I'm a pro at juggling several jobs and responsibilties... or so I thought. I know I need to take a short break since turning in my latest book. I know I need to refill the creative well. I have managed to read three books in the past four days, and started another last night. Reading for pleasure. This morning I'm having breakast with two friends that I haven't seen in two months. Tomorrow night I'm going to a movie with Vincent. Yesterday, I deep cleaned two rooms downstairs. Not fun, but very much needed. It's been less than a week since I turned in my latest book. There are several non-writing related things I'd like to do... like resting my brain.  But new deadlines loom and I wonder... how am I going to find balance in refilling and dipping into my creative well. 

I'm contracted to write two books a year for the next couple of years. One historical, one contemporary. This means I have to adjust and get my brain in a specific zone--time zone, that is. Only it's not clear cut. I'll be doing revisions, perhaps extensive, on the contemporary while trying to write first draft of the historical. I also have a contemporary proposal due, a whole new story, that factors into this same time frame. More dipping into the well. Five months from now it will be all of the above only flipped. Oh, then there's the whole promotion thing. 

I know other writers face this same challenge. There are writers who write four books a year! I can't imagine. So I know it can be done. Being the workaholic I am, I know I'll get it done. That's not the question. The question is how to get it done in addition to relaxing and rejuvinating. One must live life to write about it.

I need balance.  I'm not sure how to achieve it, but believe you me, I'm searching. In a recent interview, I was asked "What is your writing routine?" My answer: "I don't have one."  Maybe that's it. Maybe I need a routine. 

How do you balance work and pleasure?            

Hi Beth! I don't have a set routine either. Pressure has always been my greatest motivator (not to mention the pure fear of not making a deadline). I find that if I have time to waste, I waste it. But when I'm pressed for time, I tend to get my butt in gear and get the job done.

Hi Lisa! Nice to see you here. Hmm. We sound like peas in a pod. LOL Big ol' DITTO! So where and how do you squeeze in play-time? Or don't you?

Hmmm, B, is this where I should remind you again that, to some extent, chaos is your writing routine? For some reason, when you have all cylinders firing in your hectic life, it seems to stimulate your creative energy, too. On my end, I don't have trouble balancing, I just have trouble finding writing time when I'm not tired from the day job and other responsibilities. Hard to write when my eyes want to cross and my head hurts. Yikes, I sound like I'm whining, and I shouldn't. I need to establish a better routine of making myself sit down to write when I DO have time and am not worn out from the day.

The only sure balance I know for myself is that, if I do not work, I cannot have pleasure. I feel too guilty, like life is blurring by me and I'm losing time and ground. However, I am also the kind of person that does need down time. I get very, very cranky when I can't breathe. I think my balance depends on my frame of mind in the moment. If I need a little more rest, I have to give myself permission to take it. If I don't need rest, then it's time to work. I definitely have my routine down for writing in the morning. It's the evening I'm trying to get kick-started. Like Mary, sometimes I'm just tired and burnt from the work day and can't do it. I look forward to being out of bookkeeping class too! I have learned later in my life that I do need to be busy, but I can only juggle so much. Hence, I don't think I make a good assistant anymore. :-)

Hang in there, B! We're all here for you!

Hugs, C

Routine, Schmootine. I learned early on when I had my child, routines are for whacks. :-D As much as I tried to get into one--since they are supposed to be good for children--the kiddo always managed to mess it up. Which also meant MY writing *routine" got screwed up.

Just find your RYTHMN (or flow). Find ways of getting into the rythmn at the drop of a hat--and guess what? You will write faster and more on target with the final voice of the book.

This very idea, has allowed me to write 12 pages in a sitting (as compared to 2 or 3 if I am lucky) and also have some sort of life between parenting, working, and being just a plain ole person. :-)

Now how to get into your RYTHMN? That totally depends on who you are... for me freewriting, or blogging, looking at my cork board full of inspiration, finding the EXACT picture to represent a part of my book, or just thinking hard about the plot/characters all day before I sit down and write help me get going.

Experiment, you'll find your own Rythmn. I am sure of it. ;)

Darn! That previous RYTHMN anonymous post... that was mine. I was so excited to write you a response, I submitted before filling in the blanks!

Mary, even though I juggle jobs, you have far less far less free-time than I do, and your 'day' job is much tougher on the brain and body. I'm not how you can carve out more time except maybe to give up something here and there. Stephanie Bond wrote an entry about that once. Giving up a half-hour of TV, a half-hour of time on-line, fifteen-minutes of this and that... She noted that you'll be surprised how it adds up. Good luck my friend!

Cyndi, you sound like you have a good grasp of what you need to feel balanced. I know you get up extremely early to write. Disciplined, you are.

Oops. How did that happen? I wasn't ready to submit comment! The above anon is me. Geesh. Anyway, Cyndi, I think you are balanced. I admire that. I know it wasn't easy getting there. :)

Interesting insight, Bethany. Thanks for sharing! Kind of sounds like what I think of as 'being in the zone'. When I'm there, it's a great place. Just need to get there more often. LOL

Beth, I admire you. Most people would collapse after finishing a book (and everything else you do). But you--you're reading, deep cleaning, watching moveis...and, I hope, shopping? So, what books are you reading for FUN? As far as myself...I manage by letting a lot of housework pile up...I have someone who comes in and cleans once every other week, and I try to maintain that, but I have piles of STUFF all over and never seem to find the time to file or go through the stacks of paper in my kitchen, study, bedroom etc. Any suggestions? :) BUt I do find time to write. Unlike many of you, I don't work as well under pressure, so I have learned to pace myself, doing a small but steady amount some weeks, and more on other weeks when I can.

I don't. :-( Not yet at least.

I have no idea how you'll manage--I don't know if I could! :o

Beth, I balence work and pleasure between two things:

The Week. ( )

and...

The Weekend! ( )

Beth, you sound tired and brain fried! When you're that worn out, things are going to seem harder than they are, and it's the wrong time to try and change how you do things.

The only advice I'd give is to start on deadline works earlier; take breaks; and split big tasks into smaller bits.

Women are champion multi-taskers, writers more so. But where I sometimes fall apart is where I think, "I can only do this task this week and I can't stop until it's finished!!!" A healthier approach is to say, "I'm going to spend two hours on A, two on B and three on C. And then I'm going to stop." Or whatever.

Anyway. Keep refilling that well, and let your brain idle for a while.

Hi Roni! Someone comes in and cleans every other week? Hmm. Sounds like something I need to put on my Christmas list! As for having piles everywhere, files and such... that is so me. finally organized my downstairs desk two days ago. But my writing room? It would take two weeks! Funny you should mention shopping. I did some yesterday and was quite pleased with my purchases! Enjoyed breakfast with my friends too. I took yesterday OFF. It felt great. ;)

Jordan, you'll find your balance. :)

Larissa, I think I read somewhere that we only given what we can truly bear. Or something like that.

Taylor... now that's balance!

Anna, I really appreciate your observations. I bet others did as well. You've given me something to think about.

I gave up all notions of pleasure when I joined the Brotherhood of Monastic Writers. We've taken vows of monogamy (one project at a time) and self-promotion.

Ironically, our weekly meeting often degenerate into tea-drinking Xbox-fests ;)

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