Weekly Topic ~ March 12-18
Posted by Lynnette on 11 Mar 2007 | Tagged as: Writing Life, Weekly Topics
For this week’s topic, I’m posting two questions.
First: How many of the HEA Cafe’s published authors juggle a family and work while they write and how do you accomplish it?
Second: If you could read or write anything in the world you wanted to, what would it be?
As always, post your comments below and if you have any suggestions for future topics, post those as well.
~Blog Diva
I used to juggle a family and job while writing, but now I can work at writing full time. If anything, it’s harder because I don’t feel as compelled to snatch a few moments to write between crises.
As far as writing anything I want, I feel like I’m doing that now.[g]
March 12th, 2007 at 9:20 amI used to teach high school full time, had two boys at home, plus wrote in every “spare” minute. It was very hard and I always felt really guilty spending time writing (instead of cooking, socializing, etc.). Now I teach part time and write full time, plus my boys are gone, so life is MUCH simpler, much more sane. I even have time to exercise (although I still don’t cook or dust).
March 14th, 2007 at 12:36 pmWell, I write full time, but I think that working at home has its own challenges. It’s very easy to get distracted into doing things around the house, especially when the characters of the moment aren’t being cooperative. Like Gail, I don’t dust, but I do love to cook and can lose entire days in the kitchen, trying out new recipes or just browsing through cookbooks.
We have an old house which is in a perpetual state of renovation (this may end before I die) and that makes things complicated sometimes. I don’t like having workmen in the house when I’m working, but I’m working most of the time. We solved that by finishing my office first and wiring up the stereo — sometimes they have to work to MY music! As with everything, sooner or later it comes down to discipline.
As for question #2, I’m fortunate in that I’ve been writing a lot of work recently that is challenging and interesting. It’s what I want to write and I’m having a terrific time writing it. In fact, I was just thinking today that there was nothing I’d change about my writing schedule for the year ahead.
How cool is that?
Claire
March 14th, 2007 at 6:10 pmI have purposely chosen a job that I can do along with my writing. I have a live-in client. It works well. He is supportive of my writing. And I can write when I’m not needed. I have been caring for this man for 10 years so, apart from days when he’s sick or in hospital, I can predict I’ll have most of the morning to write. I also have a husband and adult son living at home. They don’t interuppt too often and I’ve learned to ignore their questions if I’m in the middle of something though once in awhile I lose a really, really, really great thought and never get it back. I’m extremely grateful that I have a set up that works for me.
As to writing what I want to–I think I am. I sometimes find stories in my head that don’t fit my genre and wonder if I’ll ever write them but on the whole, I love writing romance.
March 16th, 2007 at 8:11 amI am a SAHM, and started writing mostly out of boredome, and it was cheaper than the crafts business I did have for two years. DH wasn’t sad at all to see that end. LOL
I stopped working to raise my son, but now that I’m writing, I feel like I work full time and then some! I still do all the “Women’s work” around the house, and then some, but I know I’ve been lucky to be able to do something that I enjoy while I can.
As for writing and reading what I want… I know I do that, or I wouldn’t still be working at it like a real job.
And that’s really the litmus test to me. Who works for free willingly? You have to love what you do.
March 17th, 2007 at 10:25 pm