Something that I’m sure a lot of my fellow authors can relate to is trying to find the balance between writing their stories and the responsibilities of the day job that pays the bills.
It’s because of my full-time job that it’s important to find a good writing routine that works for me. That includes time to work on all the administrative and marketing tasks needed to help promote both myself as an author and my series, Fates Chosen.
Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way:
Relatability Factor: The Struggle is Real
Having a day job is essential since my bills, much to my chagrin, continue to come in every month. But it often limits my time and energy for the thing that I love the most; writing.
Here comes the guilt… Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my day job. Though, in a dream world I’d spend my days in a beach side cottage. There I’d sit with copious amounts of coffee and my laptop, casually getting wrapped up in fantastical worlds and fighting magical wars while getting lost in the eyes of the dreamiest fictional men my mind manages to come up with.
Alas, for the time being, my dream world must wait.
Writing requires a lot of mental space for creativity to really thrive, which can be hard to find after a long workday. Even though my brain is telling me I have a word count deadline or an Instagram caption to write, sometimes I need to force myself to take the night off. Better to take some time to recoup than risk burnout.
Set Realistic Goals
Something I’ve learned the hard way is to set realistic goals for myself. Realistic being the key word. I used to think I could easily write 1,000 words a day just because I’ve been able to do it a handful of times.
I know, I’m even rolling my eyes at myself.
The harsh truth: my goals need to be flexible. With waves of busy and slow seasons at my day job, my availability can change every month. During those busy times, I might be lucky to even open my current work in progress. Sometimes it’s just a matter of pivoting from daily word counts to weekly ones. Or instead of word counts at all, it’s setting a timer for twenty minutes and writing whatever I can in that time. Even if it’s just one sentence.
My goal is to stay as far from the land of overwhelmed as possible. If I know a busy week is coming, I don’t set a high goal that could lead to disappointment. At best, the result is frustration, at worst, I’m risking the dreaded burnout—which can last for longer than I care to admit.
Time Management and Self-Care
Time Management and I are frenemies—there, I said it. But when you pair it with realistic goal-setting, that’s when the magic happens. My suggestion is to create a writing schedule that fits your lifestyle, and during your dedicated writing or marketing time, focus on the tasks that truly matter most.
SCHEDULING TIP: Don’t forget to factor in some self-care time! Rest and downtime are incredibly important for the creative mind. Sometimes we need a recharge in order to clear our minds to express our thoughts clearly. Balancing a personal life, work life, writing life, and well-being is hard, but sacrificing your well-being to get in a couple hundred words to meet a short-term goal won’t be beneficial long-term.
Take care of yourself!
The Power of the Support System
Most importantly, lean on others for support and motivation. I don’t know about you, but my friends and family are great confidence boosters. Which, in turn, boosts my motivation. Not to mention your fellow authors! No one knows more about what you’re going through than your fellow author.
I’m always happy to chat if you want someone to shoot the shit with about it all!
All in all, having a day job while navigating the indie author sphere, especially as a newbie, is definitely beneficial for the time being—doesn’t mean I can’t still dream about a future where writing full time in my beach cottage is a reality!
Every author’s journey is different, but that doesn’t mean we can’t lean on each other and grab a few tips and tricks along the way! I, for one, am always looking for new insights anywhere I can get them. If you have any you want to pass along, I’m all ears!
Until next time!
🩵 L
LMRhys.com 
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