do you have any advice on balancing writing with work/school? p.s. your blog is amazing and i really appreciate the writing advice you post!
First off, I apologize for taking so long to answer! (I guess this goes to show that while Iâm good at balancing work and writing, that means my attention to my blog ends up slipping. Sometimes weâre only human and we canât keep up with all things, all the time ^^)
Balancing writing with work/school.
1. Know what you want out of your writing so you can prioritize your life.
In order to get where you want to go with your writing (no matter your schedule) you have to know what you want out of it first. Approaching writing as a hobby, as a future career, and as a current career are all going to look very different.Â
Hobby writers often prioritize wanting to write and releasing stress while writing â having inspiration and motivation is a big deal, and if youâre not in the mood then something else might come first. Writing because you wish to someday publish, but donât have it as your current, immediate goal can involve a lot of non-writing or short activities, like analyzing other books or writing drabbles or short stories. Writing because you want to be a professional, full time author in three years is strenuous and takes dedication and sacrifice, especially when your life is already overflowing with other full time responsibilities.
(You can see how I deal with this in my personal life here.)
2. Know what motivates you, and utilize it.
A specific set up or time of day?
Figure out what makes you keep working on something even when youâre tired and stressed, and youâll have the secret to living the fullest, and writing-est, life you can.
3. Take (the right kind of) breaks.
Much of the modern world, especially larger cities, has the mentality to go, go, go until everyone is so burnt out that theyâre forced to take a break or else collapse where they stand. Itâs really easy to fall into this when youâre trying to balance writing with work or school, but if you do, youâll only hurt both aspects of your life in the process.
So, schedule yourself breaks! Writing every day is good, but you know what is better? Writing five-six days a week and then taking a day or two off.
(And Iâm going to slip into some Real Talk here guys, so I apologize, but please, my friends, my buddies, my pals, binge watching/playing a show/game alone in your room while procrastinating does not count as a break!! Remember to also go watch something with your friends or family, go on a walk, do an easy craft, explore part of your neighborhood â do something that refreshes multiple parts of your being!)
Thereâs also nothing wrong with taking off weeks of writing because you have a big life event like exams or surgery or a move. Youâre not âfalling behindâ because the only one youâre competing with is you, and if you donât take off the time you need then keep your health and life intact then your writing will just suffer down the road anyway.
4. If you slip up, forgive yourself and get back on the horse.
No one can stick to their goals 100% of the time. When life or health gets in the way, and you canât work on your writing the way you had planned, take it in stride and adjust your plans so you can write again when things calm down.
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