How I Balance Research, Writing, and Real Life
Salutations readers! As much as I would love to tell you that writing is my full time career and I can sit in my cozy office crafting stories all day, the truth is that wouldn't pay the bills. At least not yet! I'm hoping that will change in the future so I could give my books all of my professional time. However, the truth for many authors, myself included, is that a day job is necessary to make ends meet and writing ranges anywhere from a one-time-fling to writing in every free moment. For whatever level of writing an author does, the question still stands: How do you balance a professional career, writing, and other personal responsibilities? I can't give you the answer that will work for you because everyone is different and therefore, what works for you might not work for anyone else. What I can give you is what works for me and some tips for figuring out what works for you.
My education and professional career is as a research engineer. I spend a lot of time designing experiments and tests, doing a lot of math, and data analysis. This might surprise some as my training and career have nothing to do with creative writing. First and foremost, take my experience as a testament that it doesn't matter what you do or what your background is, anyone can be a successful author. If you like doing it, then do it! Don't let naysayers or fears of insecurity keep you from achieving your dreams. My career has shaped my writing in that I tend to focus on the mechanics of my worlds and a lot on the details, sometimes more so than I should. But it makes my perspective unique which is a good thing.
It took me a while to strike up a balance between my day job, writing, and family. I spent a lot of my early time trying to sneak writing into my downtime at work or writing during family time and staying up too late writing that it would affect my performance the next day. My advice for you if you are just getting into writing or considering it: Don't mix writing with the other aspects of your life. It will only take away from the other responsibilities and opportunities of the rest of your life. If you need to, create a schedule for when you want to write and when you want to spend time with family. This might seem restrictive, after all, inspiration doesn't only come when it is scheduled. Keep a notebook or note-taking app on your phone and write down your ideas as they come. Write enough detail so you will remember the next time you are at your keyboard, but not so much that you neglect the rest of your life. Make a plan for when you write and stay organized. I often find that when I am unorganized that I get far less done during my writing time. When I know what I want to write, and roughly how I am planning on writing it, I am able to get so much more done.
Your career might not relate to writing and if that's the case. Don't worry! Your unique experience will give your writing a unique voice and perspective that readers won't be able to find elsewhere. Trust that what you have to say is worth reading, but don't ignore your family, job, or other responsibilities either. Balance and moderation in all things!
Thanks for reading! For those who are hoping to start writing soon, why wait? Start chasing your dreams now instead of wishing after them. For those who are already writing, I commend you and wish you the best of success. For those who are avid readers, I hope this opened your eyes a bit to what the writing process is like for a working professional. Just know that even though life doesn't stop for your dreams, it doesn't mean that your dreams can't be pursued and achieved.
