Guest Post By Heather Manning: How To Fit Writing Into A Busy Schedule

5 Comments

Technology is amazing. I'm writing this out Sunday night, hours before Mission Camp, but you guys won't even get it till Thursday, when I'm long gone, having fun and doing cool things. Don't be jealous, though. I shall post about my (mis)adventures when I return!

To the point of this post, though, as promised, we have the delightful Heather Manning to guest post today. Take it away, Heather!

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Alexa! I’m so happy to be here. For a few weeks, I struggled with deciding what topic I wanted to write about here today. And in the midst of my confusion, I realized why I was having so much trouble. It’s because I’ve been really busy. My mind hasn’t been one hundred percent focused on my writing at all times, and that has thrown me off a little bit. In the past, many people have asked me how I do it. How was I published at age 16? How do I balance my school work and college search and teenage life at the same time as my writing career? And while in the past month, which has included my last few weeks of high school and a whirlwind writers convention, I may have neglected my writing a little bit (I promise I am getting back to it!), I think I have done a decent job at balancing my writing life and my high school life in the past year and a half since I became a published author.

So, how do I do it? I make writing one of my top priorities, whether it means staying up late at night meeting a deadline or declining offers to hang out with friends in order to have more time to write. And while I have managed to stop doing many things I enjoy to make time for my writing, I realize, and I think other new or aspiring authors have to realize that you do have time for writing. It may seem like you have absolutely no time, but if you truly want to progress in your writing, you have to MAKE time to support your craft. Even if it’s only one day a week. At least you’re doing something. I think that scheduling makes all the difference, too. There have been times when I told myself I had no time to do anything I wanted, but then caught myself roaming the internet while getting my emails done. Self-discipline can go a long way in helping you devote time for what you love to do. I’m gearing this post towards writers, but I think it applies to others who have a hobby or an activity they love, too. I happen to adore theatre in addition to my writing. I am currently in a show at my local community theatre, and that has taken some time away from my writing projects. But now that I have realized that I am, in fact, neglecting my writing, I have made a decision to not allow that to happen any more. In between scenes at rehearsals, I am brainstorming for my next book or writing my current book on an app on my phone. No matter where I am, I can write, so I am not allowing myself any excuses. I think others struggling with time management would do well to do the same.

And that’s how I fit my writing into my lifestyle in a nutshell. If you’re a writer, how do you do it? Do you write a set amount of words each day? If you don’t write, what do you love to do? Read? Draw? Sew? Whatever you do, I want to hear about it, and I’ll be back to Alexa’s blog to respond to your comments throughout the week! I’d love to hear from you all.

About my latest book: CARRIED HOME

The Caribbean is no place for a society lady of London, yet after a daring quest to save a friend, Lady Ivy Shaw finds herself trapped far from home. Now, driven with worry for her young brother, she is determined to return to England in all haste. So, when a new acquaintance offers to sail her to her brother’s side, she jumps at the offer, scarcely caring that the man is a privateer. Captain Gage Thompson is just learning how to be a captain. He sailed for years under the command of his longtime friend, Caspian Archer, but serving a captain and being a cap-tain are, as he soon discovers, two very different roles. While struggling to gain the respect of his newfound crew, he now faces the distraction of beautiful Lady Shaw. He finds him-self entranced by her and promises to give her passage home. After a brief stop in Port Royal, Ivy and Gage discover an abandoned child. They both de-cide to bring her with them on their voyage to England. But problems soon arise in the form of hurricanes and enemy pirates, and Ivy and Gage find themselves scrambling to not only care for a lonely child, but also gain command of a motley crew. Will love bud between Ivy and Gage as they journey home?

About the Author: Bestselling author Heather Manning is a young lady who loves to read—and write. After she won several writing competitions, her first book was professionally published and quickly became an Amazon Bestseller. She is an active member of her local ACFW chapter and lives in Kansas City, Missouri where she attends high school, sees plays, devours do-nuts, and acts in community theatre. You can find Heather on her blog: heathermauthor.blogspot.com.

***

Great post, Heather! And so totally true; if we truly aspire to be published authors (or any professional, really), we have to be disciplined about our dreams and make a few sacrifices. But, seeing as you were published at 16, it looks like it's worth it. ;)

Like our guest said, leave comments below, and I shall see you all in a couple of weeks!

5 comments:

Keturah LambJune 19, 2015 at 12:16 AM
I agree with your post...mostly. We do need to commit to our writing if we want to become a successful author, but in order to have a good writing style we need a life, friends, and other activities to keep others parts of our creativenes flowing :).

But I do try to make sure I get at least 200 words written a day on one story :) I study a lot, sew, embroider, knit, blog, work and such...so balancing that all does make me tired quite often to say the least :).