The biggest issue for me with 'being a writer' is making time to do so.
It's one of the first things people ask when they learn that I've written a novel - 'where on earth do you get the time?'
Truth is, with a young son, it's not always easy, but unless you hit the jackpot and get signed to a three book deal straight away and have a worldwide #1 bestseller that makes you a mint and means you can afford to give up your day job, then you simply have to make time.
When I had my lightbulb moment and decided to seriously get my first novel out of my head and onto paper (or word doc to be more precise), I knew doing so in daylight hours was never going to happen. So when my other half made me a birthday gift of a new iPad, I knew then that the time had come.
The accessibility to the written page that the iPad gave me, late at night, propped on my chest under the duvet, meant I could work away tirelessly without disturbing anyone else.
Now, I'm not trying to sell iPads, as I'm pretty sure Apple don't need my help on that, however, my point is that I had to find the time to write, however I could. Most nights I was awake in the wee hours comforting a fretful child with night terrors anyway, so my wide awake brain found it's own comfort in a touch screen keyboard.
Now that I no longer do this writing lark in secret, I've tried to knuckle down on days off from my other job and found it so hard to do. Way too many distractions came my way; housework, grocery shopping, watching the Ellen show (okay, so that last one is my own fault) - they all got in the way.
So I've reverted to what I know, late night type-athons in the dark, and balance has been restored. I'm working away on book #2 and attacking it with gusto, while editing "Someone Else Not Me" so that I can be sure of submitting the best version that it can be to potential agents and publishers.
I don't expect overnight success (although it would be nice), but I'm prepared to wait...and wait...and wait, until some agent/publisher is willing to take a chance on me.
L xx
It's one of the first things people ask when they learn that I've written a novel - 'where on earth do you get the time?'
Truth is, with a young son, it's not always easy, but unless you hit the jackpot and get signed to a three book deal straight away and have a worldwide #1 bestseller that makes you a mint and means you can afford to give up your day job, then you simply have to make time.
When I had my lightbulb moment and decided to seriously get my first novel out of my head and onto paper (or word doc to be more precise), I knew doing so in daylight hours was never going to happen. So when my other half made me a birthday gift of a new iPad, I knew then that the time had come.
The accessibility to the written page that the iPad gave me, late at night, propped on my chest under the duvet, meant I could work away tirelessly without disturbing anyone else.
Now, I'm not trying to sell iPads, as I'm pretty sure Apple don't need my help on that, however, my point is that I had to find the time to write, however I could. Most nights I was awake in the wee hours comforting a fretful child with night terrors anyway, so my wide awake brain found it's own comfort in a touch screen keyboard.
Now that I no longer do this writing lark in secret, I've tried to knuckle down on days off from my other job and found it so hard to do. Way too many distractions came my way; housework, grocery shopping, watching the Ellen show (okay, so that last one is my own fault) - they all got in the way.
So I've reverted to what I know, late night type-athons in the dark, and balance has been restored. I'm working away on book #2 and attacking it with gusto, while editing "Someone Else Not Me" so that I can be sure of submitting the best version that it can be to potential agents and publishers.
I don't expect overnight success (although it would be nice), but I'm prepared to wait...and wait...and wait, until some agent/publisher is willing to take a chance on me.
L xx