Amanda Cook asked Mary Robinette Kowal:

Have you found the transition from puppeteer to writer a difficult one? Are you able to do both simultaneously, or are you finding that your time is well spent doing one occupation over the other?

Mary Robinette Kowal It happened pretty naturally.

The thing that I think most people don't understand before they become a writer, is that writing is a freelance occupation. You have to balance multiple deadlines and bosses, and when you aren't working, you're unemployed. So the answer is to diversify the income stream by having different projects in various stages of completion.

That's what puppetry is, too. I have always prioritized on a) what is due and b) will pay the rent.

My goal was always to be successful enough that I could turn down the work I didn't want to do.

Writing fit into the same pattern, so I was able to balance both for a long time. Now, it's paying the rent and I have enough due dates that the only puppetry I'm doing is the stuff I want to.

It's not as much as I'd like, but it's still very much a part of my life.

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