I’ve heard many authors say some variation of “I’d love to be able to write full-time." I often stay quiet if I’m in a position to reply because, like anything else, writing full-time isn’t perfect. I currently write as my day job, and I feel lucky that I have the ability to pursue my dreams, but having twenty-four hours, seven days a week to write has a downside. Most obviously is the logistics of essentially running a small business by myself. I not only have to write and publish...there’s also marketing, scheduling, formatting, budgeting. You name it, I’m doing it. Perhaps more challenging is…finding time to write. In addition to learning much about the non-writing aspects of the business, I've learned about time management. I've also learned much about myself. For example, I’ve learned that afternoons are not my creative time; I work much better in the morning and evening. So I try to compensate for this by fitting other things into afternoons, like laundry and errands. (Move over, tightrope artists, my balance is becoming flawless!) And finally, the most challenging: getting motivated. If I know I have a deadline coming, I work. The zing accompanying a book release also helps keep me on track. There are times, though, when I just flag. When those times hit, I take time away and only write when something strikes. After all, even 9-to-5 jobs have weekends off. The trick is to take a day and get back in the saddle. I’ve learned a lot about that, too. So the next time you wish you could write full-time, think about what that means. Writing as a day job lacks imposed structure, so you'll need to make your own structure. I’m good at regulating my own schedule, but doing so is not for everyone. If you think you can train yourself, try it. There’s nothing like having plenty of time to write.
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