Living in Two Worlds (Or more…)

As a writer, I often find myself living in more than one world at a time. I could be traveling through the forests of Davodor with Hazel, swimming in the Gulf of Mexico with Bex, or hanging out in a speakeasy with Eve. But then there is also the real world to deal with.

It can sometimes be hard to balance being a writer with the rest of our obligations and responsibilities. I know for me, I tend to do one or the other. I tend to neglect what needs to be done in the real world, escaping to my made up worlds.

But the trash still needs to be taken out. The laundry still needs to be folded. The dogs still need to be walked.

Then there are the people that go the other way. They put off writing because of everything going on in their lives. They have to clean the kitchen, spend time with the husband, take care of the children, and spend time with their friends. And all of that is extremely important!

So how do we balance that? The answer is I still haven’t figured it out, but I am trying.

The one thing I have figured out is that when I set myself a weekly goal I do better. My goal is to write/edit 7 chapters a week. Now I can split that up into 1 chapter a day or I can do 3 in one day and have 2 days off later that week.

I have found that by doing this I know exactly what to expect from my week. I know that no matter what I have to complete 7 chapters. However, once those 7 chapters are done, I am not allowed to do any more until I am caught up on my real world responsibilities. This way if I want to do more I have to wait until that balance is reached.

If you are one of the people who tend to put off your writing, then just flip the goals. Don’t allow yourself to watch that new movie until you have written a new chapter. Don’t go to coffee with your friends until you finished editing that chapter.

I don’t know if this will work for you, but I suggest trying it. If you have another idea that helps you balance the chaos of being a writer, then please let me know down below and I will be sure to give it a shot!