My Writing Journey

Bonus Entry: How to Balance Life and Writing

I know this isn't my normal posting, but I wanted to share a little on the subject of How to Balance Life and Writing.

This is especially hard if you (like me) are still in high school (or any other schooling). There's so much else going on in our lives. School, sports, homework, family, even the unexpected 'We have to go run errands today'.

I am extremely lucky to be homeschooled, as it gives me more time to write when others are sitting in five classes that I had done in an hour. But even then, I'm still busy. And just when I have a perfect idea and I plan to write all day, we have somewhere to be.

I'm involved in many things. I have a job, I sing at church for youth nights, I play piano and guitar, I do archery, I'm getting into theater, and even more! Then on top of that, there's family. Those of you who have little siblings know that they're always wanting your attention. So how do you fit all of this into your schedule?

I have two days a week where all I have to do is school. One of those days happens to be Monday, while the other is Thursday. Monday is one of those days when no one wants to do anything, and I am no exception. Monday is mostly an editing day for me. Thursday is my big writing day. I may get some writing in throughout the week, but Thursday is when I must reach my goal.

Some people prefer to set a daily page, hourly, or word count. If that works for you, that's great! If not, like me, here's what I suggest trying.

Try a weekly chapter count. For me, I write at least one chapter for Royal Traitors and revise/rewrite one chapter of Hideout per week. On top of that, I am writing a short story for a contest and I try to get at least 250-500 words per week. Then I have these entries, of course, that I focus on when I can't get my stories to work for me.

And during the time when I don't have school, I just write periodically. I don't stick to a schedule. Then, if I don't feel like writing, I don't write. But when I do feel like writing, I do.

Try your own variations of this. Maybe it's half a chapter of one novel per week, or two chapters a week. Whatever it is, make it realistic for you and your schedule.

Don't be afraid to say no to things that aren't as important to you as writing. That does NOT mean you have to say no to everything. :) But if your friend wants to play soccer after school, and you haven't met your writing count and today's your deadline, it's okay to say no. Or if you have the choice between a summer camp you've been going to since you were ten, or going to a writing camp you've never been to, consider which one is more important to you.

So find what works for you, and don't be afraid to say no to things that just aren't as important to you as writing. 

May your reading be otherworldly and your writing fulfilling.