22 Jan

Still living, writing and moving

Posted by joannejohnson in Uncategorized.

I’ve had a lots of changes that have taken us back to Ohio (cue Chrissy Hines). Life’s been crazy busy but you can still find me at www.fromthemixedupfiles. That’s where I spend most of my blogging energy. I’m still writing and getting closer and closer to the next step with every submission. I’m thankful for Quinlan, my agent and her continued encouragement. My new day job is jam-packed with ideas and better yet, I LOVE the kiddos I get to work with each day. My own little people aren’t so little anymore and I’m so proud of how they are handling the complete about-face we had to make as a family. Overall, life is good.

And whatever happens I Write, right?

2 Nov

The Neglected Blog

Posted by joannejohnson in Uncategorized.

If you’ve happened upon this little corner of cyberspace, you may have found my dust-covered, yellowed blog. This is still a great place to get a feel for who I am and what I write so feel free to take a moment and look around. It’s short and sweet and not very complicated–which is a lot like it’s creater, except I’m not really all that short, only a tiny bit sweet and am extremely complicated. 

If you’d like to see where I’m spending my blogging time, cruise on over to www.fromthemixedupfiles.com where I am participating with a wonderful group of writers in a group blog all about middle-grade books. My focus is the Kid’s Page and I’d love some feedback–let me know what you think.

So, since I’m practicing what I’ve been preaching (time management and priorizing if you’ve been paying attention!), this blog will be a quiet place.  I’ll update it as I am able and I hope to get more regular in my posts here as I get used to my much-loved, but overwhelming new job. In the meantime, be sure to follow the Mixed-up Authors.  I’ll be there.

16 Jun

Real or imaginary?

Posted by joannejohnson in about me, miscellaneous, thoughts, work-life balance.

I often refer to my real life vs. my writing life.

It’s really not a good description but it’s the best one I have for now. My real life is a three-dimensional, loud, messy combobulation of people, schedules, cleaning, cooking, laundry, work, budgets, parenting and marriage. It’s boundries are unclear and constantly changing. It requires juggling, quick thinking and the flexibility of a Russian acrobat. I love it.

I love the people in my life, who are growing, changing, learning and require constant feeding, chasing after, cleaning up behind and most importantly, unconditional loving in the midst of realistic expectations. I love my extended family, friends, patients and co-workers whose lives have intersected with mine each in a unique way. I love the tenacity I see when my kids struggle to learn a new skill, my husband works as he’s recovering from a surprise health issue, my patients adapting as they deal with an unexpected turn. Real life is messy.

In the midst of the wonderful chaos of human behavior and life experience,  I try to control the whirlwind but can only really lasso a tiny piece.  But if I listen beneath the noise, there lives my inner life. That’s where the core of Joanne resides, including my writer self. It’s like the processor on a computer that analyzes a large amount of what appears to be completely unrelated data and recognizes a relationship, a pattern or a common thread. In the middle of what appears random, my inner life, which includes my spiritual life, my hopes, dreams, thoughts, visions and yes, even unwritten books, chugs along. That’s where my ability to overcome obstacles lives. My ability to see a hopeful end to a difficult challenge. My sense of humor which is sometimes warped but always welcome (by me). My inner life is every bit as real as my “real life” though it is unseen. It is the framework on which my real life’s foundation is built.

So when I say I’m trying to write in the midst of my real life, I think I’m really saying, I’m searching for opportunities, ideas, threads, connections and meaning plus the time to develop those things into an idea worth pursuing. Without the influence of my real (and somewhat messy) life, my inner self would be empty–and not in a good way.

I’m striving to balance real life and writing (and all my other inner endeavours) so that I am a whole, balanced, healthy and happy person no matter what life’s circumstances or my success or failure as a published writer.

How do you balance your inner and outer self in a way that is meaningful and satisfying and how does that influence your writing?

9 Jun

Interview with YA author, Maggie Stiefvater

Posted by joannejohnson in author interview, organization, time management, work-life balance. Tagged: , , , , .

I am excited to continue my new series of interviews with authors on balancing real life with writing.  Maybe that’s because I have had such positive response from authors willing to share their experiences. Or because today’s interview is with bestselling YA author, Maggie Stiefvater. Maggie’s books include SHIVER, LAMENT, BALLAD and the soon-to-be-released LINGER.  She has been on the bestseller list for over thirty weeks, has sold eight books in over thirty countries and is now a full-time writer which qualifies her as a writing rock star in my book. For more about her, check out http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com.  I especially love her post, How to be a Neurotic Professional Author. Maggie obviously has a lot to juggle and I’m so thankful that she’s included my blog on her list. She understands the struggle and I am glad she’s generous enough to share what she’s learned. 

Joanne:  Thanks so much for stopping by Write, Right? You weren’t always a full-time, best-selling professional writer. What was your day job when you were starting out?

Maggie: I was a professional portrait artist. 
 

Joanne:  I’m not surprised that it was another creative venture. How many hours did you work in a typical week when you worked as a portrait artist?

Maggie: It’s pretty grueling to make a living as an artist. I would often pull twelve- hour days, every day. Nowadays I’m afraid to say that I’ve been pulling those same sort of hours again, but I’m hoping to cut down on it by eliminating some of my e-mail workload (I had been trying to answer every single reader e-mail and with 4,000 of them a month, it was getting impossible).
 

Joanne:  I appreciate your efforts with the e-mails but clearly something had to give. What is your favorite tip for balancing writing with your daily life?

Maggie: Regret. If you don’t do A instead of B, how long will you regret it for? That hour? That day? That week? At some point, the scale tips and you have established your priorities either way.
 

Joanne: That’s a great way to measure what sometimes seems immeasurable. How long did you work a day job and write?

 Maggie: I stopped being an artist a few months after we sold SHIVER. I had sold two other books before that but hadn’t been able to quit, so I was working both jobs for . . . probably almost two years.
 

Joanne: That’s really useful information to hear. It helps me to continue to strive to find a balance emotionally between the enjoyment I get from writing and my love of my day job. Balancing the two is likely to be a long-term or permanent issue. What are some of the factors that you used to determine when writing full-time became a viable option for you?

 Maggie: 1. If you know what your income will look like for the next three years — whether through advance payments or royalty statements.

2. If you can replace your income. My husband and I were used to making it on a very low income (he was a cop), so the amount I had to make with my writing was not as large as it might be for some people.

3. If you can find a way to pay for your health insurance. My husband’s job provided ours.
 

Joanne: Those are great points. Everyone has to look at his/her own situation and determine what will work. With as busy as you are, how do you make time for family, friends and other hobbies?

 Maggie: Very careful scheduling and a jackhammer.
 

Joanne: Ha! I hear that! Is there anything positive that this crazy lifestyle (working a day job plus writing) brings to your writing?

 Maggie: When I worked both jobs, I was very focused with my time because I had to be. I got my first novel done working on Wednesdays for two hours. Because I had to. It makes it exceptionally sweet when you can quit! 
 

Joanne: Improving my focus is what these blog interviews and this series on time management is all about. But there are a lot of balls to juggle with life, work, family and writing. What is your favorite way to de-stress when it gets overwhelming?

 Maggie: Listening to music or going to the movies. Or getting outside for a walk. Someplace away from the buzz of the computer.

Joanne:  Back to the double-edged sword of the computer. I think my family thinks my laptop is permanently attached to my lap, so I’m definitely working on streamlining the computer/online thing. But how do you have time to market your books while working and writing?

 Maggie: Because this is often my real job. I will usually spend more time on this than writing — because after all, my writing can fit into small slots of time — something I already knew from doing it while I was working fulltime at another job.
 

Joanne: What is your favorite resource for writers trying to balance life?

Maggie: No regrets. The writing life is just too unstable to be doing it unless you’re loving it, unless it is more joy than pain.

Joanne: Yes! That’s what keeps me going while working and carting the kids all over.  It’s the love of creating memorable characters and the stories they have to tell. Your comments are encouraging to me and many other writers who aren’t yet seeing the outward results. Thanks for the reminder about why we do this and for taking the time to share your experience and wisdom about the writer’s journey.

 Maggie:  You’re welcome.

 Be sure to check out Maggie’s blog and her books. Maggie is a great example of reaching a hand forward toward her goals and backward to help those who are behind her in the process. Thanks again to YA author, Maggie Steifvater for her time and expertise.

 Don’t forget to check out http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/ for more information for and about writers and readers of middle-grade books. My post, Tales of a Fourth Grade Reader is up today plus you can enter to win a signed book to add to your library.

6 Jun

New Blog focused on MG: From the Mixed-Up Files

Posted by joannejohnson in books, From the Mixed-Up Files blog, news, thoughts, time management.

I’m using this opportunity to continue my goal of streamlining my life with a focus on my writing goals.  So today I’m proud to unveil a little of what I’ve been up to.

I have joined a group of writers of middle grade children’s books to create a unique blog and website focused on the golden age of readers. Elissa Cruz, our fearless leader and fellow writer of boy-friendly books posted the Welcome on our formal unveiling today.  By luck-of-the-draw, my post, Tales of a Fourth Grade Reader will be the first offical topical post on this new blog!  Yikes!  Stop by at www.fromthemixedupfiles.com to check it out. Then stop by again on Wednesday to read my post. There are so many talented writers and illustrators who have combined efforts. I’m exicted to be part of such an innovative bunch.

 Do you have a favorite book for ten-year olds? What was your favorite when you were ten? Check it out and join in the discussion. You can also enter to win a signed middle-grade book to add to your library.

In addition to my participation as a Mixed-up Author (which is also an extremely appropriate title for me personally!), I am taking the opportunity to connect my personal writing blog, Write, Right? to my Facebook account. For those of my FB friends who know me from school, work, church or my nomadic years, you might not know that in addition to my mixed-up life as an occupational therapist and soccer mom, I write children’s books. I am thrilled to be represented by Quinlan Lee of Adams Literary. 

So part of my current goal is to connect my online connections, so to speak. If you are a FB friend and aren’t interested in this aspect of my life, my feelings won’t be hurt if you ignore my writing related posts or links.  But if you are interested as a reader of children’s books, a parent, grandparent, teacher, librarian, fellow writer or anyone else who loves books for middle-grade readers (8-12 year olds), please join in and read, comment and link. Feel free to tell others–especially about the Mixed-Up Files. As with the Mixed-Up Files, all comments need to be appropriate for all ages. Thanks!

Over recent years, there has been a huge emphasis on young adult books (think Twilight).  In previous years, picture books were the focus. The writers From the Mixed-Up Files are interested in creating the kind of enthusiasm for middle grade books that we’ve witnessed with young adult and picture books.  After all, middle-grade is the time where children transition from learning to read to loving to read. Strong readers impact every academic subject and become informed citizens. Help spread the word about From the Mixed-Up Files and our love of middle-grade books and the children who read them.

Write, Right?, my personal blog is  focused on my writing with some slices of life and other miscellaneous observations thrown in. Currently my focus is on time management and organization in life and writing (and NOT because I’m an expert!). Feel free to check in, comment or shake some sense into me. Wednesday’s post is a much awaited interview with rockstar YA author, Maggie Stiefvater, author of SHIVER, LAMENT and the soon-to-be released LINGER.  Maggie is stopping by to share her wisdom about the writing/real life juggling act which is no small feat given her aforementioned rock star status! But you’ll find her to be as down-to-earth as her faeries are homicidal. I’m excited for you to be as inspired as I have been by her advice. Check out my previous interview with Cyn Balog at http://joanneprushingjohnson.com/2010/04/02/257/ and check back for future interviews with authors balancing writing and life.

Thanks to my loyal friends and family, writer pals, critique partners and my agent who have kept me encouraged and moving forward with my writing in spite of the crazyness that has been my life recently. Writing is a great outlet and way less expensive than a psychotherapist!

9 May

Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Me and Never Asked

Posted by joannejohnson in Uncategorized.

I have some exciting writing news coming up and a crazy life right now, so I am revisiting a couple of old “about me” type posts over the next week. I didn’t sell a book, but good writing news isn’t always about book sales. It’s also about generating excitement for the children’s books we love. My upcoming news fits in that file.

Until then, enjoy this early blog post and get to know a little more about me. I’ll get back to discussing writing and organization and am anticipating a few more writer interviews, so stay tuned. In the meantime . . .

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Me and Never Asked

1. My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird.

2. I am seriously (and unapologetically) addicted to coffee and diet coke.

3. I met my husband on vacation in Jamaica (cool huh?). That was sixteen years and four boys ago. 

4. I have an enormous dog that looks a lot like a Golden Retriever but weighs about twice what a normal Golden Retriever should weigh (like about 140 lbs.). We adoped him from the Humane Society so his past is sketchy but he vehemently denies taking steroids.

5. I know way too much about sports for a formerly somewhat uncoordinated and definitely unathletic girl.  That’s a side effect of having four boys.  I also know enough about video games to get a few weird looks at Game Stop. Which is kind of scary. Getting weird looks at Game Stop, I mean.

6. My favorite spice is curry.  It is also one of my favorite colors. I also seriously love cumin and actually painted our living room that color. Yum. (Okay–my husband did the painting. Oh, he picked the color too.  But it was because I liked it. Honestly.)

7. We moved two times in three years from Ohio to Minnesota to Nebraska.  I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder in a green minivan. 

8. I like to cook which is a good thing since my sons don’t say “Hi Mom,” but say “What’s for dinner?” or “Did you bring anything home to eat?” I’m fast at cooking too which is also a good thing since the boys say, “How much longer?” and “How many more minutes?” and “Should I eat a small snack or a bigger snack?”  But I hate cleaning up which is a good thing because I married a neat freak. 

9. I am very good at procrastinating. If you ever need any help in this department, feel free to contact me.  I am an expert.

10.  I really only had nine things but I have a tiny bit of a compulsive streak which probably surprises you by now, but ten is a nice even number.  Admit it.  You’d have been irked if I’d have stopped at nine.

26 Apr

Practicing what I’m preaching!

Posted by joannejohnson in books, miscellaneous, news, organization, overcoming procrastination, thoughts, time management, Uncategorized, work-life balance.

I’ve been gone but I’m not apologizing! I’ll tell you why.

Since I’ve started writing about the work/life balance conundrum, I’ve taken a little time to be reflective. Very little time since the end of the school year, plus multiple soccer teams, concerts, school events have thrown a wrench into my barely functioning schedule. But it’s still basically working.

This is what I’ve accomplished since I was last here
1. Spent some serious time reflecting and pursuing a way to make the time I spend on the day job match the rest of my life in a more manageable way. More about that later but let’s just say, I’m smiling.

2. Been working with a group of like-minded MG authors on a group blog celebrating MG books. I’ll post a link once we are up and running, but it’s going to be exceptionally cool.

3. Been in contact with agent regarding plans for current submission. Lots of ideas rolling around there–that’s when it’s good to take a walk.

4. Speaking of walking, in my last post I mentioned it and while on a series of soccer practice walks I plotted the end of my WIP and then FINISHED IT! I’m beyond psyched about this!

5. Finished reading Stephen King’s ON WRITING and am working on Bell’s PLOT AND STRUCTURE in light of my upcoming revision process.

6. Continued with my two newer critique groups–one in person and one online–both helpful with the motivation to finish above noted WIP.

7. Volunteered at the Reading and Arts Festival at my children’s school. Blog post coming about that at some point. Very cool.

Now, we have been slow at work which has freed up a few hours each week. But I also have had two completely full weekends of soccer and a ill husband, both of which have made significant changes in our daily routine. I haven’t read for fun, watched much TV, talked on the phone or spent much time online (except related to upcoming blog, crit group and email checking). This is not a pace I can maintain, but I’m putting a framework together that hopefully will support the flexible continuation of these writing tasks while still making sure my primary life responsibilities and joys are focused on.

So, I’ll try not to let this slide too much because I’m hoping to pick up some ideas or inspiration from other folks and I still have a couple of upcoming author interviews to look forward to.

When do you find it okay to put some tasks aside in order to focus intensely on the completion of other tasks? For me, it helps with a sense of accomplishment like drawing lines through my to-do list. Does it help or hinder you?

9 Apr

What should I next? Indecision and Setting Priorities

Posted by joannejohnson in organization, overcoming procrastination, thoughts, time management, work-life balance, writing process.

Next on the list of roadblocks to getting things done is indecision and priority confusion. Personally they are so closely related they could be the same. Indecisions affects one’s ability to prioritize. (What to do next? I can’t decide.)

Prioritizing is what I’m focused on right now. Thus the fewer posts this week. We just started a new schedule this and in respect of my sanity (or lack of), only the basics remained in place for this first week. Busy, busy week meant something had to give and if it didn’t relate to larger priorities (bill paying or wage earning and the issues surrounding that, basic laundry/food tasks and the constant run of kids to school and their after school activities) it didn’t get done this week. Oh well. Life goes on.

So what about writing? Surprisingly, writing happened. I seriously cut internet and TV time this week (which isn’t all that much to begin with, but a minute is a minute, right?). Blogging didn’t happen (until today). Critiquing didn’t happen (until today). But writing happened. It happened instead of. I couldn’t do it with all the regular stuff crammed in, but I wrote instead of reading before bed two nights. I wrote instead of getting online. It wasn’t a lot but in the midst, I was able to squeeze in about 1500 words and do a first revision of two or so chapters. And I still read. I read instead of television. I read instead of socializing during the kid’s practices.

Now I don’t want to do that all the time. I want to get on the internet. Some. And watch a little TV. And keep my house basically clean. And read. And socialize. And exercise. And write. And . . . and. . . and. . .

But some weeks are like this one. But I actually inspired myself! (Let’s see if I stick with it!) I thought, “If I found time to write, I can walk, too. I walked while one son had soccer practice. I brought the little one’s scooter so I could walk a reasonable speed. If I do this, I can even walk on my busiest days. I’m going to try.

So, for me, priority confusion and indecision come down to looking at tasks and deciding if the task that is on my to-do list reflects what I say is important to me. Or can it wait. Or be deleted all together. It’s an ongoing battle. Some weeks are like this one. In fact, most weeks are like this one. Have I committed myself to my core values in the midst of a busy schedule? Sometimes, busy weeks are good for sifting out that which really doesn’t matter.

How do you prioritize a hundred tasks when you only have time for fifty? I’d love to hear someone else’s strategies!

2 Apr

Author Interview: Cyn Balog

Posted by joannejohnson in author interview, time management.

And now it’s time to get some inspiration from someone who’s balanced writing with working outside of the home and also at home with little ones. That’s tough. But not only has she succeeded, she’s sold four, count ‘em FOUR books to Delacorte Press. I’m so happy to have Cyn Balog stopping by!

Cyn Balog is the author of YA paranormal books with humor and romance. Her first novel, FAIRYTALE, was published by Delacorte Press in 2007 and recently became a finalist in the YA category of the RITAs (Romance Writer’s of America Award for best published fiction). She is also the author of SLEEPLESS (2010) and GIMME FEVER (2011). She recently sold her fourth book, TOUCHED, to Delecorte Press. That book is scheduled for release in 2012. That’s a pretty awesome track record! You can find Cyn online at http://cynbalog.com.

Cyn kindly agreed to share her expertise and experience with balancing the day job and writing. She’s also a wife and parent, so she’s got lots going on. Cyn’s got a great perspective about the whole work/life juggling act. Thanks to Cyn for stopping by.

Joanne: What was your day job?
Cyn: My day job was working as a manager of an events marketing group for a popular running and cycling magazine. But I was laid off when I was 8 months pregnant last year. It’s difficult to search for a new job with a new baby, especially one with the flexibility I would need.

Joanne: Absolutely. How many hours did you work in a typical week prior to the layoff? Cyn: I had the typical 40-hour a week job.

Joanne: What is your favorite tip for balancing writing with your daily life?
Cyn: I actually found it was easier to write with a day-job. Now I am at the mercy of the kids’ schedules. Before, with my daughter in daycare, I would carve out my half-hour lunch period to write.

Joanne: I think managing the kid’s schedules can be harder than anything I do at work—especially when they are little like yours! Do you hope to not return to a day job?
Cyn: I would love not to have to look for a new job, but the state of our finances doesn’t permit that. Right now I am taking my time finding a new job and the income from my books is helping me to do that, but the unfortunate thing with writing novels for a living is that it’s not a stable career. I am fully aware that I might never write another publishable novel again.

Joanne: I doubt that you need to worry about that! You are on fire. But I understand the need for a stable income. What would be the factors that you would use to determine if quitting is a viable option?
Cyn: Three words: Seven Figure Advance.

Joanne: Ha! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you on that! Or a movie deal! With all that going on how do you make time for family, friends and other hobbies?
Cyn: My husband works 80 hours a week so I don’t really have friends or other hobbies. My time is devoted solely to my kids and to my writing career.

Joanne: I hear that! I’m trying my best to keep crazy spouse schedule + crazy kids’ schedule from equaling crazy mom. Is there anything positive that this busy lifestyle brings to your writing?
Cyn: As I said, I found it easier to write while working a day job because my time was regimented. It’s much more difficult being home with kids. Well, they say the grass is always greener. I used to think writing and working full-time while having kids was the hardest thing I could possibly do.

Joanne: I agree that whatever your unique situation, it’s a challenge. It’s hard not to envy others. I’m trying to teach myself to write in the midst and not wait for the perfect time, What is your favorite way to de-stress when it gets overwhelming?
Cyn: I always remind myself that first, writing was always my hobby. It was always my release when life got too stressful. So I open up a new document (not the one that I’m working on), and start writing something new.

Joanne: How do you have time to market your books while working and writing?
Cyn: I try. I told my husband that if I wanted to, there would be something available for me to do every weekend to market my book. But that’s just not feasible in my situation, since I have nobody to watch my kids. I maybe go to one signing every few months. And I don’t do very much online; mostly I rely on the internet as a means of getting information on the business and for networking with other writers.

Joanne: The internet can definitely be a double-edged sword when time is limited. What is your favorite resource for writers trying to balance life?
Cyn: Just keep swimming.

Thanks so much Cyn for taking time out of her busy life to inspire others trying to balance writing with our other responsibilities. Thanks also for reminding me to enjoy the green grass wherever I am in my writing journey.

Next week, I plan to continue my battle against the forces of procrastination and disorganization. Keep watching, there will be more authors sharing their wisdom in upcoming posts.

28 Mar

Microwaves, Playdoh, Slinkys and Post-it notes

Posted by joannejohnson in about me, miscellaneous, overcoming procrastination, thoughts, Uncategorized, writing process.

I’ve been out of town for spring break and since I’m taking my own advice about balancing life and writing, I haven’t posted. But now I’m back and still thinking about my ongoing struggle with trying to fit 30 hours of tasks into a 24 hour day.

Last post, I cited an article that noted eleven reasons for procrastinating. We are now discussing reason two: Perfectionism. Perfectionism is especially hard for writers because we are always seeking acceptance for our work and being met with rejection over and over again.

Perfectionism’s relationship to procrastination is like my inner five year old thinking “if I can’t do it perfectly, then I won’t do it at all.” And it’s just about as rational. The scary thing is that perfectionistic thinking actually reduces creativity and innovation. The perfectionistic frame of mind is not adaptive. It’s self-absorbed. Now that’s some serious motivation to looking at how perfectionism interferes with writing. Squelching our creative juices is counterproductive by leading to procrastination or inflexible thinking. Yikes.

My nine year old plays soccer and his league is trying something new. American soccer players who made it to the World Cup were interviewed and they said that the biggest problem they have in facing opponents from other countries is not athleticism, strength or speed. It’s creativity. Creating new moves, footwork and plays is the difference between advancing and not advancing at the highest level of the sport. So the league is trying a new format that reduces the adult’s focus on games and scoring. The idea is to get the younger kids more involved in the game to increase the focus on individual creativity on the ball, foot skills and individual decision making vs. pleasing a coach or parents. The goal is to improve the club and the individual players’ overall performance as the children develop instead of increasing their reliance on a fixed set of plays as instructed by their coach.

After the parent meeting, it struck me that creative thinking is needed in for success in every aspect of life. Humans learn through error and when we don’t allow ourselves the freedom to do so, we hinder our opportunities to learn and create. That lack of creative experimentation can limit our success. We rely on the same old ineffective bag of tricks.

What do microwave ovens, Playdoh, Slinkys and Post-it notes have in common? They were created by mistake with spectcular results.

So as writers, what can we do to minimize the negative effects of perfectionism and it’s chokehold on the creative process?

Here are three ideas.
1. Release yourself to write badly: Recognize that a first draft will contain good, bad and indifferent portions and accept it as part of the process. That’s why we have “delete,” “cut,” and “save as” functions on our computers.

2. Accept that there will be many things that interrupt our ideal writing situations. We can choose to be flexible and adapt and write in spite of life’s imperfections around us. I’m learning to write in the midst of my somewhat chaotic life. It would be fantastic to carve out large chunks of quiet time, but that’s not my reality. Others might be able to get a babysitter or use nap times. Some people might get up early or stay up late. Each person’s unique situation requires a unique response. Accepting it and adapting helps me from procrastinating “until.”

3. Enjoy the process. Focusing too much on the end product can take the fun out of the process. Rewarding myself for small achievements can help me to feel like my writing is a break from other aspects of my life. It makes it even more enjoyable. If I only focus on the fact that I still need to write 15,000 words to finish my first draft, I miss the pleasure of creating an unexpected scene or making myself laugh through the antics of my character. It’s not perfection, but it’s a step forward in the process of completion which is way more important in the scheme of things.

What do you do to avoid perfectionism’s clutch on your creative process?

Coming soon–We’ll talk with professional writers (you’ll be so excited when you see who’s stopping by!) about their tricks to juggling writing with the day job/responsibilities. I can’t wait. Until then, let’s keep brainstorming about how to manage the challenges of a busy life while actually finishing a writing project.

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