Learning to cope with leaving your day job and writing full time—I haven’t yet!
Hi Sia! Thanks for inviting
me to guest blog at Thoughts Over Coffee today! I wanted to choose a topic that
I’m currently struggling with in the hopes that I’m not alone.
After years of
working part time in an office during the day while our kids were in school—writing
early in the morning before work, and then again at night and on weekends—my
darling husband suggested that I give my writing career my full attention and
quit my day job. Now this wasn't because I suddenly was raking in the dough—not
the case, or really the point—it was the spirit behind his offer, which I
accepted after he reminded me that I supported him fully when he started his
own engineering consulting business ten years ago and that it was my turn.
So, I quit my day job and
that’s when then the Universe decided to throw a monkey wrench in our grand
plans. I added driving our youngest son back and forth to work—a daily round
trip of 4 hours—to my schedule, but again not the point… We needed to be there
for him and to support him while he was waiting to get his license back. He
needed to keep his job in order to become independent again.
I adjusted to another new
writing schedule because I was fortunate enough to have back-to-back deadlines, for which I was eternally grateful, but it meant I had to focus completely
during the hours I did have available to write in. Finally I saw the light at
the end of the tunnel when he was able to get his license back—more writing
time, I thought…Perfect!
And then the Universe
laughed and our daughter and son-in-law asked me to babysit our grandbaby three
days a week when maternity leave was over. The catch is that they both work in
retail and neither one has a set schedule week to week. Soooo… I've been
babysitting—and loving every minute of it! By the way, it is sooo much easier
when you’re 20 years younger!
Two years have come and gone
since I've quit my job to write full time, and I’m still trying to find my
balance. There are days when I get sidetracked feeling guilty that I’m not
bringing in a weekly paycheck, how does one get over that? If anyone has the
answer, I’d love to hear it!
By far the hardest part of
my job as an author is juggling the social networking part of it. There are
days when I’m on deadline and completely forget that I haven’t posted to FB or
tweeted or blogged about what I’m doing, nose-to-the-grindstone days when I’m
writing or dealing with family issues and life itself.
Things have changed
drastically from when I published my first book in 2000, hard to believe it
people, but we didn't have the internet as it is today…no Facebook, Twitter,
etc. We had email and on-line writing groups, but our promotional efforts were
concentrated on mailing bookmarks, postcards and pens to bookstores and
attending conferences. :-)
I wonder if the Universe is
just reminding me that nothing in life is ever easy and that anything
worthwhile never comes easily—and it shouldn't because we might not appreciate
it as much if our goals were too easily met and obstacles too easily climbed
over. So I’ll keep adjusting my writing schedule and meeting my deadlines and
will try really hard to remember that I need to keep up with those wonderful
friends and contacts in my social-networking life on FB and twitter and post
more often.
My question for readers
today is how have you balanced a career change with family and other
obligations? Has it worked for you, or have you had to readjust?
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A
WEDDING IN APPLE GROVE
He's not so sure about small
town life.
She can't imagine living
anywhere else
Welcome to Apple Grove, Ohio (population 597), where everyone has your
best interests at heart, even if they can't agree on the best way to meddle.
When the townsfolk of Apple Grove need handiwork done, there's no job too small
for the Mulcahy sisters: Megan, Caitlin, and Grace.
Specializing in hard work and family loyalty, tomboy Meg Mulcahy has
left behind any girlhood reams of romance. Enter newcomer Daniel Eagan, looking
to bury his own broken heart and make a new start. He's surprised-and
delighted-by the winsome girl with the mighty tool belt who shows up to fix his
wiring.
But Dan's got a lot to learn about life in a small town, and when
Meg's past collides with her future, it may take all 595 other residents of
Apple Grove to keep this romance from short-circuiting.
“A terrifically fun read... With quick dialogue and a homey feel, this is a wonderful book to curl up with. Small-town romance at its best!” —RT Book Review, 4 Stars
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C.H. ADMIRAND was born in Aiken, South Carolina, but
grew up in New Jersey. She has been delighting readers with her Secret Life of
Cowboys Series, featuring three cowboy brothers with Irish charm, and is now
working on the next books in her small town contemporary romance series,
featuring the town and quirky characters of Apple Grove, OH. She lives with her
husband, who is the inspiration for all of her heroes’ best traits, in New
Jersey. For more information, please visit www.CHAdmirand.com.
