Balancing on a Beam

Who wishes there were more hours in the day so that you could accomplish all of your lofty goals? Today’s author needs to balance social media marketing, including posts on blogs (your own and others), Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook, along with managing family life, full-time jobs, and, oh yeah, writing the next book. So, how does it all get done? Here’s the secret . . . there is no secret. However, there are some key rules to follow that have worked for me in balancing on this precarious beam.


Know when to say when:
I don’t think I’m alone when I admit that I often get tunnel-vision when I’m surfing Goodreads, making new connections, reading/commenting on blogs, posting on Twitter and FaceBook, and so on. How many of us can block out the whole world around us when we’re zoned in on cyber-space, working hard to promote our books and stay updated in the book world? I sometimes feel like Lois in “Family Guy” when Stewie repeatedly says, “Mom, Mom, Mommy…” about a hundred times with no response. However, as a wife and mother of four, I know that my first job is them. Sometimes, it’s more important to stop reading that amazing book review on Passionate Book Divas (shameless plug, but wonderful book blog) in order to get your two-year-old some juice. Hopefully, you all have a supportive family to follow your dream as an author, but everyone has their limits. Realizing that your family loves you more than the book world and knowing when to say when is paramount to keep the balance in family life.
Never enough time and exhausted to boot:
Okay, unless you have the great fortune of being a full-time writer, you’re probably an indie author like me with a full-time job. As a high school English teacher, yes, I’m off at 3:00, but there are still lessons to plan, tests to make, and papers to grade. Who has the time to blog, much less be inspired to write? I can’t speak for everyone, but I can share what’s worked for me. First, go ahead and confess to yourself that you truly aren’t exhausted all the time. A lot of the time, perhaps, but where there’s a will there’s a way. (I hate clichés, but it’s true.) I keep a journal/notebook wherever I go. No, this isn’t for my deepest darkest secrets. It’s a writing journal for anything I’m currently working on. If I have ten minutes before a faculty meeting, fifteen waiting for my kids in car line, or thirty minutes at lunch, then I’m writing a scene for my new novel or organizing plot sequence or outlining a blog. You may say that you can’t write unless you have an hour at a time. That’s not always a luxury we have, except between 10:00 and midnight (when I actually do a great deal of my writing). If it’s going to happen, you’ve got to make it happen. Try the journal; you may be surprised.
Tenacity is key:
Many people have remarked on my stubbornness. Sure, I could be hurt, but I wear my obstinate badge proudly. This is part of my tenacious drive to get what I want. It seems that all successful authors living and chasing their dream of authordom probably have a stubborn streak. Am I right? I do get exhausted at times, wanting to do nothing but veg on the couch with my husband and a glass of wine, which I do quite often. But, I also commit to myself that I’ll be spending an hour later that night, working on my new book till the words blur together and my eyelids droop.
Ultimately, don’t let your dream die because you feel overwhelmed that you don’t understand Twitter or you only have five followers on your blog or you have writer’s block and don’t know where the hell your story is going or you don’t have enough of that elusive, fleeting thing called time. Push past it and bulldoze ahead. But, also remember that when your toddler hands your husband his favorite toy to play with and hands you your iPhone (knowing it’s your favorite toy), it may be time to put it down, pick him up, and give him a hug.