two? Does my main character come across as too self-absorbed in the opening pages?—I try to gently bring my mind back to just wandering. I imagine myself sitting in the sun on a train platform in a sleepy little Adirondack town in late September with my main character. I try to smell the sweet, sharp tang of balsam fir, feel the crispness of the fall air, hear the cry of a hawk or a gull overhead. I sit with her and feel what she’s feeling. And all the other stuff—the three other jobs, my mom’s doctor appointments, the errands and responsibilities that fill my to-do list—drops away. I don’t know if this is improving my writing, but it’s sure improving my mood.
How do you juggle your writing with your life?
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About Kathleen McCleary
Kathleen McCleary is the author of three novels—House and Home, A Simple Thing, and Leaving Haven—and has worked as a bookseller, bartender, and barista (all great jobs for gathering material for fiction). A Simple Thing (HarperCollins 2012) was nominated for the Library of Virginia Literary Awards. She was a journalist for many years before turning to fiction, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, and USA Weekend, as well as HGTV.com, where she was a regular columnist. She taught writing as an adjunct professor at American University in Washington, D.C., and teaches creative writing to kids ages 8-18 as an instructor with Writopia Labs, a non-profit. She also offers college essay coaching (http://thenobleapp.com), because she believes that life is stressful enough and telling stories of any kind should be exciting and fun. When she's not writing or coaching writing, she looks for any excuse to get out into the woods or mountains or onto a lake. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband and two daughters and Jinx the cat.
I had a boss who I complained to about all the work he kept dumping onto my desk. His response was, “If you want a job done, give it to a busy person.”
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It’s funny how that works, isn’t it Jeralyn? I know I get more done when I’m busy than when I have too much free time.
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Pay yourself. Love that concept! Thanks for the affirmation of what I’m struggling to do in my own juggling act.
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Thanks, Carol. Most everyone I know is in a juggling act. Helps to know we’re all juggling together!
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Thank you so much, Kathleen, for this encouraging and helpful blog. I think I’m going to find all three points helpful. :-)
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Glad it resonated with you, Pearl. Thanks for commenting.
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Kathleen-
Yes! This is exactly how I balance the demands of my life. I pay myself with writing time every day, at least an hour. I do that first thing. I then never feel deprived or depressed.
I don’t think of myself as taking, but of the world as giving me what I need for my story. That happens every day. Everything feeds in, directly and immediately.
My meditation process is a little different than yours. If I am wrestling with a story problem, I find that deliberate thought often doesn’t lead me to the solution. The unconscious mind needs to work on it. I then make space (walking, working out) for my mind to bubble up what it needs to tell me.
This is such an affirming post, especially from one with your busy life and writing success. Thanks!
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Thanks, Benjamin. I love the idea of reframing taking what you need from your life as having your life “give” you what you need for your story. Great suggestion!
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As usual, Ms. McCleary! This is the kind of practical advice that doubles as encouragement, when you find yourself doing the same thing already. How happy I am that I learned to juggle- it was for a Shakespeare rep company! Wait, too literal?
I am a HUGE advocate of paying oneself- my problem is, just like my day job, the checks only come in about twice a month. And just before bed (actually IN bed) is when the best thoughts about my tales arise and clarify in just the way you described. I sort of sing myself to sleep with them.
On the other hand, most of what you say about drawing on the Alleged Real world, as a help to me particularly- not so much! But two of three is Hall of Fame pace in baseball.
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Hey, Will! I, too, “sing” myself to sleep with my stories. Good way to put it. And I can’t believe that the real world doesn’t make it into your fiction. Surely there’s a wise man in the Lands who imparts knowledge and wisdom to others? Sounds like teaching to me!
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Excellent advice, Kathleen! I’m always amazed that authors can even function in a “normal” life while pumping out great books that take so many hours to write. I just assume authors don’t sleep. ;)
I had the pleasure of listening to you speak at the Wine & Words event in Minnesota in August, bought your book, LEAVING HAVEN, and absolutely loved it!
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Wine & Words was hands down the best event I’ve done. I LOVED meeting the passionate readers who attended, the amazing authors who were there, and supporting the public library, too. Thanks for buying the book; I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed it. Nice to find you here on WU.
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Yep, they say the same thing at my son’s school: If you want something done give it to a busy person. :)
Meditating has helped me on so many levels, especially with my writing and creativity. When you’re silent enough you can hear the quiet internal voices.
Thank for this post!
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Very true that you need to be silent enough to hear the internal voices. Good way to put it. Thanks, K.L.
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I put the fiction writing on my daily task list along with the other tasks, and try not to put so many non-writing tasks on there that they push out the writing. I use Asana to keep track of ALL the tasks and projects so they don’t get lost, and to prioritize what needs to be done.
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Sounds like you’ve given it a lot of thought, Jane, and are smart about prioritizing. That has taken me YEARS to learn. I’m going to check out Asana; thanks for the tip!
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I prefer to have large chunks of time to write. I used to write all day Wednesdays and Saturdays until I promised myself I would post on my blog every day. Somehow it replaced hours of writing time. Thanks, Kathleen. This post inspires me to get back on track.
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I much prefer large chunks of writing time, too. The problem is I was always waiting to find that large chunk and never getting anything done. So now I make do with little chunks. ;-)
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This is wonderful advice, Kathleen. My favorite part: “Your other jobs are part of your work as an author, not separate from it.”
Exactly.
Dee Willson
Author of A Keeper’s Truth and GOT
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Everything is fuel for fiction, Denise. Thanks for your comment.
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I love the idea of meditating about your book. It seems like it would be a great way to think big picture about your book, activating your brain outside of the process of getting words on the paper. Thanks for the post!
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Oh my goodness, I needed to hear the Pay Yourself First advice. I’ve been struggling badly with ALL THE TO DO STUFF for months and the writing has been painfully slow. I keep telling myself not to get sucked in every morning but so often it’s urgent and has deadlines, too. Paying Myself is a great way to look at it. The rest can wait until later in the day. Thank you!
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Great post. In my writing life, I think of the natural rhythms of day and night as a cycle between activity and passivity. I’m happiest when I make myself be active as early as possible–neither avoiding the writing, nor trying to force it, but rather just opening my laptop during my 45-minute train commute and tuning out the hustle and bustle and seeing what I can get down. The advantage of writing to time (rather than word count) is that the ideas percolate a little longer; I often have to stop a scene half-finished, and sometimes I only have a few sentences down, but I have the rest of the day to let that stuff percolate. (Yes, I’d LOOVE more writing time, but that’s not realistic right now.)
Also, I think there are three things you have to do pretty much every day: writing, promoting, and reading. And that’s the proper order for them, for me–active to passive. But I make it a point to take Sundays off–that resets the clock and actually leaves me very eager and energized Monday morning.
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I am fortunate to be able to write almost every day–usually in the afternoon. But if I don’t get my time in my characters are with me while I read late at night or try to fall asleep. I keep a note pad near me always as the story is part of my life right now. Great post Kathleen and thank you.
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I spend my early hours each morning doing some rather mindless things such as my daily exercise routine, meal preparation, cleaning out a closet, etc. Those mundane tasks leave my creative brain cells time to ponder the next writing challenge and how to tackle it.
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Juggling writing among everything is else is pretty hard, especially now that I am running two blogs, a youtube channel, and am dealing with school as well as mini jobs. Writing and editing can sometimes take the backburner, but I don’t want it to be that way. I am going to try and wake up early and set time out for myself for writing. And seeing as Nano is ongoing, it is the best time for me to learn to do so!
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