I think it's time to readjust my big-girl tights. (They're black with sparkly mermaid tails, by the way.)
For the last eight years my family has been moving around the country. A lot. Every six month to two years, in fact. During that time I did not work outside the home. Oh, I did births as a doula and taught childbirth classes, but that wasn't even part time. It was here and there.
But before all the moving around, I was an optician.
And now we're done moving. We're settled. My kids are both in school.
It's time to go back to work--part time--as an optician.
Ask me how I feel about this and you may get different answers from one moment to the next. Because despite the fact that I've been looking forward to joining the workforce, I'm incredibly scared that it'll do away with my writing time. That the responsibilities of life will gobble up my dream and spit me out.
I know this doesn't have to be true.
My best friend and critique partner works full time. Many authors have careers outside of writing. I get that. So why do I feel as though I'm unwillingly trading one future for another?
Because I'm sick of these flip-flop feelings, I need your help. Do you work outside the home? What do you do? How has it changed your writing? Good or bad? Thanks guys! I really look forward to hearing about your experiences!
I stay home with my 4 little boys (three of whom are school-aged), and we decided when I got signed that I would quit full-time cake decorating so I could follow my passion and write full time. I think the answer is different for everyone, and I hope that you find the answer that works for you! =)
ReplyDeleteWe've had that talk too. :)
DeleteThis is definitely a big transition! Your writing time might falter for a bit as you learn to balance both it and a career again, but I'm sure you will find that balance and figure out how to make it work for you!
ReplyDeleteYou've spoken my fears. I put my career on hold (not writing related at all) to raise the kidlets, but now that the second is creeping up to school age I feel that same pull to be "a productive member of society" and get back in it, at least part time. And I'm shrieking against it because I want to be a... writer. Not a social worker.
ReplyDeleteBut, I have no agent or contract or any foreseeable money-making potential right now, so that's not really an option, right?? I just don't know.
SO hard to figure out... this thing called life. If you happen to find the cure for confusion in your meditations, do let me know. And in the meantime, I wish you all the best figuring out what's best for you and your family. The answer is out there for both of us, I'm sure.
I'm going to let you into a little secret... I have written while working full-time, I have written while working part-time, and right now I'm writing full-time. The easiest writing time for me by far was when I was working part-time. When you have all the time in the world to write, extra discipline is needed to sit down and actually do the writing. Working at something else means I've had to carve out hours to write. Ironically, this led to me being way more productive.
DeleteIf you tell yourself that any writing time you have is YOUR time, for YOUR dream, hopefully you won't feel like you're losing out. Hopefully working outside the home will feel inspiring and invigorating for you. Best of luck working out what works for you.
Hmmm. This really is a tough one. I was a stay at home mom for a year and had MUCH less time to write than I do now with a full-time job, BUT all my kids were home with me.
ReplyDeleteIf I were in your position, what I would do is get a big calendar of every waking hour in the week. I'd block of work time, commute time, and kid time (dinner, bath, and tucking in, don't forget!) Then I'd look and see which hours were open to write. I'd show my husband and ask him if he could commit to giving me bedtime "off" every other night, or a solid block of six hours on Sundays.
If I saw it working on the calendar, I'd go for it. Maybe I'm hyper-visual, but I think that would work for me.
Good luck, hon. This isn't an easy decision, but if you really want to write, you'll make it work. <3
SO true! And if I end up self-publishing, my job will make that financially possible. :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
I read once (on the internet, so it must be true) that most writers are actually as productive, if not more so, while working part-time or full-time as they would be writing full time. I work part-time over the summer (at a job where I never have to take ANYTHING home) and I admit that I write more then than I do with my rest-of-the-year full-time job (and, of course, the stacks of papers I take home with me). Still, I've managed to write 40,000 words between late October and late February, which I think is productive enough for me to, at this rate, produce a book per year.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, when I get long chunks of time off, I'm not very productive - I tend to fill my time in other ways (sure, the electrician can come tomorrow - I'm home all day!). Go figure! I think having a set working schedule forces you to pencil in writing time and stick to it - and sometimes, it's looking forward to that time that gets you through the day!
I think you'll be glad to go back to work - it will be an adjustment, at first, but I think you'll find inspiration and motivation in your everyday affairs - and maybe an office full of people to help promote your book someday! :)
Yeah, since the internet says so, now I'll trust that it is so!
DeleteI see what you're saying. I've been home and in the last six months I have not been nearly as productive as I was when I had way more commitments. :) I think I'm coming around to the idea of working.
And yesterday the thought occurred to me that working would give me more conference money! WOOHOO!
Hey Rachel! I work full-time and write. Typically I have to be very dedicated to make sure that I get my writing in for the day. That includes spending at least half of my lunch hour with a notebook. I also make sure that I know ahead of time what T.V. I might want to watch at the end of the day and plan my workout and writing schedule accordingly.
ReplyDeleteYou can't leave anything to chance when working and writing - you basically have two full-time jobs - but it IS possible.
Feel free to reach out any time if you want any tips...I understand your pain =).
Thanks for commenting! And thanks for the encouragement. :)
DeleteGosh, Rachel, I can sooo relate. Just a little under a year ago, I closed my business to focus on writing. In a lot of ways it was a great move because I signed a contract w/my publisher in Dec. Now, my book is w/my editor and will come out this summer. If I had kept my business open, I don't think I'd be where I'm at, but I'd have money coming in right now. Some days, I get impatient and think I'll open back up, but like you, I'm scared I'll get stuck back in my rut of doing a job I don't like and never reaching my full potential as a writer. I wish you lots of peace and superwoman ability! I know you can do whatever you set your mind to. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing! And yes, bring on the Superwoman power! :)
DeleteI also have a part-time job, but mine's at a library which constantly reminds me of what my ultimate goal is - to get a book published. Sometimes that alone is hard, when I come home too tired to do anything but sleep. But! On my days off and short days are when I write, revise, query or blog. Heather's right about the juggling and finding a balance, but for me the balance comes from keeping the drive to write. It's easy to get sucked into putting all your energy into your day-job and letting your day job follow you home (especially if you do a little extra besides your work). Just constantly remind yourself what you want, tell yourself you DO have time, and schedule yourself chunks of it to write. It'll work out and it'll no doubt give you more inspiration to use in your books!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering what your thoughts were, Donelle. I remember when you blogged about getting a job at the library. So I know you've gone through this thought process. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)
DeleteI work full-time and go to school full-time and I have been writing today for the past....4 hours? I don't watch tv much, I see it as a waste of my time because I have to write. I make time for it in my schedule. I write everyday, and you will, too. Interestingly, I think, most of us writers can't lose sight of the fact that we want to be writers, and that's our ultimate goal, because the jobs we have outside of it, aren't fulfilling. And man, do you feel that feeling! lol.
ReplyDeleteYou can do it! lol. :)
I work full time (40 hour weeks) and it actually keeps me motivated to write. I have a crappy job to keep me wanting something better, a regular-ish sleep pattern so I don't turn entirely nocturnal, and a fairly easy job that gives my brain time to dream of story ideas. It pays the bills and I've still got creative juice left at the end of the day to write. :)
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