Setting Writing Boundaries

From Cheryl's Writing Crate

One common difficulty that most writers share is setting and sticking to boundaries in terms of protecting their writing time when it comes to their friends and family.  For those of us who write from the comfort of our homes, it is not uncommon for people to not take our work seriously.

Regardless of whether you’re working on deadline, writing for pleasure, or trying to get ahead on articles, blog posts, or columns the fact of the matter is people who are not writers just don’t get it.

That is not an insult to non-writers, it is merely a fact.  Because most of us have to juggle the rest of our life—family, work, pets, and household obligations in addition to our writing, making the time to write is imperative—if we don’t schedule it in, most likely it isn’t going to happen.  That is why boundaries are so important—if we don’t take our writing seriously, why should our family and friends?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of my favorite writing books is Writer Mama by Christina Katz.  On Page 116 she discusses practicing good boundaries with the following great advice:

                                             
Set Limits on Your Time and Availability--  Don’t wait until you have a deadline looming to try and convince friends and family that your work matters and you deserve support in getting it done.  Enlist the help of a trusted friend or writing buddy who can help you see the importance of what you do and that your time is well-spent working daily on your writing career.
Ask for Help When You Need It—Help might mean asking your spouse to pick up a pizza for dinner, do the grocery shopping, or take the kids out of the house for a couple of hours.  It may mean trading babysitting with a mama friend.  Eventually you will get the hang of it, and will reach out for help when you need to get your writing done.
Share A Bit About What You Do—Let’s not forget that most people have no idea what it takes to be a mom and a writer.  You choose to combine writing with motherhood, which is your choice to make.  Don’t lose your sense of humor when other moms just don’t understand all that goes into being a writer.  Take the time to explain exactly what you do and why you write to make people understand how important this is to you.
Filters and Routines Help—A filter is a method of channeling your workflow to the appropriate place when it comes in so you can ignore it until you need it and then find it easily when you are ready for it.  Balancing writing with the rest of your busy life is easier if you have filters in place.  Examples are only checking e-mail twice a day instead of every 15 minutes, not surfing the net unless you are researching a topic for an article you are writing, trying not to read every on-line newsletter that comes your way unless it’s specifically targeted towards a subject you are writing about.  Figure out what your time drains are and set up filters so that you don’t get trapped into wasting precious writing time when you have it.

Writer Mama is definitely one of my writing bibles and has helped me formulate a better writing routine for myself over the years.  What boundaries do you rely on to help you achieve your daily and weekly writing goals?

Becoming a Writer Mama

From Cheryl's Writing Crate

When Kate and I decided to launch this blog, I knew instantly that we would make great partners. She has been my editor for over a decade. She not only knows my creative strengths, writing style, and stumbling blocks (probably better than anyone), but she also inspires me to raise the bar and challenge myself to be a better writer with every post and article I submit.
 

Now as my blogging partner, I have the pleasure of reading her posts. I am learning about what feeds her writing muse as well as getting to see what makes her tick as a fellow writer, not just an editor. Because of this, I gain new insight into my own writing goals every week--something that wouldn't have been possible if we hadn't created The Writer's Crate!

 

This week Kate discussed how best-selling authors Pamela Clare and, one of my writing idols, Maryann McFadden have positively impacted her writing by way of the Masterclasses offered in their books for characters, dialogue, back stories, plots, settings, and/or voice.  


This post really hit home with me. I can’t tell you how often I used to finish reading a book that touched my inner writing goddess only to sigh and tell myself that, although I knew writing was in my blood, there was just no way that a busy mother of eight like me could ever pull it off.

However, that all changed when I found and read one of my writing bibles, WriterMama—How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids, written by Christina Katz.  It was as if the author was speaking directly to me on every single page. 

The book starts off very appropriately with a pep talk to mothers about why motherhood and writing can go hand and hand. Immediately she shares 10 reasons why mothers can pursue writing careers regardless of how many kids they have, what their past experiences are, or even if they already work outside their homes. Refreshing!

Writer Mama has become one of my writing bibles. Christina Katz inspires busy moms to take the plunge and indulge in writing careers alongside their family obligations.

Writer Mama came to me at exactly the “write” time in my busy life—a time where I was about to give up on my dream to become a published writer simply because my mindset was that I had no right to take time for myself to pursue writing. I mean, wouldn't it be unfair to my family if I stepped away from a few loads of laundry during the week to write? Or worse, what would people think if I didn’t spend my 14-hour days catering solely to their needs?

Christina Katz put this all into perspective for me and every other “Writer Mama” by dividing her book into four helpful sections:

Preparation—adopting the tools and proper attitude that successful writer mamas need to succeed. 

Practice—she takes writer mamas step-by-step on building basic writing skills to compete with the pros!

Professionalism—helps to take these newfound writing skills and confidence and apply them to the exciting task of querying for assignments.

Poise—guides writer mamas to develop crucial skills that will garner the attention of editors and agents as well as landing paying writing assignments!

I own two copies of Writer Mama. One is close by in a bookcase next to my Writer's Crate and the other I keep in my car or tote bag so that I can come back to it over and over again even if I only have a few moments between carpools. I always learn something new and get re-motivated every time I read random pages. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend you get a copy today!

Do you have a writing book that excites and inspires you?  We’d love to know about it!